The conference “A step into science” 2020 by the Petnica Science Center

Abstract

The Petnica Science Center (PSC) organized the regular Conference ?A Step into Science?, BOOK AND EVENT REVIEW December 7-12, 2020 online. PSC is an independent, nonprofit organisation for extracurricular, formal, and informal, science education. For the past 38 years, it has been a place of free thinking and innovative ideas for students with strong interests in science and the scientific method. PSC utilizes a peer-to-peer education system, where university students are the tutors of high school students, providing a more informal learning setting to foster the development of scientific ideas. Peer to peer education, as an important aspect of the PSC model is highly beneficial for both young tutors (university students) and their slightly younger students. The primary philosophy is to promote scientific literacy and help high school students to understand the scientific method. By using hands-on approaches to research and science, students are taught how to read appropriate literature, trained in basic research methods, and encouraged to develop their own scientific questions. As students progress through the program, they engage in training and activities that enable them to create their own independent research project proposals. After the project proposal is reviewed and approved, the students have the opportunity to conduct their own research, analyze the results, and write a final peer-reviewed manuscript. The selected manuscripts are traditionally presented at the Petnica annual conference as poster and oral presentations, this time carried out online with great success. More than 100 participants joined the daily presentations and joined in lively discussions on the presented works. The manuscripts are also published in annual proceedings by PSC.