WebValley 2011- International

Martedi 6 Settembre 2011: WebValley a “climatica mente cambiando” Ore 16.00-17.30 – Aula Magna del Museo delle Scienze, Trento!

The Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) is glad to announce the organization of WebValley 2011 – International in Transacqua, Trentino (June 19-July 9). WebValley is the FBK summer school for dissemination of interdisciplinary scientific research: more than 200 students from Trentino Alto-Adige SudTirol have attended the WebValley camps since its first edition in 2001. Fellowships will include full tuition, accommodation and travel costs.

Available fellowships: 8 Trentino, 3 AltoAdige-SudTirol,  7 International (co-funding required). NEW! 3 additional positions offered to Italian students (cofunding by Piano Nazionale Lauree Scientifiche – Maths/Stats Area) !

Find here more info for our Intel ISEF finalists FBK Grant Awards.

Requirements: High School student (~18y, Italy: 4th year), adequate knowledge of English, enthusiasm in science and new technologies, above-average school records, student’s motivation and teacher’s recommendation letters.

The 2011 project:  “Adapting to the future: a Web-Kinect-GIS interface to climate change scenarios and complex environmental data”. The project will combine the amazing Kinect controller with GeoScaler Hub, an Open Source WebGIS for climate change indicators. The interface will explore new ways to interact with geospatial patterns, but also use methods to downscale global indicators and quantify the need for adaptation strategies at local scales. New ideas for interacting with displayed data through personal mobile devices and for reproducibility of analyses will be explored. We expect to develop a concept prototype for an innovative exhibit display at MUSE, the new Trento Science Museum,  designed by Renzo Piano and opening in 2012.

The WebValley formula: Create a team of enthusiast and motivated high school students (18 y) tutored by researchers.

• The team accepts a challenge by a collaborating scientist from Ecology, Biology or Social Sciences and develops in three weeks a new web-based prototype for data analysis and management. In 2011, the project will be commissioned by MUSE.
• Students are introduced to Open Source software solutions (scientific programming, web interfaces, database, GIS and data analysis); they  discuss, design and develop the new system interacting with scientists. They learn to select tools, organize their own workplan, and respond with a new solution to a problem of ethical interest (see past projects). A working prototype web solution and technical results are presented at the end of the three weeks.
• The project activities are developed mostly in teamwork as in a true research environment, informal and of high quality for resources, competence and organization. Each student can differently contribute to project with ideas, software code or data preparation, design of new web interfaces, project presentation.
• The location: the school is held in a high-tech lab located in a small Alpine village, to demonstrate that web access may support new types of innovative actions also in the periphery, combining new technologies and high-quality of life in a natural environment.
• Lab is open all day, but group activities and leisure time are also part of the three weeks.
  

The school aims to introduce students to interdisciplinary research by combining a scientific challenge and new technologies, also favoring the participation of female and male students in the economic and social aspects of innovation. The WebValley Lab will provide computing resources as well as interactive devices (e.g. SmartBoard,  Kinect controllers) to test how to enhance the physical access to data. To accomplish the project, students joining the school will work in a lively and interactive atmosphere together with a group of researchers from the Bruno Kessler Foundation and selected experts in the specific research field. The 2011 project will be developed with the support of international experts in climate change and protection of the environment.

The project concept leverages from the approach proposed by John Holdren (US Presidential Science Advisor) “Climate‐Change Science and Policy: What Do We Know? What Should We Do“ :”…Climate services – again aimed at providing climate change information to the users, coordinating science adaptation and mitigation.”

Highlights WebValley 2010 edition

John Holdren (US Presidential Science Advisor) “Climate‐Change Science and Policy: What Do We Know? What Should We Do”
“…Climate services – again aimed at providing climate change information to the users, coordinating science adaptation and mitigation.”
Watch the spotlight wv2011

Video