Developments in International Masterclasses

TL;DR

International Masterclasses have expanded globally, incorporating new outreach initiatives and physics topics like neutrino physics, to engage more high school students in authentic particle physics data analysis.

Contribution

The paper reports recent developments and expansion efforts of International Masterclasses, including new outreach programs and physics domains beyond the LHC.

Findings

Growth in number of masterclasses and participating countries

Successful outreach in developing countries and for girls and women in science

Introduction of neutrino physics into masterclass activities

Abstract

International Masterclasses are events for high school students that enable them to act as "particle physicists for day" by analyzing authentic data from particle physics experiments under the tutelage of scientists. International Masterclasses have been very successful and have grown with their focus on data from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Recent developments that bring masterclasses to more students in more ways have been very exciting. The number of masterclasses and the number of countries with masterclasses have grown substantially. Outreach efforts such as masterclass workshops in developing countries, particularly in collaboration with the African School of Fundamental Physics and Applications, and a new International Day of Girls and Women in Science masterclass have yielded success. Most recently, there are new initiatives to expand masterclasses beyond the LHC, particularly into neutrino physics.