The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) wants to work with science centres to improve its new Junior Astronauts initiative. If you are interested in reviewing some of our activities, testing them with your visitors (if possible) and providing feedback, let us know!

The activities to be tested are:

• related to astronaut nutrition under the “Fitness and Nutrition” stream;

• for youth in grades 6 to 9;

• available in English only at the moment.

Please mention your interest to Miriam Micael no later than Friday, June 14. Volunteers will have until July 22, 2019, to test their activity and provide feedback. All details and a feedback form will be provided to volunteers.

Science centres that run an activity and provide feedback will be acknowledged as collaborators on the Junior Astronauts website. In addition, they will be eligible to enter into a draw for a chance to win a visit from a CSA astronaut or space expert to speak with their young audience in spring 2020!

Thank you for your help!

To continue in our efforts to raise awareness and increase support for equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM,  CASC has come on-board for a second year as a supporter of LGBTSTEM DAY on July, 5th, 2019.

There’s no such thing as too small a gesture to promote and support LGBTQ+ people in STEM. Learn more here.

CASC Members: Please let us know what your plans are and tag us on social media so we may share with our networks.

This month, Canadians celebrate National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity to honour the heritage, contributions and cultures of Indigenous peoples in Canada. On June 21st, Canadians from all walks of life are invited to participate in National Indigenous Peoples Day events that will be taking place from coast to coast to coast.

National Indigenous History Month provides an opportunity to recognize not only the historic contributions of Indigenous peoples to the development of Canada but also the strength of present-day Indigenous communities and their promise for the future.

CASC Members: Please let us know what your plans are and tag us on social media so we may share with our networks.

2019 CASCADES Recipients: Under the Same Stars: Minwaadiziwin - Science North & Indigenous Ingenuity - Montreal Science Centre

Held at the campus of the University of New Brunswick, in Fredericton, CWSF 2019 featured 409 projects from youth representing every province and territory, including 34 from first nations, Métis or Inuit communities. Projects ranged in topic from social justice issues to indigenous studies.

"The event is a sight to behold," says Barlow. "Not because of any fancy frills, but because of the talent, passion and ingenuity of Canadian students. Outside of congratulating them, all we can do is encourage them to continue developing their sense of exploration and striving for solutions that lead to positive change in our world."

Finalists in the fair - students in grades 7-12 – competed for nearly $1 million in cash awards, scholarships and prestigious opportunities including the Intact Climate Change Resilience Awards, the Ted Rogers Innovation Awards and the Youth Can Innovate Awards.

The complete list of winners and finalists, as well as full information on the top three awards, can be found at 2019_cwsf_awards_en.pdf.

View the complete awards ceremony on YouTube.

Read more.

Related article:
Winners of Canada-wide contest invent tools for easier life in space

On May 26, The Okanagan Science Centre hosted Canada’s first Teen Science Café.

The Teen Science Café Network is a community of organizations that host free science events for high school students, run by high school students. The Okanagan Science Centre’s Student Leadership Team, a group made up of local high school students, planned and presented the event activities. Learn more.

When Canadian physicist Donna Strickland was announced as one of the winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2018, there was no Wikipedia page chronicling her career and accomplishments, despite her groundbreaking research.  

While a Wikipedia page about Strickland has since been created, the fact remains that women—and women in STEM in particular—remain underrepresented on Wikipedia, where only 22 percent of STEM entries are about women.  

To bridge this digital gap, and in celebration of International Women in Engineering Day 2019, Engineers Canada and Ingenium have teamed up to host the first-ever Women in Engineering Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, ON, on June 23, 2019.  

In Canada, only 13.1 percent of engineers are women. As the engineering community and others work to attract and retain more girls and women in engineering, it’s important to recognize, document, and celebrate the accomplishments of the many women who have had a lasting impact on the engineering profession and on Canadian society through their engineering work. Learn more.

Laval’s six-member executive committee (EC) announced a number of handouts of taxpayer funds for different organizations and initiatives this month. Last week the EC approved a request for financial support from the Centre d’interprétation des biosciences Armand-Frappier (CIBAF) and the Centre d’interprétation de l’eau de Laval (C.I.EAU), for research and development and carrying out their normal activities.

“These cultural development partner organizations work throughout the year to produce and disseminate a professional offer that contributes to the vitality and radiance of Laval culture,” reads a city statement announcing the grants of $150,000 to the CIBAF and $70,000 to the C.I.EAU for their 2019 operations. Learn more.

Regina

The Saskatchewan Science Centre opened its doors to the public for the first time on April 23, 1989. To celebrate 30 years of science, fun, and learning in Saskatchewan, the Science Centre hosted an anniversary celebration looking back on the past 30 years with a look forward to the next 30.

Activities during the celebration included throwback General Admission pricing to 1989 levels – only $6 per person – as well as the performance of visitor favorite scientific demonstrations from the past three decades, and a peek at the future with a new vision and strategic plan for the Saskatchewan Science Centre. Learn more.

Vancouver

For three decades, Science World British Columbia has been a wonderland of hands-on learning, and a sneaky one at that. To kids, it just seems like a wonderland.

“Learning here is fun,” said Scott Sampson, Science World CEO and president. “Too often we think of learning as something that happens in classrooms, with students sitting in seats and study rooms. At Science World, kids learn without even knowing it.”

Science World opened its doors to the public in 1989, five years after its famed geodesic dome was constructed in advance of Expo 86. It was instantly iconic; Vancouverites pushed hard to keep the building, then called Expo Centre, as the World’s Fair came to an end.

In 1987, after all three levels of government announced that Expo Centre would become Science World, Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the building “for the people of British Columbia.” Over the next two years, a $19-million renovation and expansion transformed the domed structure into the arts, sciences and technology centre it still is today. Learn more.

Science North continues to expand its Northern Ontario initiatives through the delivery of two new projects in collaboration with Northern partners: THINK Hubs and Beyond Human Limits, Science North’s 12th travelling exhibit, thanks to funding provided by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC). The Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, Chair of the NOHFC, and MPP for Kenora-Rainy River announced the $2 million in NOHFC funding for these projects.

“Education-based exhibits play an important role in Northern Ontario. Not only do they provide fun and engaging science experiences for northerners, but they also generate revenue for host communities and create employment,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. “By investing in tourism projects that stimulate local economies, we are sending a signal that Northern Ontario is open for business and open for jobs.” Read more