York University - Science Engagement Programs

Curious about Science Camp this summer? Find us at at Roy Thompson Hall from 11:00am-3:00pm. We would love to meet you!

👉 Get your FREE family pass: https://www.ourkids.net/campexpo/

We’re excited to announce we’ll be at the OUR KIDS Camp Expo in TORONTO this weekend!

You want the best for your child. So do we.

That’s why we’re proud to share what we do—alongside other leading camps and youth programs—at the OUR KIDS Camp Expo at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto - Saturday, February 21st.

Discover how youth programs across the region (and province) are helping kids and teens thrive. Meet our team, ask your questions, and see the difference for yourself.

👉 Get your FREE family pass: https://www.ourkids.net/campexpo/

✨ We’re Hiring for March Break & Summer 2026!
Passionate about STEM education and inspiring the next generation of scientists? 🌟 Join our dynamic team at York University's Science Engagement Programs!

📚 Positions Available:
✅ March Break Instructor & Junior Instructor
✅ Summer Instructor & Junior Instructor
✅ Summer Team Lead
✅ Summer Department Support
📅 Key Date: Apply by Jan 25, 2026

👉 Don’t miss your chance to make an impact this year. For more information, visit:
https://www.yorku.ca/science/youth-programs/about-us/join-our-team/

René Descarte was a French , , and was known as the father of modern philosophy. Mathematics was central to his method of inquiry, and he connected the previously separate fields of geometry and algebra into analytic geometry.

Analytic geometry is a mathematical subject where algebraic symbolism and geometry methods are used to represent and solve problems.

Henrietta Lacks was an African-American whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line, one of the most important cell lines in medical research. Her cells were from a tumor and were cultured without her consent. Neither she nor her family were compensated for the extraction or use of the HeLa cells. They are still used for medical research today.

HeLa cells were the first human cells that researchers could grow and multiply endlessly in the lab.

Edmond Becquerel was a French who studied the solar spectrum, magnetism, electricity and optics. At age 19, experimenting in his father's laboratory. He is credited with the discovery of the photovoltaic effect, the operating principle of the solar cell, in 1839.

The photovoltaic effect is the generation of voltage and electric current in a material when exposed to light. It is a physical and chemical phenomenon.

Alessandro Volta was a whose invention of the (voltaic pile) electric battery provided the first source of continuous current. His invention sparked a great amount of scientific excitement and led others to conduct similar experiments. This eventually led to the development of the field of electrochemistry

A voltaic pile battery consisted of alternating zinc and silver disks, that were separated by paper or cloth soaked either in salt water or sodium hydroxide.

Jose Hernandez-Rebollar is an and professor from Mexico. He invented an electronic glove, which translates hand movements from the American Sign Language into spoken and written words. His invention has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution and has attracted media attention.

A sign language electronic glove is intended to translate the motions of sign language into speech in real time. For people in the Deaf community, the sign-language glove is considered more accessible for the hearing world, not the needs of Deaf signers.

Charles Fritts was the American who created the first working solar cell in 1883. The world's first rooftop solar array, using Fritts' selenium cells, was installed in 1884 on a New York City rooftop. He created a low impact solar cell, but still, it was the beginning of photovoltaic solar panel innovation in America.

A solar cell is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect.

George Washington Carver was a leader in innovation and who revolutionized farming as we know it. In the aftermath of the civil war, he helped Black farmers throughout the South to grow enough food to sustain their families. Carver developed his crop rotation method, which alternated nitrate-producing legumes such as peanuts and peas with cotton.

Crop rotation is the practice of planting different crops on the same plot of land to improve soil health and optimize nutrients in the soil.

Registrations are now open for our online all-girl STEM workshops! 🌟 Join a community where curiosity leads the way, confidence grows and science comes alive through fun hands-on learning! 💡👩‍🔬

Thank you for supporting this amazing program!

https://www.yorku.ca/science/youth-programs/community/community-science-clubs/