After five excellent and informative talks, thought-provoking questions from the audience, a brief certificate ceremony (below), and a last lunch together, YSDE 2012 drew to a close.  The National Youth Science Foundation extends many thanks to Canaan Valley Institute for the use of its wonderful facility and the outstanding support of its scientists, as well to NASA for the financial support that has made the first two years of YSDE possible.  Most of all, we appreciate the hard work of the students and the support of parents, teachers, and schools that have made the program possible.  Keep an eye out for up-coming information about the fall 2012 YSDE!

Between work sessions, students got a chance to unwind with a variety of seminars including stream quality assessment, silly putty physics and mixing, coffee tasting, team building games (below left), and archery.  After a last work session and dinner, teams returned to the lodge for a musical performance (below right) and a last evening together for the spring  YSDE session.

The hikers benefited from an impressive collaboration and connectivity achieved by many local land management interests and trail advocates, including Canaan Valley Institute, the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the National Youth Science Foundation, Blackwater Falls State Park, Tucker County Trails, and the Heart of the Highlands Trail System.  The route featured some beautiful miles on the new Splash Dam South Trail (below), thanks to hard work from HoH, TCT, AmeriCorps, and Tucker County High School.

A few students unable to backpack due to injury or illness enjoyed a tour of the White Room Gallery in Thomas, WV with artist and gallery co-owner Nathan Baker.  Representatives from AmeriCorps NCCC, who were in the area working on service projects, spoke to YSDE students Monday evening before a presentation by Josh Stevens of slides and equipment from a mountaineering expedition on Denali.

With tired feet and a little fresh air in their lungs, YSDE teams will dive back into finalizing their research results tomorrow for presentation at Wednesday’s closing colloquium.

After this morning’s work on team projects, students had a hard choice to make among three afternoon seminar options.  One group took a field trip to the Fairfax Stone (below), visited an unusual post office and stopped by the smallest church in the contiguous United States.  Another group learned about acid mining reclamation and used iron oxide from reclamation processes to tie dye T-shirts (left).  A third group learned about JASON Project resources and opportunities from YSDE teacher Melinda Carpenter, featured in JASON’s “Terminal Velocity” curriculum.

Students finished the day with preparations for tomorrow’s backpacking trip  and a well-timed talk on the natural and human history of the Canaan Valley region from Penn State professor Steve Keating, author of A Dolly Sods North – Blackwater Guidebook.

Cohort 2 of the Spring 2012 Youth Science Discovery Experience is in the home stretch.  The research teams arrived at Canaan Valley Institute and got to work wrapping up their research and beginning to outline their presentations for next Wednesday’s colloquium.  Dr. Rachel Rosen of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory visited YSDE to give a survey of various cosmic phenomena, from pulsars, galaxies, black holes, and stellar life cycles.  Above, Alexis Branch and scientist Danny Welsch discuss a storyboard for their team’s presentation.  Below, Philip Barbour students make some final measurements in the greenhouse.

We will be posting the final collection of photos from Cohort One here shortly. Additionally, we will be adding the poster style summaries of their research to this site.  Check back soon to see all the pictures and posters, and to get updates about Cohort Two’s progress. Congratulations Cohort One!  We look forward to seeing what you’ll achieve next!

The students will presenting their research findings in a colloquium held at CVI tomorrow, April 24th at 10:00 a.m.  Parents, friends, and family are invited to come and observe the research presentations and learn more about YSDE and it’s programs, seminars, and lecture series.

Students put the finishing touches on their projects before the research colloquium on April 24th.

If you do not wish to attend the research colloquium, please arrive by 1:00 p.m. for the closing ceremony.

See the rest of the photos and the schedule for the day after the jump.

For the full collection of photos from today, visit today’s daily photo gallery.  To see all the photos from YSDE 2012, visit the photo gallery section.

YSDE 4/23/2012

7:00  Wake Up

8:00  Breakfast

9:00am  Bus to CVI

9:30  Set up tents and put out gear to dry

9:50  Research Team Meetings–Posters and presentation rehearsal

12:30pm  Lunch

1:00-2:15   Seminar Block 1
-Blackwater Falls Geocache with Linda – Computer Lab (7 seats max)
-Window Art with Michelle – Beaver Creek Room (back)
-Climbing Denali with Josh – Yellow Creek Room (front)

2:30-3:45  Seminar Block 2
-Blackwater Falls Geocache with Linda (continued)
-Silly Putty Physics with Sarah – Downstairs Lab
-Settlers of Catan with Alex – Beaver Creek Room (*Needs 4 or 8*)

4:00-6:00  Research Team Wrap-up–Finish Posters and presentation rehearsal

6:00  Supper

7:00pm  Bus to Blackwater Lodge

8:00  Special Event

9:30  Snacks

10:30  Bathroom Time (*Must be in your room now)

11:00  Lights Out

Students to YSDE 2012 mount their bikes before departing on an afternoon ride.

After seminar time, the cohort gathered for a lecture by Dr. Barnes Louthan and an orientation meeting for their upcoming overnighter.

See the rest of the photos and the schedule for the day after the jump.

For the full collection of photos from today, visit today’s daily photo gallery.  To see all the photos from YSDE 2012, visit the photo gallery section.

YSDE 4/20/2012

7:00am  Wake Up
8:00am  Breakfast
9:00am  Bus to CVI
9:30am  Research Team Meetings
12:30pm  Lunch
1:30-2:45  Seminar Block

-Mountain Biking with Ed
-Nature Sketching with Kate
-Cupcakes 2 with Michelle

3:00-4:00  Teacher Meeting / Student Break
4:15-6:00  Outdoor Orientation and Gear Distribution
6:00  Supper
7:00pm  Bus to Blackwater Lodge
8:00  Science Talk: Barnes Louthan, Eastman Chemical, ret.
9:15  Snacks
10:30  Bathroom Time (*Must be in your room now)
11:00  Lights Out

Students optimize wind turbine designs in front of a fan.

See the rest of the photos and the schedule for the day after the jump.

For the full collection of photos from today, visit the daily photo gallery.  To see all the photos from YSDE 2012, visit the photo gallery section.

YSDE 4/19/2012

12:00-12:30pm  Arrive at Canaan Valley Institute

12:30pm  Lunch

1:00pm  Teacher Meeting / Student break

1:30pm Science Communication (Yellow Creek Room)

2:15pm  Team meetings

6:00  Supper

7:00  Bus to Blackwater Lodge

8:00  Science Talk: Mac Louthan, Savannah River National Laboratory, ret.

9:30  Snacks

10:30  Bathroom Time (*Must be in your room now)

11:00  Zzzzzzzzz….

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