SCIENCE ACTIVITIES
Extracurricular activities play an essential role in acquiring knowledge and skills intended to be achieved by our students through the Science program. Through extracurricular activities, students participate in applied projects with group members. They also learn to collaborate with their peers in other schools.
Here are some examples of the activities our students and the science department worked together on.
Jets
The JETS Teams competition is an international contest held concurrently with the states of the United States.
TEAMS is an annual competition that allows students to discover engineering and how knowledge in engineering can help make a difference in the world. Students work collaboratively to solve real-world engineering challenges, applying their math and science skills practically and creatively.
There are three stages in the contest;
1st stage: Essay – Each team researches and writes an in-depth essay submitted electronically before their competition date.
2nd stage: Multiple Choice – High school teams have 90 minutes to solve 80 multiple-choice questions focused on eight engineering scenarios related to the annual competition theme.
3rd stage: Design/Build – Teams have 75 minutes to complete a hands-on design challenge related to the annual competition theme using designated materials. A materials list is posted in the TEAMS Coach online account. All team members participate in the Design/Build.
The team that placed first in the competition is invited to the USA to continue the competition.
Related website: http://teams.tsaweb.org/
Best
The BEST Engineering competition is organized by university students from the engineering club at Yıldız Technical University. Every year, they have specific topics such as earthquakes, wind cars, etc. Students are expected to build their designs according to the topic during the competition. At the end of the competition, the products are evaluated based on some categories, such as budget, creativity, and reliability. Our school winner competes with other schools’ winners in the “BEST of BEST Competition.”
UAA Lab Skills Challenge
This is an in-school competition organized by our students to develop lab skills in all fields of science. Each subject area (chemistry, physics, and biology) has a specific lab challenge, and students need to set up an experimental design to develop a solution. These designs are then judged by the science faculty.
Üsküdar American Academy Academic Research Conference (UAA ARC)
UAA ARC recognizes the importance of researching, writing, and presenting a topic of interest. The conference aims to prepare attendants for college through an opportunity to acquire and improve research skills by providing them with a platform to share their ideas via writing research papers. In addition to exploring and learning about a field of their interest, participants will have the opportunity to attend panels and workshops by research assistants and professors from leading universities such as the University of Oxford. All participants receive a certificate, and the winning papers are rewarded with prizes.
JoSS Magazine
The Joy of Sharing Science is a weekly magazine that explores the science behind interesting real-life phenomena in a concise and easily understandable way. Four physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science articles are published weekly. The aim of this project is to explore the science hidden in plain sight, evoke curiosity, and elevate scientific literacy. The authors are volunteer students from Uskudar American Academy, and the magazines are created for educational purposes only.
Science National Honor Society (SNHS)
Science National Honor Society is an academic honor society focused on science for high school students nationally (in the United States) and internationally. It focuses on the sciences and works to promote it entirely at the high school level. SNHS is a prominent scientific organization that will engender a new group of young thinkers in the industry’s future, research, and scientific exploration.
Biofest
Biofest is a two-day symposium conducted by the Neuroscience, Health & Medicine, and Bioinformatics Clubs of Üsküdar American Academy. The symposium consists of three legs. Firstly, there are the interactive lectures given by three speakers for each field of biology: neuroscience, medicine, and bioinformatics. Then, there is a challenging case study contest for students. And finally, the keynote speaker finishes off the event. All participants receive a certificate, and the winning papers are rewarded with prizes.
UAA Advanced
“UAA Advanced” is an online program designed for UAA students. The program aims to offer advanced-
level courses given by UAA graduates and, therefore, a pre-college experience. It is a six-week program, and certificates are given to the students who complete the courses.
Tübitak Projects, Olympiads, and other Competitions
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (is a national agency of Turkey whose stated goal is to develop "science, technology and innovation" (STI) policies, support and conduct research and development, and "play a leading role in the creation of a science and technology culture" in the country. TÜBİTAK was founded in 1963 as an autonomous public institution governed by a Science Board. UAA students attend a variety of Tübitak competitions.
British Biology Olympiad
The BBO challenges and stimulates students interested in biology to expand and extend their talents. It enables students to demonstrate their skills and to be suitably rewarded with publicly recognized certificates and medals.
Waterloo High School Exams
WHS Exams are challenging online exams written by more than 6,000 grade 11 and 12 high school students every May and consist of 40 multiple-choice questions written in a 75-minute exam period. All participants are eligible for a certificate from the University of Waterloo.
Science & Social Sciences Fair (Yearly Project Presentation Day)
Students‘ science projects are presented and recognized yearly at UAA and every two years among SEV Schools.
Science & IT Trips (USA & Europe)
The Science and IT Departments organize the Science and IT Trip for students who want to discover IVY League Universities and the world’s leading companies. The students meet with professors, experts, and UAA graduates, listen to their experiences, ask questions, and visit science and technology labs. They also have the opportunity to learn a lot about start-up projects.