Info & Training Sessions for New Volunteers!

Our most frequently asked question is: 

What is the time commitment?

We ask our volunteers to commit at least 10 hours per year. Some volunteers will help with a few regular activities (1-2 hours each) throughout the year. Some volunteers may instead choose to help with one or two half- or all-day events, like our College Royal Display or the Let's Talk Science Challenge. Some volunteers will opt to help out more than the 10 hours per year (last year, our top 5 volunteers had each put in over 40 hours!), but this is above and beyond our expectations. :D

If you can offer us about 5 hours per semester, we'd be thrilled.

Link to register for a session: www.surveymonkey.com/s/GF78BDN

Please spread the word! LTS is running training sessions for new volunteers!

Are you a 3rd or 4th year undergrad, vet or graduate student, staff or faculty? Are you looking for a way to get involved in the community, get to know other grad students in other departments, and/or to share your passion for your field with youth? If you are, Let's Talk Science is looking for you!

Let's Talk Science (www.letstalkscience.ca) is a national not-for-profit organization that pairs university student volunteers with educators across Canada. We are looking for senior undergraduate, graduate and vet student volunteers who can spend 10 hours each year (only 5 hours/semester) volunteering with youth in Guelph and the surrounding area. Though our volunteers are predominantly science, engineering, or math graduate students, all disciplines are welcome! (This means YOU social science students!) 

There are many diverse opportunities for involvement, and our volunteers have many opportunities to develop their communication, presentation and teaching skills (always a bonus for adding to your CV!) in both local and rural/remote communities. Most volunteers engage students with hands-on science activities from our pre-made "kits", but you can also develop and design your own modules around your area of study or special interest, helping to add to our catalog of available activities.

Examples of recent activities include a visit to a Grade 2 class for a Plants & Pollinators game, a competition to build chain-reaction Rube Goldberg machines in a Grade 7 class, monthly library visits for kids' science programs like our Crime Scene Investigator mystery and Chemistry Magic Show, giving a talk at a Philosophy symposium or presenting your research in a Poster Presentation at Science Rendezvous.

 To learn more, come out to one of our 20 minute info sessions in the Science Complex Room 1511: 

Thursday, September 12th, 2013 at 5 pm

Thursday, September 19th, 2013 at 5 pm

 If you're already convinced,  and want to volunteer, you'll first have to attend an orientation and training session. Please RSVP to uguelph@letstalkscience.ca for one of the following training sessions in the Science Complex Room 1511:

Thursday, September 12th, 2013 from 5:30-7:30 pm

Thursday, September 19th, 2013 from 5:30-7:30 pm

Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
in the Science Complex Room 1511

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the University of Guelph Let's Talk Science coordinators, Nancy and Ann at uguelph@letstalkscience.ca. To learn more about who we are and what we do at the University of Guelph, please check out our website at www.letstalkscience.ca/uguelph.

Cheers!

Ann & Nancy

New Year, New Coordinator, New Volunteers.. Same Fun!

Can you believe that it's already September?!? The new school year is ready to start, and Let's Talk Science at the U of G is ramping up for another super fun, super successful year!

We have grown from one coordinator to two! This year, Linda will be joined by a second PhD student from the U of G, Amanda, who will help out with connecting volunteers to teachers and educators! Amanda is also heading up an amazing DNA Barcoding activity (more on that another day!). 

This fall, we are offering several information and training sessions to help bring new graduate students into the program! The information sessions are an optional way for you to learn a little bit more about the program and what we are looking for volunteers to commit to. Attendance at a training session is MANDATORY before we can let you go out into classrooms and community groups!

Information sessions will be held:

Tuesday, September 13th at 2:00pm in the GreenhouseCafe, Bovey Bldg.

Tuesday,September 20th at 4:30 pm in 1800 Pathobiology

Thursday, October 6th at 4:30 pm in 1714Lifetime Learning Centre

Monday, October17th at 4:30 pm in 1714Lifetime Learning Centre

Training sessions will be held:

Tuesday, September 20th from 5-8 pm in 1800 Pathobiology

Thursday, October 6th from 5-8 pm in 1714Lifetime Learning Centre

Monday, October17th from 5-8 pm in 1714Lifetime Learning Centre 

I hope you can join us for another awesome year!

Let's Talk Science Training Session

If you are a veterinary student, or a graduate student in science, math, or engineering, we'd love to have you as a Let's Talk Science volunteer! If you're interested, please attend this semester's training session, which will be held on Thursday, January 20th at 6pm in 1714 OVC. There will be FREE FOOD!!!! so please RSVP to uguelph@letstalkscience.ca if you are planning to attend!

Hope to see you there!