On July 12, science centres, museums, and other organizations across Canada received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PromoScience Program to educate young Canadians about astronomy, forest conservation, mathematics, sustainable energy, and other science and engineering fields. The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced a $31,300 grant to support Trinity Western University’s Science in the Valley program.
Each May, TWU’s biology, chemistry, and environmental studies departments host hundreds of students through the Science in the Valley program. One workshop, better known as Salmon in the Valley, is offered in partnership with Salmon River Enhancement Society (SRES), and is held on one of BC’s top salmon-producing rivers, aptly named Salmon River, that runs right through TWU’s Langley campus.
TWU’s Chris Hall, who manages the Salmon in the Valley workshops, said, “Hands-on activities and educational games make the day a hit with students and teachers alike.” Students in local school districts receive personal teaching instruction from TWU undergraduate students in lessons that parallel BC curriculum. The workshops are taught with an emphasis on student participation to encourage and inspire them towards further study of Science.
“Fostering scientific discovery is central to NSERC’s mandate,” said NSERC President Suzanne Fortier. “These organizations play a vital role in promoting science to children and youth. They provide the spark that, in the right environment, will lead to a lifetime of creativity, generating new knowledge and the researchers of tomorrow.”
Science in the Valley was co-founded in 2003 by Craig Montgomery, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Chemistry, and Eve Stringham, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Canada Research Chair in Developmental Genetics and Disease. Montgomery and Stringham continue to provide direction for the overall program, which hosted workshops for more than 1,200 students last year. The NSERC PromoScience Program grant will ensure its growth over the next three years.
A complete list of the PromoScience recipients can be found at www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Registration for the May 2012 Science in the Valley program will occur in the fall. Contact Liz Robertson at liz.robertson@twu.ca for more information.