Graphic design: creating your character

Participants: students in grades 2-5. Classes are held in groups of up to 16 people.

Topic. Over the holidays, you can sit and play video games – or you can create your own characters and games. Guided by experienced lecturers, in two days students will learn pixel art without complex programming, draw their own pets, animate them, and create interactive games using the visual programming language Scratch. The course will help students understand the basics of logics and programming and will be a great start for learning other programming languages. Moreover, students will be able to support their projects in the future and, of course, share their games with friends!

Schedule and location. The event will be held on April 2-3 at ITMO’s Lomonosova St. 9 campus. Classes will be held at 11 am – 2:15 pm with a 15-minute break.

ITMO Inventors Laboratory

Participants: students in grades 2-8. Classes are held in groups up to 10 people.

Topic. In three days, students will cover several levels in robotics and digital production.

Day 1. Beginner level: 3D prototyping and digital production

Participants will try their hand at engineering and design: they will come up with a simple part, sketch it for laser beam cutting and 3D printing and then see how their idea turns into a real object in a matter of hours. They will learn how 3D printers and laser beam machines work, as well as see how such technologies are applied by industry and startups.

Day 2. Middle level: Robot artist

In this class, students will turn a mobile robot into an artist: attach a marker and give out simple movement commands – and then the robot will start creating abstract images, lines, and patterns. Participants will see how programming controls movement, understand the features of mecanum wheels, and realize that robotics can be art, too.

Day 3. Advanced level: Autonomous robot movements

Students will proceed from control to self-sufficiency: using proximity sensors, they will teach robots to “see” its environment and make decisions. They will write a program that will help the robot move along walls, ride around obstacles, or park neatly. These are the principles at work in drones and driverless cars.

Participants can sign up for one lab or for three modules – in this case, they can get a certificate and a secret prize.

Schedule and location. Classes will be held on March 30-31 and April 1 at ITMO’s campus on Gastello St. 12.

Engineering holidays by the Faculty of Physics

Participants: students in grades 5-6 who love designing, creating, and turning their ideas into functioning devices. Courses will be held in groups of up to 12 people.

Topic. During the school holidays, you can make something and learn about hydraulic and electronic mechanisms. You can pick one of two practical modules or participate in both and dive into various engineering fields.

Module 1. Hydraulic manipulator

Over three days, participants will learn the principles of hydraulic systems, study Pascal’s law and its practical applications, and cover the basics of kinematics. Under expert guidance, they will design a kinematic diagram for a manipulator, assemble a working model of a robotic arm, and test it, mastering control of gripping, lifting, and rotation.

Module 2. Autonomous Arduino-based laboratory

In this two-day course, students will dive into the world of electronics and programming: they will assemble a measuring system based on the Arduino UNO chip, learn to connect light and temperature sensors, and write simple data collection programs. As a result, students will create a working autonomous laboratory capable of measuring features of its environment. Participants will be able to improve their project in the future.

Each module includes several classes and is focused on developing a full-scale engineering project – from studying the principles of hydraulic systems and electronics to assembling and testing the product. After completing the course, participants will receive certificates and merch from ITMO, as well as their projects that can be included in their portfolios when applying to schools and universities.

Schedule and location. At ITMO’s campus on Lomonosova St. 9. Classes in the first module will be held on March 30-April 1 at 10 am – 1 pm. Classes within the second module will be held at the same time on April 2-3.

DIY AI: neural networks, design, and your first product

Participants: students in grades 7-10. Classes are held in groups of up to 16 students.

Topic. While some simply use neural networks, others learn to control them and create their own projects. In two days, participants will understand what a neural network is and how it learns, try to train their own model (train a computer to detect objects or gestures), and practice generating texts and images with AI. All this will be accomplished using the tools actually employed by developers. In the end, each participant will defend their working prototype in front of the group. The course shapes the understanding of AI and offers the experience of working with real-world tools, which can be beneficial for students who want to specialize in tech, as well as for those curious about technologies.

Schedule and location. The event will be held on March 30-31 at 10 am – 1:15 pm at ITMO’s campus on Lomonosova St. 9.

Spring break microbiology school

Participants: students in grades 8-11. Classes are held in groups of up to 18 students.

Topic. Microbes surround us everywhere – let’s grab a test tube and study them in detail! During the school, participants will turn into microbiologists: they’ll master basic research methods and complete their own mini-project – collecting samples from everyday surfaces (phone, desk, and palms), plating them on nutrient media, then observing microbial colony growth and performing Gram staining microscopy, a quick method for identifying bacteria by dividing them into two groups based on cell wall structure. Over three days, students will also learn to work with a microscope, study the key rules for microbiological lab work, and explore technologies for producing kefir, kombucha, and bread. At the end of the school, students will receive a certificate that they can use in their portfolio when applying to programs in natural sciences.

Schedule and location. Classes will be held at ITMO’s campus on Lomonosova St. 9 on March 29, April 1, and April 5 at 12 pm – 4 pm.

Superintensive exam prep: master complex topics in one day

Participants: students in grades 9-11. Classes are held in groups of up to 18 students.

Topic. With exams drawing closer, it’s high time for tacking those hardest tasks that contain the most points. Together with ITMO specialists, students will delve into complex topics, solution approaches, typical mistakes, and evaluation criteria. Some classes are held at the university and others – online.

9th grade students can attend intensives in informatics (making presentations, documents, and tables with formulas and diagrams), biology (cytology, metabolism, cell division, and ontogenesis), and chemistry (choosing reactives to detect cations and anions, describing reactions, making ion equations). Classes will be held by experienced Basic State Exam (BSE) experts.

Students in grades 10-11 can join classes in math (problems with parameters), chemistry (molecular formulas and computation), and Russian (grammar and expressive means). Classes will be held by ITMO specialists based on up-to-date materials and changes in exams and evaluation criteria.

Location. Classes will be held in person at ITMO’s campus on Lomonosova St. 9 (math USE, biology BSE, chemistry BSE) and online (other subjects).

Schedule:

• BSE informatics – March 28 (online)
• BSE biology – March 30-31 (in person)
• BSE chemistry – April 1 (in person)
• USE math – April 3 (in person)
• USE chemistry – April 4 (online)
• USE Russian language – April 5 (online)

Ecothon 2.0

Participants: students in grades 10-11 who are interested in environmental protection and sustainable development and are studying for USE in biology and/or geography.

Topic. Ecothon 2.0 is a two-day online championship where students can try on the profession of ecologist. On the first day, participants will face a test module with tasks to check their knowledge in ecology, biology, and geography, as well as short essay-style questions and mini-cases on sustainable development and nature conservation. On the second day, participants will receive an individual analytical case – a workbook with source data from a real enterprise. The case will include production metrics, resource consumption, carbon and water footprints, a brief description of the technological process, and potential environmental risks. Participants must analyze the situation, perform the necessary calculations on economic and environmental indicators, compare different action options, and justify the choice of the most sustainable strategy. In the finals, they will formulate specific practical recommendations for improving the enterprise’s operations.

Winners will receive 5 additional points when applying to the program Ecotechnologies and Sustainable Development at ITMO, diplomas, and prizes that will make their lives more eco-friendly.

Teachers have the opportunity to join a practice-oriented online intensive course on career guidance for school students in ecological education, as well as sign up for an in-person group tour of ITMO’s Faculty of Ecotechnologies that includes lab tours. Participants will receive certificates confirming their curatorship of student projects, an appreciation letter from the Faculty of Ecotechnologies, diplomas for best mentorship, and other prizes.

Schedule and location. The event will be held online on March 30-31 at 11 am – 3 pm. Participants need to sign up until March 29. The results will be announced at the open day of ITMO’s School of Life Sciences on April 5 that will be held at the Lomonosova St. 9 campus; they will also be published online by the community of the Faculty of Ecotechnologies.