Future Science Leaders Program

By Aussia Towfigh '27

As someone who has completed the Future Science Leaders (FSL) year 1 program, I can speak to how impactful the program is. For some background, FSL is a program run by Science World that allows participants to complete an inquiry project of their choosing while learning about a wide variety of fields of science from expert guest speakers. These guest speakers provide valuable insight into what their daily work looks like and what decisions they made in high school and during their postsecondary education to get to where they are today. Along with their explanations of what work they do, guest speakers run a hands-on activity related to their work. This helps participants learn about different fields of science in a short amount of time, which can inspire them to explore those fields and dive deeper in their inquiry projects. 

For my inquiry project, I researched the effectiveness of different water purification methods. All inquiry projects are completed in groups; because of this, I was able to meet and work with peers who were equally passionate about the research. The inquiry projects provide the opportunity to work with specialized equipment that students often don’t have access to in schools. Because each project is designed by each team, program participants learn how to find resources and supplies on a limited budget, create project proposals, create procedures, and more. 

All of this work in the inquiry projects leads up to one final session: the spring showcase. This is where FSL participants from all years come together to present the work that they did throughout the year. It’s a chance for students to share their results with family, friends, judges, and other participants. It’s also a chance for participants to be recognized for their work, with awards provided by both the program leaders and judges. Overall, FSL has taught me valuable lessons on how to conduct an experiment and helped me learn about many different fields of science. I will hopefully be continuing with FSL in the coming years, and I hope that many of you are as well!