The Canadian Association of Science Centers (CASC) celebrated their Annual CASCADE Awards on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Since 2003 the annual CASCADE Awards have recognized the outstanding people and institutions from across the CASC community that are demonstrating leadership, innovation, and impact in making science approachable, relevant, and accessible.

Over 150 CASC members and supporters attended this year’s awards ceremony which took place in Regina, Saskatchewan during the annual CASC Conference.

Congratulations to the following 2024 CASCADE Awards Recipients:

INDIVIDUAL CASCADE AWARDS

Individual CASCADE Awards are adjudicated by the CASC Board of Directors. All award recipients will become honorary lifetime members of CASC. The nominee can be an employee or a volunteer of a CASC Science Centre, Museum or Affiliate member.

• Emerging Professional: Renata Brandt (Science North) and Dave Loos (Saskatchewan Science Centre)

• Exceptional Project/Program Leadership: Jennifer Gemmel (TELUS World of Science Edmonton)

• Outstanding Career: Donna Kipta (TELUS Spark)

INSTITUTIONAL CASCADE AWARDS

Open to all CASC Science Centre, Museum and Affiliate Members, the Institutional CASCADE Awards are categorized according to the overall cost of the project. The Project must have taken place in the last 5 years and has not previously received a CASCADE award for the project. Institutional awards are adjudicated by the CASCADE Awards Jury.

Category 1: $1M + 

Science World: Creative Technology Gallery 

Science World's Creative Technology Gallery was opened in September 2023 as the institution's first interactive and immersive digital gallery. At the core of the gallery's mission is the belief that creative technology can be a career path and a form of expression

accessible to everyone. The gallery embodies innovation and accessibility, providing a platform to explore the diverse and innovative world of creative technology through connections to the local community. The visitor experience features intuitive interactivity and

immersion that fosters creativity, play, and discovery in an accessible setting. Through the narrative journey of Dream, Build, Play, visitors experience a vibrant fusion of science, art, and technology via interactive stations and immersive environments. Visitors are

empowered and encouraged to shape a better world through telling their own stories.

Category 2: $250k - $1M

Science North: Mine Evolution Digital Game 

Mine Evolution is a new digital game created by Science North, in collaboration with the Canadian Institute for Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), as well as Wahnapitae First Nation, to make the science behind modern mining and critical minerals more approachable, relevant and accessible for large and diverse audiences.

The game’s fun and innovative mission is to build Canada’s green future through modern mining. Players collect Earth’s treasures across Canada to unlock new technology and build the ultimate modern mine in an open map. Avatars and real life professionals from diverse backgrounds showcase inclusive participation in the industry. As mining continues to evolve, this exciting and interactive digital game ensures the next generation is inspired by the essential role the industry has in building a greener and more sustainable

future.

Category 3: $50k - $250k

Discovery Centre: Trusted Voices

In 2019, The World Health Organization named vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 global threats to health. This, along with a global pandemic and the rise of fake news, inspired the WhyImmunize? initiative. The goal of WhyImmunize? is to empower learners of all ages to consider why immunization is both a right and a responsibility, helping them focus their critical lens in an age of information overload. WhyImmunize.ca provides educators and guardians with free, bilingual activities and FAQs suitable for homes and classrooms that aim to make immunology and vaccinology fun, engaging, and accessible.

Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada's Immunization Partnership Fund, Trusted Voices is an initiative by Discovery Centre’s WhyImmunize? team designed to promote vaccine confidence in Nova Scotian communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with Africville Museum, the Health Association of African Canadians, and Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey Schools, we co-created and delivered resources and activities about vaccines for the African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaq communities.

Category 4: <$50k

Saskatchewan Science Centre: Covalent Bonding Event

The Saskatchewan Science Centre took its traditional Adult Science Nights, events that provide fun and engaging ways for adults to explore science, to the next level. To provide programming that is relevant, while ensuring that the offerings were also inclusive, the SSC hosted Covalent Bonding: An Adult Science Night on February 14th, 2023.

In chemistry covalent bonding is the interatomic linkage that results from the sharing of an electron pair between two atoms. The binding arises from the electrostatic attraction of their nuclei for the same electrons.For the SSC team, covalent bonding meant the coming together of people. When a group of people is accepting of one another, it fosters an environment of inclusivity and respect, which can lead to better communication and collaboration. A positive and supportive culture leads to improved well-being and greater success for everyone.

The host for the event was two-Spirit Dene First Nations multidisciplinary artist Chelazon Leroux from Canada’s Drag Race who uses their Indigenous identity as the foundation for their creative works which include Drag, stand-up comedy, and social media content creation. The event included a variety of partners, science-themed activities, and local drag queens to ensure an enjoyable evening.

 The Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC) is thrilled to announce they are among the recipients of funding through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)’s Strategic Science Fund (SSF) competition. 

In alignment with CASC’s Action to Impact strategy, these fundswill help strengthen evidence-based decision-making, advance innovation skills development, and foster an inclusive science and innovation culture across Canada. Some notable ways the funds will be leveraged include:

• Making science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) approachable, relevant, and accessible by supporting the work of CASC members;

• Advancing Truth and Reconciliation in the informal STEM engagement sector;

• Tackling science misinformation through CASC’s internationally celebrated ScienceUpFirst initiative;

• Providing professional development resources to CASC members, towards inclusive and equitable workplaces; and

• Conducting research in informal STEM learning in the science public engagement sector.

“We are delighted to be part of the SSF family and a collaborative approach to advancing Canada’s science and innovation culture across Canada,” says Dr. Marianne Mader, CEO of CASC. “With this sustained funding, CASC will not only continue to serve our members in a meaningful way, but to continue to build the essential bridge between research, science, and society.”

“Canada’s science centres, science and technology museums, planetariums, zoos, aquariums, innovation labs, and science outreach organizations are beloved and trusted sources for science information and engagements for millions of people across the country. By supporting the work of CASC, ISED is signalling the tremendous value of the informal science learning sector, and a bright future for innovation culture in Canada,” says Sandy Baumgartner, CEO of Saskatchewan Science Centre and Chair of CASC Board of Directors. 

For more details about the recently announced SSF funding, visit Strategic Science Fund (canada.ca)

For more information about CASC, visit www.canadiansciencecentres.ca

About CASC

CASC is Canada’s largest membership-based network of science engagement organizations. Our membership includes Canada’s leading science centres, museums, aquariums, zoos, outreach organizations, and science and innovation hubs. Collectively, we reach more than 10 million people per year. As an association, CASC empowers a national network of science engagement organizations that cultivate a joy of learning by making science approachable, relevant, and accessible. 

For more information, please contact:

Amanda Fruci, Director of Membership and Communications, CASC

amanda.f@casc-accs.com 

Canadian Association of Science Centres

Click here to view the May 19 2022 Newsletter (see an overview below)

• CASCADE Awards Call for Nominations, deadline June 14, 2022
• New CASC Board of Directors 
• CASC 2022 Action to Impact Annual Conference
• Big Questions about COVID-19? Ask ScienceUpFirst

Click here to view the March 17, 2022 Newsletter (see an  overview below).

Association Updates

News & Opportunities

The CASC reciprocal agreement entitles science centre and museum membership holders (i.e. families and individuals) General Admission (at no additional cost) when they visit other participating institutions across Canada.

See who's participating in 2022!

Click here to view the February 17, 2022 Newsletter (see an  overview below).

Association Updates

• CASC 2022 Conference deadlines approaching
• Join us, May 25-27, 2022, for the CASC 2022 Conference: Action to Impact VIRTUAL CONFERENCE!
• Making Moves in our DIEA Efforts
• Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming CASC Events
  
• ScienceUpFirst: Let’s talk about Kids & Vaccines
  
• Welcome to our Newest Member
• National Kids & Vaccines Day: January 27, 2022
• Join the CASC team - We're hiring for the ScienceUpFirst initiative!
• CASC Education and Programs Community of Practice (CoP)

News & Opportunities

• OUR MEMBERS
• FROM ACROSS OUR NETWORK
• CONFERENCES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Click here to view the January 27, 2022 Newsletter (see an  overview below).

Association Updates

• CASC 2022 Conference: Action to Impact
• Join us, May 25-27, 2022, for the CASC 2022 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE!
• Call for Learning Session Speakers
• Welcome to our Newest Member
• National Kids & Vaccines Day: January 27, 2022
• Join the CASC team - We're hiring for the ScienceUpFirst initiative!
• CASC Education and Programs Community of Practice (CoP)

News & Opportunities

• CASC MEMBERS
• FUNDING & COLLABORATION
• CONFERENCES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CASC and Members are recipients of the Immunization Partnership Fund  to support community-based efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake among Canadians, address vaccine misinformation and disinformation, and reduce vaccine preventable disease.

• Canadian Association of Science Centres: #ScienceUpFirst
• The Discovery Centre: Trusted Voices: Co-Created Community-Based Vaccine Education
• Ontario Science Centre: Promoting COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake
• Science North: Building Vaccine Confidence in Ontario and Beyond!
• TELUS Spark Science Centre: Online Education and Hip-Hop Entertainment

A group of organizations across Canada including ScienceUpFirst, Children’s Healthcare Canada, and the Sandbox Project have joined forces to declare Thursday, January 27 as National Kids and Vaccines Day.

We invite all CASC Members to participate in the day's events through their own efforts, and by promoting the programs and resources currently being planned using the #KidsVaccinesDay hashtag. This day will bring together industry, influencers and experts from across disciplines to help move the needle (pun intended) and promote vaccine confidence to protect our largest unvaccinated cohort of Canadians.

December 9, 2021

As 2021 draws to a close the team at CASC wants to take this opportunity to thank all CASC members and supporters for all your support and engagement with CASC over the last 12 months.

In this time of global change, together, we make up a foundational network that has the power to ignite curiosity, deepen learning, and empower collective action.

Whatever is beautiful. Whatever is meaningful. Whatever brings you happiness. May it be yours this festive season and throughout the coming year.

See you soon, in 2022!

See full newsletter here.