This summer, TEMS teacher Álvaro Ramos Cabello was one of just 34 teachers from around the world selected to take part in CERN’s prestigious International High School Teachers Programme in Geneva. Over two intensive weeks, Álvaro had the opportunity to learn directly from some of the world’s leading scientists, explore CERN’s groundbreaking facilities and discover new ways to bring cutting-edge science into the classroom. Here is what he had to say about the incredible experience:

“The CERN International High School Teachers Programme is held annually in July and selects around 40 teachers from all over the world to take part in a series of activities related to particle physics, including lectures, workshops and guided visits.

“I was fortunate enough to be one of the 34 teachers selected from several hundred applications submitted from across the globe. Without a doubt, it has been an unforgettable experience, and I return with a much clearer understanding of how to bring the cutting-edge research carried out at CERN into the classroom. It has been two incredibly intensive weeks, shared with teachers from every corner of the world.

“It has been a privilege to attend lectures delivered by world-leading scientists such as Luis Roberto Flores Castillo (data analysis in the discovery of the Higgs boson), Simon Albright (particle accelerator design), Claire Lee (particle detectors), Cari Cesarotti (theoretical particle physics), Manjit Dosanjh (world’s leading researcher in medical applications of particle physics), David Barney and Stephen Goldfarb (leaders of the LHC’s flagship experiments, CMS and ATLAS), and Michael Doser (one of the world’s leading researchers in antimatter), among many other outstanding figures—truly world-class scientists who are pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.

“In addition to the lectures, we visited the LHC’s major experiments and their control centres (ATLAS, CMS and LHCb), as well as the cryogenics and superconducting magnet test facility, the LINAC 2 linear accelerator, the LEIR low-energy ion accelerator, the CERN Data Centre, and the Antimatter Factory.

“I return inspired and full of enthusiasm, eager to bring everything I have learned not only to my A-level Physics classroom, but also to my Computer Science and Design & Technology classes. Above all, I look forward to sharing this experience and the resources I have gathered with all of my colleagues.”

Álvaro Ramos Cabello

Profesor de Física, Tecnología e Ingeniería y Ciencias de la Computación en Bachillerato