Hey there future, detectives! Are you ready to dive into the exhilarating world of forensics’ science and crack some mind-bending cases? Throughout this interactive course, aspiring young detectives will embark on a journey to understand how chemical analysis plays a crucial role in solving crimes. From analyzing mysterious substances to deciphering hidden clues at crime scenes, you’ll learn the essential skills used by forensic chemists to crack even the toughest cases.

Fingerprint lifting, blood typing, hair, fiber, soil and food analysis are just some of the criminalistics that will be introduced! You’ll learn everything about fundamental but nifty techniques that help CSI investigators sniff out clues and identify the perpetrator, such as titration, chromatography, spectroscopy, DNA electrophoresis. But wait, there’s more! Did you know that forensic scientists can determine a person’s age by analyzing their bones? You’ll explore the fascinating world of forensic anthropology and learn how to estimate the age and gender of skeletal remains—just like a real-life bone detective.

Your skills will be put to the test as you tackle thrilling crime scenarios, from mysterious burglaries to dastardly poisonings. You’ll work in teams to collect and analyze evidence, follow leads, and catch the culprit before they strike again!

So, if you’re ready to unlock the secrets of forensics and become the ultimate crime-solving superstar, join us in “CSI @CTY ” and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime! Because with a little chemistry know-how, anything is possible!

Learning Objectives:

• Collect, handle and analyze different types (fingerprints, blood, DNA, fibers, glass, bullets, etc) of evidence
• Identify, perform and report scientifically, analytical chemistry techniques 
• Write a forensics report using data to support findings reached after reviewing the available evidence.
• Understand chemistry topics needed for the proposed forensic skills 

You meet a new friend at CTY who teaches you a dice game. The rules are simple: if you roll a 4, you win and the game ends. If your friend rolls a 5, she wins and the game ends. You take turns rolling until one person wins. If you roll first, what is the probability that you will win the game? There are several ways to solve this problem, and the answer is not obvious.

In this course, students develop a greater understanding of probability and statistics, two areas of mathematics that easily transfer from the classroom to the real world. Students conduct experiments and generate data which they display in graphs, charts, and tables in order to compare the effects of particular variables. For example, students might analyze data to examine how various design characteristics of a paper airplane, such as weight or length, affect the distance it will travel. In addition, students consider other data sources, including newspapers and journals, and identify examples of incorrectly gathered or misrepresented data that have been used to mislead consumers or influence voters.

Students also explore probability, the study of chance, to learn how to use numerical data to predict future events. Students examine permutations and combinations; develop strategies for calculating the number of possible outcomes for various events; calculate probabilities of independent, dependent, and compound events; and learn to distinguish between theoretical and experimental probability.

Which organ has over 400 functions? Are there liquid tissues in the human body? What factors contribute to the development of cancer? Much like Leonardo da Vinci’s fascination with human anatomy, our course delves into these intriguing questions! Drawing upon fundamental biological and chemical concepts, students explore the intricate anatomical and physiological mechanisms that govern normal human function, as an introduction to human biology and the science of medicine. Students learn about the human body’s different systems, including the digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, excretory, nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, highlighting their interconnectedness. Laboratory activities encompass histology, anatomy and physiology (including dissections) and biochemistry techniques. Students also learn practical skills, such as suturing, and dive into group work, solving epidemiology mysteries and investigating the causes and cures for different diseases.

Learning Objectives

• Model the interrelatedness of three human body systems working together to maintain homeostasis. 
• Demonstrate the skills and tools to complete scientific dissections.
• Select, review and report on a disease or syndrome that impacts one human body system, including its causes, manifestation, symptoms and treatment methods. 

Mathematics is more than just numbers and symbols on a page. Applications of mathematics are indispensable in the modern world. Math can be used to determine whether a meteor will impact Earth, predict the spread of an infectious disease, or analyze a remarkably close presidential election. In this course, students create and evaluate mathematical models to represent and solve problems across a broad range of disciplines, including political science, economics, biology, and physics.

Students begin with a review of some of the core mathematical tools in modeling, such as linear functions, lines of best fit, and exponential and logarithmic functions. Using these tools, students examine models such as those used in population growth and decay, voting systems, or the motion of a spring. Students also learn how to use Euler and Hamilton circuits to find the optimal solutions in a variety of real-world situations, such as determining the most efficient way to schedule airline travel. A introduction to probability and statistics lead into a study of using deterministic versus stochastic models to predict the spread of an epidemic and explore classic mathematical problems such as the traveling salesman problem, birthday paradox, and light switching problem.  Students are introduced to logic proofs by induction and contradiction.  Students leave this course familiar with all steps of the modeling process, from defining the problem and making assumptions, to assessing the model for strengths and weaknesses.

So small yet so powerful … We cannot see it, but it can change our everyday life! “Nano” indicates something small, something minute, about a billion times less than a meter. In these dimensions materials can go ‘crazy’ and display unique, unprecedented properties. How does the size of a material affect its properties? How do some plants manage to repel water and clean themselves? How can I make my clothes stain resistant? How does the gecko lizard walk on the ceiling? How can a robot climb onto a glass window? How do all this relate to bio-mimicry and everyday life?

Nanotechnology is linked to many disciplines, such as physics, biology, chemistry and mathematics, to produce useful applications with innovative properties. Through a series of approaches, including problem-solving, designing and conducting experiments, games, studying natural and artificial nanomaterials, searching for information, modeling, and group activities, students are introduced to the exciting world of science and technology at a nanoscale!

What is the difference between science and engineering? What are the techniques that must be applied for successfully tackling any engineering challenge, from designing and building a bed-side table to conceptualizing and sending a shuttle to space? How can a group of engineers efficiently compartmentalize a multi-system project, allocate tasks and optimize the budget provided to solve a multifaceted constructional problem? This course explores a range of topics from physics and science and bridges the gap between pure theoretical knowledge and its practical application. Through daily doses of lectures, class discussions, problem-solving and plentiful hands-on lab activities, the students will be exposed to an array of concepts, varying from Newtonian dynamics and circuitry to fluid dynamics and thermal physics and through their application, complete engineering tasks of progressively increasing complexity. 

Learning objectives:

• Apply concepts from various topics of physics into practical constructional projects with strict requirements, aimed at tackling specific problems of varying complexity and constraints.
• Train in the engineering design process, practical problem-solving and collaborative teamwork to complete assigned engineering design and production tasks. 
• Develop and train a variety of technical skills, including detailed technical drawings of projects, precision soldering of electronic components and wood work skills.