140 students from inner-city Winnipeg and northern Manitoba had a chance to learn about science at the University of Manitoba's annual Biomedical Youth Program Summer Camp. 

The University of Manitoba is holding a free camp for students from grade 5 to 12. The Biomedical Youth Program Summer Camp gives inner-city and northern Manitoba youth the chance to explore science in a university atmosphere.

"We're trying to maximize the hands-on opportunities that the kids get," said Anthony Altieri, a Ph.D. student at the U of M and the coordinator for activities at the Inner City Science Centre, located at Niji Makhwa School.

Students from grade 9 to 12 were at Niji Makhwa, splitting and matching DNA. While it sounds complicated, Altieri says that they teach the kids a number of basic science principles, which can really help them in school or in their future career.

"I had no idea before coming to this camp, and (now) I have a wide range of information that I haven't had (sic) two weeks ago," said Logan Merasty. He's a grade nine student who attends R.D. Parker Collegiate in Thompson, Manitoba, but was raised in Brochet, which sits on the northeast tip of Reindeer Lake in northern Manitoba.

Growing up, Merasty found himself in a situation where he had to perform CPR on a person who was drowning. That inspired him to want to learn more and he now hopes that he will end up in the medical field.

Merasty says he has never had a chance to learn science like this in Thompson. Altieri says that he has heard the same thing from other students.

"A girl on Tuesday told me that her school didn't have a chemistry program at all, so having this opportunity for her, I think it's fantastic," Altieri recalled. He says he grew up in Winnipeg and also didn't get this kind of opportunity. 

"I think that when you have the opportunity to really do what we do on a day to day basis, use pipets, work with DNA, do these experiments, I think it really maximizes the fun and the understanding you can have working in a lab," he continued.

The summer camp is also taking place at the Bannatyne Campus. Students are working with blood typing, learning how to fill a tooth, using microscopes, and even trying out various techniques employed by physiotherapists. Camps run until Friday.