Sandro Young Attends NYSF in Australia

Youth Science Ontario is proud to welcome back Sandro Young from his recent trip to Canberra, Australia where he attended the National Youth Science Forum in early January, 2011.

The NYSF, an international program, helps students moving into grade 12 who wish to follow careers in science, engineering and technology by introducing them to research and researchers, by encouraging the achievement of excellence in all their undertakings, and by helping to develop their communication and interpersonal skills. The 12 day program is hosted by The Australian National University.

The project that earned Sandro the opportunity to attend the NYSF, "Avatouch: A 3D Computing User Interface", involved the creation of a 3D computer interface that makes it appear that objects are located in front of the computer screen. The display adjusts in real time in response to head movements, making the experience extremely realistic, and users are able interact with the objects they see using their hands.

In April, 2010, at the Ottawa Regional Science Fair, the project won the Youth Science Ontario sponsored Stepping Stone Award. From there, Sandro was chosen as one of 11 Ottawa students to join Team Ontario at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in May. In addition to the NYSF trip, Sandro and his project were awarded a number of prizes totally $13,000, including the prestigious Platinum Award in the Intermediate Age Category for the top Intermediate project in Canada.

In June, along with over 40 of his peers, Sandro displayed his winning project and gave an impressive speech at the youth Science Ontario Annual Showcase. With enthusiasm and charisma, he spoke of science fair projects providing an opportunity to “explore unchartered territory” and science fairs as providing an environment where a passion for science can be inspired and nurtured.

Sandro also attended the 2010 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Lisbon, Portugal in September, and will attend the 2011 MILSET Expo-Sciences Internationale in July. He is currently a Grade 11 student at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa.