Aerosol Science Research Center (ASRC) at NSYSU, Kaohsiung Girls' Senior High School, and Taiwan International Ports Corporation jointly organized the Female Aerosol Scientists’ Training Camp. More than 50 female high school students participated in the Camp, and under the guidance of the interdisciplinary team of ASRC professors, they made a visit to the laboratories to see the pieces of equipment forof aerosol science research, only of such kind in Taiwan, played a board games related to the issues of air quality management and green ports, listened to lectures, and took a ferry trip to observe the Port of Kaohsiung, where the cargos is are loaded and unloaded, and discovered the relation of the Port to air pollution and the related anti-air pollution measures. The students participants gained a more comprehensive knowledge of aerosol science, and were inspired to learn more, and shown the way to embark on pursue a career in aerosol science and research.

The Camp started with a speech was led by Shiow-Fon Tsay, Professor of the Department of Physics and Senior Vice President of the University Shiow-Fon Tsay, who gave an opening speech. Professor Tsay said that the Camp’s purpose was to nurture future female scientists by encouraging high school girls to study engineering programs or science and technology-related courses and enter the field of science after graduation to contribute to Taiwan’s scientific research and environmental protection. The camp gathered professors of aerosol science, high school science teachers of science subjects, and was linked to government agencies and local communities to promote comprehensive knowledge of aerosol science and environmental education on air quality.

Chia C. Wang, Director of ASRC and Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry, Chia C. Wang said that at the core of the Camp was fundamental scientific research and that aerosol science was connected with otherinterdisciplinary fields of aerosol science. The events, such as interactive educational materialsauthentic science research contexts, hands-on laboratoriesactivities, and thematic research design presented the current situation of contemporary aerosol science research and the core basics of aerosol science in a language understandablemeaningful way to the high schoolersparticipants. Director Wang shared her personal experience and the dynamics of the careeras of a scientist with high school girls, talking about her changing development of research interests: from chemical kinetics and dynamics, interstellar aerosols in the outer space, and to Earth aerosol science after she returned to Taiwan to teach. Associate Professor Wang also encouraged the participants to get involved inpursue aerosol science or even take up a relatedresearch or career related to aerosol science.

To make help students build a connection between aerosols and daily life, Director Wang, Professor Jing-Ru Weng of the Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, and Professor Li-Lian Liu of the Department of Oceanography gave lectures on virus transmission via aerosols and its prevention, pollution and health, and the influence of aerosols on the marine ecosystem. They showed the students around Student visited aaerosol science-related laboratories and presented the equipment:saw automatic air quality monitoring device – the first in Taiwan that is in Taiwan and the closest to any the port in Taiwan, Director’s Wang laboratory for aerosol and biomedical sciences, Raman optical tweezers and lidar remote sensing device – the only of such kind in Taiwan, developed by Assistant Professor Yuan-Pin Chang of the Department of Chemistry, and high-resolution infrared spectrophotometer developed by Assistant Professor Chao-Yu Chung of the Department of Chemistry. The professors demonstrated how tothe use of these precision instruments for the students to better understand their practical operation.

Under the guidance of Professor Paichi Pat Shein of the Institute of Education and Director of the Education Promotion Division of ASRC and Associate Professor Shiau-Yun Lu of the Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, the students, divided into groups, played two board games: “Protecting Gaia: A Battle for Better Air Quality” and “Green Port” to understand the threat air pollution poses to the environment, and how important it is to take immediate action to improve people’s living environment. The Training Camp included outdoor educational activities; the students and teachers took a ferry around the Kaohsiung Port. It was the first time for the students to observe the operations of the Port from a closer distanceon site and get to know the practical measures taken to safeguard air quality. The trip let the students have a grasp on the issues of air pollution prevention and air quality maintenance.

Chien-Hung Chen, the teacher of Earth Ssciences teacher at Kaohsiung Girls' Senior High School, said that aerosol science is a novel and important element of the new high school curriculum and that the Training Camp was not only a way to introduce laboratories conducting scientific research at the University to high school girlsthe participants, but also to spur an interest in aerosol sciences in them. Chia-Yu Kuo, the sStudent of the Kaohsiung Girls' Senior High School, Chia-Yu Kuo said that the atmospheric observer at their school participates in research on carbon dioxide and that the lectures of NSYSU professors of the field of aerosol sciences and the visit to the laboratories broadened her knowledge on different aspects of life, such as aerosols application in medicine and biomedical sciences. After class she studies environmental protection issues on her own; the Camp spurred her enthusiasm for aerosol science research.