High School Physics Greats Ready to Launch

June 14, 2024
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2024 Olympiad National Training Camp, UBC

Following the annual Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) High School physics exam (which ran this year in April, 2024), student results were compiled and ranked across the country to reveal the nation’s highest achieving secondary physics students. 

This successful group of young physicists were invited to an exclusive opportunity at the University of British Columbia Vancouver campus: to participate in the Canadian Physics Olympiad National Training Camp for an intensive week-long preparation and rigorous testing in order to select our Team Canada for this year’s European Olympiad competition happening in Kutaisi, Georgia in July 2024.

The 2024 National Training Camp featured experimental, theory and applied physics testing at a 2nd year University level of physics. For the high school camp participants the level of training was fierce and challenging. “I think I learned more in 1 week at camp than in all of my entire high school physics classes”, shared one participant, “it was hard but super interesting.” Another camper mentioned the camp cohort studying and taking classes together as being hugely beneficial to fast-track physics learning: “you have to catch up on things you don’t know but everyone here learns from each other. We are talking about physics [together] almost 24/7 sometimes”.

The camp goals are to prepare students for 5-hour tests and labs - standardized Physics Olympiad requirements - to assess their grasp and problem solving skills with cutting-edge physics concepts. In addition to classroom sessions, participants visit prominent UBC research facilities including TRIUMF Canada, the UBC ATLAS group, and the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (SBQMI). Here, they witness firsthand the forefront of scientific exploration across physics disciplines, enriching their understanding and inspiring their own research ambitions.

This year, the European Olympiad will gather exceptional high school physicists from around the globe for a challenging week of competition and honors. This event offers participants unparalleled learning experiences, exposure to international peers, and insights from leading physics educators and researchers. It's a gateway to a global network in physics, connecting young talent to academic and professional opportunities worldwide.

Dr. Andrzej Kotlicki, Director for the Canadian Physics Olympiad and National Training Camp instructor, is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Physics & Astronomy with years of experience training students for Olympiad competitions. Together with colleagues Lior Silberman (UBC Department of Mathematics) and Joanna Karczmarek (UBC Physics), this faculty team strives to launch the best Canadian competition team possible, sharing a giant passion for physics and the best strategies to troubleshoot whatever problems an Olympiad can deliver.

But it’s not all physics and games! This camp and the ensuing selection of five Team Canada members to represent the nation at an annual world Olympiad event is really about expanding student’s knowledge to a competitive level and building life-long connections with a physics ‘tribe’ of dedicated students.

From our National Training camp staff and faculty, it was noted that “it is a pleasure to teach the best of the best”. These young minds embody the best of Canada’s young scientific talent, and this particular group of campers were exceptionally fun and knowledge-hungry.

The Physics & Astronomy Department, UBC Faculty of Science, and Canadian Olympiad National Training camp instructors all extend a heartfelt congratulations to all 17 participants of this year's camp, recognized as Canada's top high school students in physics for 2024. And to Team Canada bound for Kutaisi, Georgia this summer, we wish you all the best of luck! Showcase your skills but most importantly, forge new friendships and immerse yourselves in the world of physics. Best of luck, Team Canada!