spring 2015 newsletter - science travels · 2015-09-19 · page | 3 spring 2015 science travels...

Page | 1 Spring 2015 Science Travels

Newsletter

Table of Contents

Spring 2015, By the Numbers 2

Activity Summary 3

Eastmain and Waskaganish 4

Sanikiluaq 5

Dryden and Kenora Area 7

Timmins and Moosonee 9

Photos from Across the Map 10

Program Coordinators 11

elementary and high school students in remote and aboriginal communities. It is through these connections that we were able to bring fun, engaging, and informative science workshops to their classrooms and foster interest in areas of biology, chemistry, health science, engineering and physics.

A special thank you to all of the educators and sponsors, who, through their collaborations and contributions, made the possibility of these trips a reality. Further, we are so thankful and proud of our volunteers, who worked tirelessly, day and night, to ensure their workshops were delivered as planned, and that students were left with newfound knowledge and wonder about the world around them.

In this newsletter you will discover stories written by our volunteers about their first-hand experiences. We hope these articles provide perspective on the impact of educational outreach, and the importance of continuing to nourish the minds of Canadian youth.

Spring 2015

W e did it again! This past spring Science Travels has once more achieved our goal of connecting experienced and knowledgeable graduate student volunteers with


Eastmain, QC Waskaganish, QC

Alexander Foo Michelle Le

Renée Nelson Adam Vigneron

Wabannutao Eeyou School Wiinibekuu School

Annie Whiskeychan Memorial School

Sanikiluaq, NU Eliza Ali

William Chen Paatsaali High School

Nuiyak Elementary School

Dryden, ON Migisi Sahgaigan, ON

Pawitik, ON Kejick, ON

Shamir Alavi Hajra Mazhar Sabrina Slade Justin Whitaker

New Prospect School Dryden High School

Migisi Sahgaigan School Baibombeh Anishinabe School

David Kejick School

Timmins, ON Moosonee, ON

Ana Gargaun Maryam Kotait Krystle Talbot

Sara Trincao-Batra

O’Gorman High School Timmins Native Friendship Centre

Roland Michener Secondary School Bishop Belleau School

Moosonee Public School Northern Lights Secondary School

Spring 2015, By the Numbers

14 volunteer graduate students

144 workshops delivered at 16 educational centres, including elementary schools, high

schools, and native friendship centres. 9 different communities visited in Ontario, Nunavut and Quebec.

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Activity Summary

Who do we work with?

T his past spring our volunteers delivered 144 activities from 36

different science kits, ranging from old favourites like Liquids, Solids, and Gases, to new adventures like How to Explore Mars. Students learned about the process of human digestion, solving crimes through science, the impact of invasive species, just how easy it is to extract DNA from a banana, and of course, how

“chemistry” and “magic” can come together to form an interesting and informative experience!

O ur volunteers delivered workshops to a total of 2028 students this spring,

ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, but enjoyed by students and teachers alike! They reached out to students in not only English and French, but on our Nunavut trip, they even had help from a translator to deliver presentations in Inuktitut!


incredible journey in Northern Quebec. Our trip with Science Travels took us to two Cree communities on the east side of James Bay: Eastmain on the river of the same name, and Waskaganish at the mouth of the Rupert River. Spring had just sprung in both communities -- we were greeted by long sunny days, deep snow pack, and ice sheets still covering both rivers.

After an overnight layover in Montreal, we arrived in Eastmain where we were graciously greeted by Christine Carr, a teacher from the local Wabannutao Eeyou School. Eastmain may have only 700 residents, but it is a tightly-knit community and their hospitality is second to none! We were welcomed by the teachers to their Sunday night BBQ and received beautiful mementos of our visit from our kind hosts in the band office. After such a warm welcome, we easily integrated into Wabannutao Eeyou School and were able to share our science knowledge in an atmosphere of mutual regard and respect. From discovering how to explore Mars with Adam, to making (and eating!)

dinosaur fossils with Alex, to learning about sexual health with Renée, to exploring solids, liquids and gases with Michelle, the students stayed motivated and engaged throughout our presentations -- and they even had a little bit of fun!

On the fourth day of our trip, we bid farewell to Eastmain and caught a bumpy Dash-8 to Waskaganish, a larger community home to over 2000 people. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by teacher Min Min Tong and re-connected with community physicians Dr. Charles Khazzam and Dr. Carmen Berlie -- all three of whom took us under their wing and ensured that we knew everything we needed for our time in their town. As we entered Annie Whiskeychan Memorial School and the Wiinibekuu High School, we couldn’t help but notice the festive decorations plastered along the hallways: it was almost Goose Break! Uniquely celebrated in Québec Cree communities, Goose Break is a traditional holiday where most community members set off to hunt for geese. Despite the buzz of excitement surrounding the two-week break, students channeled their enthusiasm towards our science workshops. The Chemistry Magic Show, our final workshop of the trip, was a big hit. Whether students learned the principle of acidity by changing liquid colour through a buffer system or appreciated the true power of combustion by watching their brave teachers light their hands on fire (disclaimer: no teachers were harmed), the Magic Show remains a fantastic combination of science and entertainment.

Over our week in Eeyou Istchee (the People's Land), we presented over 40 workshops to more than 400 students. We would like to thank Science Travels and communities Eastmain and Waskaganish for this incredible journey to the Cree Nation -- we can't wait to return!

Eastmain and Waskaganish, Quebec Michelle Le

“The students enjoyed everything they did. They were all into it” – Teacher in Waskaganish

O n April 12th, Renée Nelson, Alex Foo, Adam Vigneron and I kicked off an


Nuiyak Elementary School, where we had the chance to teach all grade levels. Upon entering the school we were welcomed by a couple of polar bears. Don’t worry, they were stuffed! Nuiyak School actually houses Canada’s smallest museum, displaying Inuit culture through crafts, tools and structures. After passing by the museum part of the school we both started our day of teaching. William taught the students all about solids, liquids and gases where he got the students to dissolve Alka-Seltzer tablets in water, make non-newtonian liquid and participate in a group activity where he had them shake, wiggle and jump like the molecules in each of these states of matter.

After the students became experts in knowing the differences between solids, liquids and gases, I gave them all a lesson on birds and the importance of their nests. We had the chance to build our own nests using a variety of things like straws, yarn and sticks and they got very creative with keeping their nests stable and strong so their plastic eggs didn’t roll around. It was really funny to see the students pretend to use their beaks (a

clothes pin) to pick up the different materials.

For the older classes (grades 5 and 6), I taught them about how germs are easily spread and the importance of washing their hands. They loved using the GloGerm gel and using a UV light to see if they washed their hands properly. On the second day, William and I teamed up for the Chemistry Magic Show and we loved the reactions we got when we made a flame burn different colours, set money on fire, and blasted rockets with vinegar and baking soda. One interesting part about Inuit culture is the common use of facial expressions to express yes and no. When we asked the students if they loved our activities they would all raise their eyebrows as a way of saying ‘yes!’ I think our highlight was having all the students give us both a massive group hug at the end of the day!

On the last days, William and I headed next door to Paatsaali High School, delivering presentations about the digestive system, nutrition, invasive species, stem cells, sexually transmitted infections as well as a Q & A about science research. Two highlights from my presentation were looking at how grossed out the students were from squeezing their digested

Sanikiluaq, Nunavut

Eliza Ali

W illiam and I started the first two days of our teaching adventure in Sanikiluaq at


banana and graham cracker combo, as well as seeing how competitive the high school students were when they had to divide into teams to make me breakfast, lunch and dinner using the Canadian and Nunavut food guide. For the presentation on sexually transmitted infections, William did an amazing job conveying how important it is to go to the doctor for any health concerns and he followed the presentation with a Q & A about science in general.

On our final day in Sanikiluaq, we helped the students with their science competition, where we brainstormed and created a thermos out of different materials, an earthquake-proof building out of popsicle sticks, and balloon-powered race cars. It was so heartwarming to see students getting their creative juices flowing and working together towards a common goal. Before we left, we took a huge group picture with all the students from the high school.

Even though we were there for just a week, William and I experienced a snapshot of the culture in Sanikiluaq. We joined the high school students’ badminton practices, hung out at their community hall watching them play floor hockey and explored the town with the children after school. We adventured into some of their cuisine snacking on some muktuk (beluga fat) and smoked arctic char. Some of the community members and teachers also gave us a chance to ride on an ATV, a ski-doo and a komatik (a traditional wooden sledge) and we took advantage of the warm weather as we climbed the highest peak of the Belcher Islands. William even had the chance to see the Northern Lights dancing in the night sky. In our down time, the students would teach us how to read and say a couple of words in Inuktitut and I am sure they had fun teaching us!

We were so fortunate to experience the beauty of the north and the warmth of the community members that we conversed with.

Overall it is safe to say that even though our stay there was short, Sanikiluaq has captured our hearts and we hope that as Science Travels volunteers we made an impact, sparking the students’ interest in science.

“The students loved the hands-on learning and how difficult subjects were broken down into easy to understand terms” – Teacher at Paatsaali High School

Volunteer Eliza Ali discusses nutrition with students at Paatsaali High School.

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meeting a couple of weeks before the trip, I came to realize that we would be driving in terrain where we might encounter a moose or two along the way! The whole team was extremely excited and pumped up about visiting these communities and meeting all of the students and teachers within them. Four people, who had never met each other before, became friends as quickly as the rate at which weather patterns change in Ottawa, let alone in Canada.

From the very first morning of teaching workshops, I saw the other side of all of my colleagues – how dedicated, motivated, talented and co-operative they are at what they do. Together, we learned more about some of the First Nations of Canada; learned about their day-to-day problems. We found so many talented, young students eager to learn, and every workshop that we delivered came with different types of surprises. For one, we met a group of Eighth Graders that undoubtedly had to be among the best young minds from across the country when it comes to engineering. Additionally, we met Kindergarteners, whose expressions of surprise and awe after watching a rocket explode into thin air just melted our hearts. Finally, the enthusiasm of the older classes when they learned how easy it is to design circuits and construct batteries from lemons was as exciting for us as it was for them. No matter how exhausting each day was, the appreciation and excitement of the students and teachers after we delivered each workshop was worth our time and effort.

All in all, it felt great that we were able to utilize the opportunity to teach and motivate some of Canada’s smart, young minds. And to be able to do that as a team of dedicated volunteers, was like the icing on top of a delicious chocolate cake!

Dryden and Kenora Area, Ontario

T he trip started off as a blast, even before we started our journey. During our team

Shamir Alavi


robot design with K’Nex. This past Spring, science travelled to the Kenora/Dryden area to empower students not only as scientists but as youth inspired to think beyond. Working with my team of three other like-minded scientists we delivered Chemistry Magic shows, set up dinosaur displays and engineered robot competitions to hundreds of youth. It was a team effort and we made a difference with each new activity we revealed! I recall one young Kindergarten student dancing across the class after his personally mixed set of reagents launched a baking soda rocket to the ceiling, confirming his hypothesis for a roof-level launch. Truly, you are left with the sincerest form of satisfaction to see the difference you make to the students following a science show.

Outside the classroom my experiences were fully rounded out. I made lasting friendships with my colleagues as we organized successful presentations for five different schools. We stayed up late, got lost looking for one of the more remote schools, found new roads and laughed at each turn of the journey. I smile, reflecting on an evening when we shared a laugh while retelling the day's highlights, making funny faces and enjoying ice cream in Kenora. What is more, I achieved my goal to become a stronger presenter and a more informed citizen on the challenges remote communities face with their education in science.

Tempered by my travel North, I will keep in mind the need to continually improve our Nation's outreach in the sciences and strategies to promote healthy living. I highly recommend this program as a challenging experience in academic outreach, rewarded by positively impacting the learning experiences of youth in various aspects of science.

A Justin Whitaker

green flame for fireworks. Some plastic dinos to travel in time. The next big

“The hands on activities are exactly what this group needs!” – Teacher in Migisi Sahgaigan

Volunteer Justin avoids getting wet as Shamir demonstrates that matter can

change from a liquid to a solid!


Timmins and Moosonee, Ontario Sara Trincao-Batra

“The volunteers did a great job presenting this activity. The students were engaged, having fun and learning all at the same time” – Teacher at Northern Lights Secondary School

A s the plane made its descent into the Timmins airport, our first stop before

Moosonee, we could not help but notice the beautiful scenery from above. Although Ana, Krystle, Maryam, and I are all from Ontario, we could tell that this terrain was beautifully different from the south.

In Timmins, we visited O’Gorman High School and Roland Michener School where the students warmly greeted us. Intermediate and high school students were fascinated by how much DNA there is in a banana, what oncolytic viruses are, and how acetone destroys a Styrofoam cup. We also gave a giant DNA forensics presentation to over 60 Grade 7 students. This was a very fun, engaging experience that everyone tremendously enjoyed. At the Timmins Native Friendship Centre, we taught curious 4-6 year old children all about the incredible powers of DNA.

After our short stay in Timmins, we embarked on the smallest plane we had ever been on in our lives; an 8-seater, with our baggage stowed in the back, and no carry-on bags allowed. As we soared through the air and admired the most beautiful view of Northern Ontario, we all agreed that it was the best plane ride of our lives.

While in Moosonee we visited Northern Lights Secondary School, Bishop Belleau School, and Moosonee Public School where we taught all ages, from kindergarten to grade 12. Be it the little ones buzzing around the classroom with their newly made bees, or the grade 12 students making the funniest faces when they had to rinse their mouths with salty water for the cheek DNA extraction, all ages were extremely excited and interested in learning more about the numerous opportunities the field of science has to offer.

Visiting students at Bishop Belleau School

during their pajama day was definitely interesting! Not only did we have the fun experience of doing workshops with the students that day, we also got the opportunity to play, read stories, and learn more about the students. Personally, I learned a lot more than I knew about the different Pokemon characters!

In both Moosonee and Timmins, we truly saw how sparking students’ interest in science can really change, engage, and promote education in the field. We worked with wonderful students and staff to show our passion for science and to shed light onto the vast possibilities present in this area of study. This was truly an incredible experience, and we are so grateful to have had this amazing opportunity!

Moosonee gets excited about science!


Photos from Across the Map


Contact Us:

Christina Thomsen Program Manager Room 304 Tabaret Hall University of Ottawa 550 Cumberland Street Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 Tel: (613) 562-5800 x 2909 Fax: (613) 562-5285 [email protected]

Science Travels is funded by an NSERC PromoScience grant, and support from AirCreebec & Air Inuit and the

following uOttawa programs: Student Academic Success Services, Aboriginal Resource

Centre, Administration Committee, and the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Medicine and the Center for Global and Community

Engagement. !

Program Coordinators

Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden

Barb is the founder and director of Science Travels. She provides guidance to the program through a veritable wealth of experience in science outreach.

Ana Gargaun

Ana is the Science Travels Kits Coordinator. Ana ensures that all volunteers are trained on their activities and that they leave with all the supplies need for a successful voyage.

Christina Thomsen

Christina is the Science Travels Program Manager. She takes care of travel arrangements, communications, staffing the trips, and day-to-day operations.

spring 2015 newsletter - science travels · 2015-09-19 · page | 3 spring 2015 science travels...

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