Reaching High School Students across Canada

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Connecting with high school youth over science is important to foster critical thinking skills and to demonstrate the possibilities science brings to their futures. Let’s Talk Science is addressing this by offering a number of science-related symposiums for high-school aged youth.

The symposiums are run through the Let’s Talk Science Outreach sites by dedicated volunteers. Topics of the symposia range from the national StemCell Talks events to symposia concerning our place in the universe. Below is the listing of the upcoming events geared for high school aged youth:

Science in the Media
At McMaster University
Date: February 24, 2012
For more information: ltspp@mcmaster.ca

Let's Talk NanoScience
At the University of Alberta
Date: February 24, 2012
For more information: http://bit.ly/LetsTalkNanoScience

StemCells Talks
At University of Toronto, St. George campus
Date: March 9, 2012
For more information: lts.grad@utoronto.ca

StemCell Talks
At the University of Ottawa
Date: March 22, 2012
For more information: stemcelltalksottawa@gmail.com

Borders Symposium
At the University of Victoria
Date: March 29, 2012
For more information: lts@uvic.ca

Ocean Science Symposium
At the University of Victoria
Date: March 30-31, 2012
For more information: www.letstalkscience.ca/uvic/

Neuroscience Symposium
At the University of Waterloo
Date: Early April, 2012
For more information: uwaterloo@letstalkscience.ca

Engineering Symposium
At McMaster University
Date: April 2012
For more information: ltspp@mcmaster.ca

Sustainability and the Environment
At The University of Winnipeg
Date: May 18, 2012
For more information: ltsuofw@gmail.com 

Science, Engineering, and Technology Challenge
At the University of Calgary
Date: May 19, 2012
For more information: http://www.ucalgary.ca/setchallenge/

Life in the Universe
At the University of Western Ontario
Date: May 28, 2012
For more information: cpsxoutreach@uwo.ca

Science Day
At the University of Lethbridge
Date: Spring, 2012
For more information: www.letstalkscience.ca/uleth

Space Symposium
At the University of Guelph
Date: Spring, 2012
For more information: uguelph@letstalkscience.ca

Free Sunday Science Activities in Toronto

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Families with children ages 6 to 12: join Let's Talk Science volunteers Sunday, February 26, in Toronto, to build Rube Goldberg Machines and learn how science relates to our everyday lives! This afternoon event is free, and advanced registration is not required. For more information, download PDF flyer.

When: Sunday, February 26, 2012, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: J.J.R. Macleod Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto
1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario

This event is held in partnership with RCI. 

Outreach Sites Team up for Family Science Days

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This weekend, families across the city of Vancouver will be exploring science by hearing from expert scientists, and hands-on demonstrations and activities. Volunteers from all three of our Let’s Talk Science Outreach sites in B.C. will be attending to help make this happen.

Family Science Days is run as part of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference this Saturday and Sunday. Families are invited to the Vancouver Convention Centre for the free event. Be sure to watch out for the activities Let’s Talk Science will be doing throughout the day at their table.

What: Family Science Days

When: February 18-19th, 2012

Where: Vancouver Convention Centre

Cost: Free

For more information: http://www.aaas.org/meetings/2012/program/fsd/

Grade 3 students explore solutions to environmental issues

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In partnership with Youth Science Ontario, Let’s Talk Science volunteers at McMaster University visited Immaculate Conception Elementary School in Ancaster, ON to run an Innovation Expo with Grade 3 students. The Innovation Expo program, developed by Youth Science Ontario, introduces kids to environmental problems in our society and it’s up to them to engineer a solution!

To learn about human impact on the environment, the volunteers engaged the students in activities such as simulating global warming using terrariums, creating and presenting posters on pollution and health, and playing team-work games on environmental issues.

“It felt wonderful to teach science in such an innovative and fun way,” said Linda Zhu, one of three volunteers involved in the event. “I think the expo really sparked the kids' interest in science and got them thinking about the environmental issues around us."

Youth Science Ontario empowers regional organizations across Ontario to increase youth interest in inquiry-based science and innovation. For more information, visit www.youthscienceontario.ca. 

Central Regional Coordinator Conference

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Today is the final day of Let’s Talk Science’s central regional conference for Outreach site coordinators. Our coordinators across Ontario have come together to develop skills and work towards improving their site’s outreach. 

With the amazing growth of our post-secondary outreach sites, we have introduced this third regional conference. Bringing together our coordinators allows for more site collaboration on the amazing projects they are planning across the country: “At these meetings coordinators will have the opportunity to get to know some very inspiring people doing great work in so many areas ... We are especially lucky to have a relatively small group this weekend which will hopefully provide a more intimate environment for idea sharing” explains Julie Mason, one of the conference organizers. 

Friday’s conference kick-off included an invigorating welcome address from Dawn Britton of the engineering Outreach Office at the University of Toronto. Britton made clear exactly why Let’s Talk Science is integral to the university. From the impact on the youth to the skills developed by our volunteers, it is positive to hear the value felt by all involved. 

Following the welcome address, coordinator’s had some fun updating each other on their outreach, by creating a ‘newscast’ on their past and upcoming activities and playing ‘Minute-to-Win-it’ themed games. 

As the week continues, coordinators will be taking part in a variety of training and planning. The conference draws to an end on Sunday with a final session on the variety of online Action Projects, being done across Canada. You can check out these projects on explorecuriocity.org. Our final regional conference will be in Vancouver, for our coordinators in western Canada at the end of the month.