Hello everybody!

This is the final countdown and I’m that excited for everything! By the way, I'm Vitória, from Brazil, taking part of the Urban Planning team (yeah, we're a team, and we're the best!). So, we're going to Finland in only six days! It's going to be my first trip abroad, so everything is new for me, that's why I just can't wait to know all these people I've been talking since the results were posted, and see the practice of the projects I've been working on. Besides, other five Brazilians and I are going to meet ourselves in a connecting flight in Frankfurt and spend five hours there. Even if it includes missing the welcome party, we'll actually know two countries!
But from the beginning: I found info about the MYC in a website and decided to try. Really, just try, because come on, I was only 16 and I was “competing” with people who were even 19, already in the college. I thought I could use this try as a good experience, and, who knows, when 19 I would have bigger chances.  I guess I had about two months to write all the information, the little essays, and review everything – which is more than enough! I remember the deadline was on December 15th, and the result of the students accepted to the next phase was sent in the beginning of February. And guess what: I was one of them! Ok, I was selected to my first option, Urban Planning, and now I would have one month to write a project about the theme, with the given instructions.  Here are some general things that I did and that worked for me:

  1. Google it! It must be the first thing everybody does, but after visiting sites and sites, opening pages and pages, checking images and images…  I promise you’ll, besides know more about your theme, fall in love with it too. By the way, I had already searched something while writing the essay on the first phase and it was useful.
  2. Watch it! There are tons of videos, lectures and TED presentations, a great and free material.
  3. Talk about it! If you know anyone who might know any simple thing that might be involved in your project, discuss it. Or, if you know somebody who is also applying for the MYC, it’ll be a pleasure to talk about it; if you don’t know, don’t be afraid of starting a conversation with someone who might go with you to this awesome thrill.
  4. Write and rewrite it! I’m someone who always has problems with the limit of characters. Beyond that, English is not my mother language, so I reviewed it the most I could, and all of this makes the next – and, by now, last - tip:
  5. Start as soon as you can!

Well, the project – that you may see on Proposals – was sent on March 3rd, and just a few days later I was contacted to the interview. I was ready to talk about all my life and my project, but instead… the Skype call lasted just five minutes! Although it was a funny interview, I was sure that the duration meant I was off… I thought about each single thing that I could have prolonged… oh, that was over, life moves on, and I already had other projects to do – notice how involved I was for someone who was just trying.
March 17th. I was checking my cellphone and… what a surprise: there was a message of an unknown guy congratulating for the M… Then I went to the computer and saw the complete list: I was in!
I do have to advise anyone to really give it a try, I’m a proof of somebody who only tried and that now has the life changed. Today I can see that Science is valued outside, I’m having an open-eye experience when it comes about culture, and I’m considering the option of studying in one of the best universities of the world.
As this post is already too long for describing feelings, let's go to the point. We’ll have to do another project with our group when we get there, for a presentation in the gala that will last about 3 minutes -- feeling like my whole life in a brief period of time.
In the case of my group, we have received assignments and made part of this project. We also had some Skype calls and I really like these people.
There is going to be an International Evening too. We, Brazilians, are preparing a wonderful and funny presentation which I hope everybody enjoys. By the way, I think I should have rehearsed the songs we’re going to dance, and I’d better listen and memorize the songs that are on the list made by ourselves – tell me, what’s funnier than a camp where people sing  in evening activities? :)
Finally, I guess everybody is planning to post here while at the camp about what’s happening there, pictures and videos. Here is a printable version of the program, by Francisco Trujillo.
See you!


In ten days, I will be getting on a plane and making my way to Finland for camp! Having just come out of AP and IB exams, it's hard to believe it's so soon. This will also be my first solo international travel (and only my second time doing international travel at all!), so I'm also somewhat anxious. Lately, we campers have been getting a ton of info on the camp that just makes everything even more exciting. Here are some of the highlights, which will hopefully give you a little preview of the camp:

T-Shirts
As any teenage math/science enthusiast knows (or should know), there is nothing better than free t-shirts. Seriously, they're at almost any event you go to. Well, University of Helsinki is giving all of this year's MY Campers free t-shirts!

Song Book
Let it go, let it goooo...welcome to the Hotel California...WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS...
I guess that's what MY Camp is going to sound like during some of our spare time, because there's a tradition of SINGING! At my other summer camp, Canada/USA Mathcamp, I'm in the choir and tend to go to many of the sing along events, so I am SUPER EXCITED even though my singing sounds worse than a goat. Even better, we were asked to suggest songs for the song book, and everyone has great taste in music!

Schedule
We also got a schedule of what we will be doing every day at the camp. We get around 15 (I think) to finish up our projects with our group members to prepare for the Gala, where we will get to present to others. In addition to our projects and activities with the other campers, there will be tours and sightseeing!
One of the coolest activities that is planned is the International Night! Everyone will be presenting something from their country, no powerpoint allowed (Thank goodness. After TOK Presentations for IB I can hardly listen to another powerpoint presentation). I am working with the other two Americans to plan something, but it is hard to think of something to present for the US. Some examples of potential International Night activities include song, dance, and sharing interesting facts that not too many people know.

In the meantime, we are all working on project planning! The Applied Math group has been working on developing our trash collection board game, and we are drawing inspiration from Carcassonne and Kingdom Builder (two of the best games ever, alongside Dominion and Catan) for the board we are designing. I'm really excited to actually make the game and design our poster for the Gala!
Almost time!


Hey guys!

So after seeing my name as a finalist for the Millennium Youth Camp, I was pretty excited. I spent almost the whole day googling more about the camp, what would happen, who else was in it, etc. So I wanted to explain what happened next (at least in my case):

Right After Seeing Your Name: If you read my prior post about applying to the Millennium Youth Camp, then you would know that I didn't wait for an email from the organizers of the camp, and went straight to the website to find out. Well after I checked the website, a little while after they sent an email to tell everyone to look on the website to see if they're a finalist or not. At that point, I was really happy and really excited. I wanted to meet the other campers so I created the facebook group for finalists of the 2014 camp and posted it on the official Millennium Youth Camp Facebook Page. Someone in the group also made a WhatsApp group, which as an American, I didn't use previously but now use extensively. It allows you to text anyone, anywhere for no charge (its based on wifi).

Anyways, a lot of people started joining, and I was able to meet the other people of the Millennium Youth Camp. We all introduced ourselves in this really long Facebook comment thread, and soon not only the campers, but also the organizers and past camp participants (who would be our "guides" during the camp) also joined and we were able to learn more about the camp. After I created the Facebook Group and met most of the people, I received an email that was the official "Congratulations, you're a finalist" letter, and detailed what would be coming.

Right after the Email: In the email letter, they congratulated all of us for getting in, they talked about flights and how we would be contacted by someone from the airlines (the flights, along with everything is paid for by the Millennium Youth Camp, which is awesome), and they talked about our next assignment which we would do through Edmondo. Edmondo is a really cool website; the layout reminds me of Facebook. You're able to use Edmondo for private groups, and private groups within those private groups (The Millennium Youth Camp was the general group, and all of the project groups like Urban Planning, had their own group).
Anyways, we got a Login credential for that, and we were all able to meet on Edmondo and meet our guides for the camp (which some were able to also do later on the Facebook group).

Weeks after the Email: A week or two after the email, we found out our official project assignments that we would continue to work on during the camp. A misconception some people may have is that we only work on the projects during camp - that's not true. You work on the project the months before camp, but still do some work during camp. But a majority of the work is done before camp. Also by this time, you should be well acquainted with your other group members. There are 2 guys and 4 girls in my group (including myself). We're all around 16-17 [I'm on that latter half of the age end, since two days after the camp ends, I will be 18. Good thing, 16-19 is the eligible age range!]. My group members seem really cool and we're all from different parts of the world. Two people are from Brazil, I'm from America, one person is from New Zealand, one person is from the Ukraine, and one person is from the Czech Republic.

Working on our Projects: The projects we were working on were similar in nature to the proposals we had to make during the second round of the application process. However, what we actually we're researching was different (but related!). We had to have a draft of our project due May 11th. After doing all of the research for the project draft, I can definitely say that I know much more about Finland now! A week before the projects were due, I organized a group Skye call with the people in my team (Urban Planning). First off, planning a group Skye call from people in various time zones is a very, very difficult task. However, I used this website, to organize all of our time zones to UTC, and determine the best time to have the group Skye call. Check out the image below to see:


When we had our Skype call, it was very interesting to talk to everyone! We've all been communicating through Facebook and Edmondo, so hearing their voices (and awesome accents) and seeing their faces was nice! We're planning a few more Skype calls before the camp starts (which is in 2.5 weeks, right now).

Also during the period, we book our flights (I'll be doing a layover in Munich when I arrive, and one in Frankfurt when I depart), we fill out bank information (so they can reimburse us for our travel expenses such as traveling to and from the airport), and fill out personal information so they can contact us later on and prepare for our stay for the camp. From what I can tell, we will be staying at the Sannas Manor, which looks absolutely lovely!

You can negotiate your flights, if you have too. Also, some of the finalists are planning to stay for an extended period in Finland or in another country after the camp. We fill out permission slips, that mark if we are doing that or not. I know some people are planning to go to Germany or go to Stockholm (via Ferry). Anyways, if you're into that, you can talk about that with the flight people. They won't pay for your accommodations if you choose to pursue this option, but they pay for your flight from camp to the destination of the country you travel to afterwards, but that's it.

That's all I can remember for now! Comment for questions. 2.5 more weeks till the real fun begins!

-Akila Prayaga


Hello, denizens of Earth!
The previous post on this blog focused on the full application process for Millennium Youth Camp and mentioned some of the Urban Planning group's work. I'd like to springboard off of that and talk about my theme group, applied mathematics.

First, a bit about myself - I'm Jordan, a member of Team Applied Mathematics for MYC 2014. I hail from Central Arizona (USA) and am in the eleventh grade. I (really) like all of science and math and love interdisciplinary work. I'm an intern at the Arizona State University Biomedical Engineering Design Studio and an intern in the electrical engineering lab of Dr. Goryll through a program called SCENE. I'm a proud camper at Canada/USA Mathcamp. I eat pretzels with applesauce, listen primarily to radio stations with names beginning with "K", and play the coolest instrument ever (cello).


Applied Math...What?

Applied math is all about taking mathematics and applying it to real-life situations. To potential MYC applicants: this group might be a good fit for you if you enjoy mathematics and looking at situations from a mathematical perspective. Programmers would fit well, especially with this year's project (discussed later).

"I like math, but pure math, NOT applied"

I've been there. I mean, I go to a math camp that is all about pure math in all of its varieties, and one of my pet peeves is people who call my pure math "pointless" and talk about the need to apply math to life. So I was also hesitant about applying for the applied math group (haha). I have no regrets though; this group/project is constantly broadening my mathematical perspective and I am thoroughly enjoying it. So, my only advice is to GO FOR IT!

Read more »


Hey everyone!


I really wanted to share the process of applying to the Millennium Youth Camp so that future participants can get a better idea of the application and what happens during each stage of the application. So without further ado:



The First Step: The first step of the application is the basic online application. It opens up in the fall and closes in December. I did it in December, but I'd advise not to do it last minute! It had a couple of essay questions asking about your interests and experiences in science. You also had to pick your first and second choice for a group. 

There are 10 groups: Urban Planning (my group), Biosciences and Biotechnology, Applied Mathematics, Energy, Climate and Climate Change, Food Science and Technology, ICT (Information and Communication Technology), Material Sciences and Material Technology, Renewable Natural Resources, and Water! 

All in all, it wasn't exactly a short application (it did take some time to write out the essays and whatnot) but it wasn't terribly lengthy. The application is in English. After submitting the application, I kinda forgot about the program because I wasn't expecting to get in. They only chose 200 people for the next round (20 people per group). However, I did keep in mind the date of when they would choose the semifinalists.

Read more »


When we got accepted into the Millennium Youth Camp, an editor from MyScience emailed us about Camper profiles! MyScience is apparently the camp's main media channel, so I assume both organizations work closely with each other during this program.




Anyways, she interviewed each of the members of the group. The questions ranged from "How did you find out about the camp? Why did you decide to apply and how did you feel about getting accepted?" to "What are your hopes and expectations for the International Millennium Youth Camp 2014?" and many more! This all occurred a few weeks ago, and recently they've been publishing Camper Profiles for each of the groups! 


You can check the current published ones below:


Applied Mathematics

Energy 
Food Science and Food Technology
Renewable Resources
Urban Planning

For more information about MyScience, check them out over here.






The purpose of this blog is to give some more information about the Millennium Youth Camp from the participants point of view. We'll be sharing pictures, videos, and will be blogging about our personal experiences before, during, and after the camp! The bloggers will be the 2014 Millennium Youth Camp participants.

For more information about the Millennium Youth Camp, check this out.


Hope you enjoy!



Campers in 2013

-Akila Prayaga


Photo Credit 


 This is an unofficial blog and has no official relationship with the Millennium Youth Camp or any of its associated organizations.