Millennium Youth Camp 2011

The application period for the 2011 international Millennium Youth Camp continues until 15 December 2010

The global challenges we face demand an ever-increasing number of technological innovations, and corresponding expertise in the natural sciences, mathematics and technology. Young people have the key role in resolving these challenges in the future.

The target of the international Millennium Youth Camp (MY Camp) is to find young people interested in mathematics, science and technology, and help them start up a career in these fields. MY Camp also aims to raise awareness of the educational and working opportunities available in Finland and promoting the Millennium Technology Prize(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window), Finland's tribute to developers of life-enhancing technological innovations, awarded by Technology Academy Finland.

MY Camp is an inspiring way of offering young people an overview of Finnish expertise and top-level research in the natural sciences, mathematics and technology. Students network with each other, with individuals in Finnish companies and organisations, and with top scientists. During the one-week-camp, MY Campers are introduced to a number of Finnish companies and higher educational institutions. In addition to lectures, workshops and visits to MY Camp partners, the programme includes project work supervised by top-level experts and carried out in small multi-national groups.

The first-ever MY Camp was organised in Helsinki in June 2010. Almost one thousand applications were received from 62 countries and from all continents, and 30 talented young people from 14 countries were selected as participants. The camp got excellent feedback from all the MY Campers and organisers.

MY Camp is free of charge for the participants. The main organisers are Technology Academy Finland (Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)and the Finnish Science Education Centre LUMA(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Applying for MY Camp 2011

MY Camp 2011 will be organised on Saturday 11 – Friday 17 June 2011. All young people born between years 1992–1995 are eligible to apply for the camp.

The application period started on 15 October and ends on 15 December 2010. The application form will be available at the MY Camp website(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).The application process is two-pronged:

• In the first phase, 100 applicants will be selected for the second round by the MY Camp steering group. The results of the first round will be published at the MY Camp website(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) on 1 February 2011.
• Among the 100 second round applicants, 30 young people will be selected by the steering group to participate in the 2011 MY Camp. The final results will be published on the MY Camp website(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) on 15 March 2011.

The main themes of the 2011 camp are:

• Climate Change
• Renewable Natural Resources and Energy
• Water
• ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and Digitalisation and
• Applied Mathematics.

Further information:

Professor Maija Aksela, Chairman of the Millennium Youth Camp steering group
The Finnish Science Education Centre LUMA, The University of Helsinki
maija.aksela(at)helsinki.fi, tel. +358 50 514 1450

Riina Vänttinen, Project Coordinator, Technology Academy Finland
riina.vanttinen(at) technologyacademy.fi, tel. +358 400 420 922

Press contact:

Emilia Erkinheimo, Communications Officer, Technology Academy Finland
emilia.erkinheimo(at)technologyacademy.fi, tel. +358 50 5877 144

MY Camp website:

www.millenniumyouthcamp.fi(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

Find us on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Millennium-Technology-Prize/260718074965(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)