Local girl, Julia Hanrahan, recently triumphed at a rigorous testing weekend held in Walcha by Rotary District 9650 to qualify for the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) to be held in Canberra in January next year.

Julia is proudly sponsored by Guyra Rotary Club and was one of the 14 best science students chosen from among the 55 Rotary clubs in the district. She lives in Black Mountain and attends O’Connor Catholic College in Armidale.

The NYSF helps students moving into Year 12, who wish to follow careers in science, engineering and technology by introducing them to research and researchers, by encouraging the achievement of excellence in all their undertakings, and by helping to develop their communication and interpersonal skills. It also fosters discussion of, and interest in, major national and global issues and emphasises the importance of maintaining continuing active interests in sport, arts and music.

In the January program, the NYSF places equal emphasis on pure research, applied research and engineering in both the physical and biological sciences. In the human biology fields, however, the emphasis is placed on biomedical research and biotechnology rather than medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy or similar professions.

The forum is fully residential and is held at the Australian National University.. All activities are fully supervised by student staff and resident Rotary counsellors. The program is extremely intensive with little time for outside activities except for meeting those people already in the program.

One of the most important aspects coming from the NYSF is a network of friends, colleagues and support groups throughout Australia which will be of value to participants for the whole of their lives.

The NYSF continues after January, first in the form of university seminars and industry site visits in March and April and afterwards as a long term, personal network of people with common aims.

This is one of the biggest Rotary projects within Australia.