Are you passionate about science? Do you like communicating that passion to the general public? Then come along to the 3rd CERN Summer Student Webfest on the weekend of 1-3 August! It's a grassroots initiative by the summer students, open to all CERN staff and users, seeking to spark new ideas that could innovate the future of web-based education about CERN, the LHC and particle physics.
NOTE: This year, just signing into the Webfest page with your CERN ID automatically registers you for the event.
The CERN Summer Student Webfest is a weekend of online web-based creativity modelled on the "hackfests" that energize many open source communities. You can work with like-minded students and CERN staff to design and build demos of neat applications that encourage the public to learn more about science and, in particular, CERN, the LHC and particle physics. Prizes will be awarded to the best projects, with a Grand Prize winner receiving a trip to the Mozilla Festival in London!
Anyone within CERN can get involved! Although aimed at the summer students, technical students, openlab students and other young summer visitors, the event is open to people of all ages at CERN with a passion for web-based science outreach and education and who have a weekend to spare. Successful teams need a wide range of skills, from writing and design to physics and engineering. You can either propose your own project, or join others' projects that interest you. Check the list of past projects. Not only students but mentors are needed - see: Webfest mentors.
So come along for the weekend and create, innovate and educate about science on the web.
Kick-off!
Project ideas will be presented at a kick-off event on Friday 1 August, from 4pm to 6pm in the Main Auditorium. Teams will self-assemble around the most exciting pitches. Anyone who is participating can pitch a project; pitches will be presented in a short set time to give every participant the chance to present his or her ideas. However, participants are encouraged to submit their project ideas beforehand to the Webfest site for the best chance to form a well-defined team. The kick-off event will also introduce a range of tools for modifying the web, creating online education and contributing to online science.
Will there be prizes?
A Grand Prize will be awarded for the best project: a free trip to the Mozilla Festival in London from 24 to 26 October, courtesy of the Mozilla Foundation. Other goodies will be distributed to all participants.
Where will we work on our ideas?
Teams will work on their Webfest project primarily in CERN's Restaurant 1. As the location is an open-space environment, there will be plenty of opportunity for interaction between participants and various technical experts taking part in the event. The EU Citizen Cyberlab project is supporting meal tickets for participants.
How will the event end?
The event will wrap up on Sunday 4 August at 4pm with a CERN judging panel reviewing the results and awarding the Grand Prize.
Many thanks to our sponsors...
The event is sponsored by the Mozilla Foundation and the EU Citizen Cyberlab project, and organized by the Citizen Cyberscience Centre.