The Annual Let's Talk Science Challenge at the University of Guelph

Friday, April 25, 2014 was the fourth annual 

Let's Talk Science Challenge at the University of Guelph

The Let’s Talk Science Challenge is a free science enrichment event for Grades 6-8 students across Canada. This event includes an exciting question and answer competition followed by a hands‑on design challenge that inspires students to acquire science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) knowledge beyond their curriculum. To prepare for the question and answer competition, teams of two to four students study from the 2014 Let’s Talk Science Challenge Handbook, which was released in January, and covers a breadth and depth of science material that goes far beyond the school curriculum. At the end of the day, the winners are celebrated, presented with medals, and crowned the 2014 Let’s Talk Science Challenge Champions.

The University of Guelph’s Let’s Talk Science Challenge brought 30 teams of 2-4 students plus parent volunteers and teachers to campus for the day. We also had seventeen Let’s Talk Science volunteers and three coordinators helping with everything from judging and score keeping to taking photographs and distributing awards. Teams were encouraged to dress in costumes or wear matching team-ware as a we'd award a SPIRIT Award at the end of the day along with prizes for the top 3 teams.

Special Guest Speaker Dr. Cecelia Paine, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, welcomed the students to the University of Guelph campus during the Opening Ceremonies and offered up a bit of history of her career from small farm to academia. She also acted as our ceremonial Quiz Master, asking the first five questions of the Let's Talk Science Challenge Quiz session. Many thanks to Cecelia for making their welcome so special!

During the lunch break, participants were offered tours of the engineering building roof & wind turbine as well as a preview of the WindENG program. 

Thanks to the School of Engineering for making this possible!

While final scores were tallied, Jamie Doran, Entrepreneur, Big Thinker, Musician, Geek & COO of Innovation Guelph, regaled the audience with some bits of wisdom learned on his varied career adventure. Thanks Jamie!

Thanks to 3M for donating all the Let's Talk Science Design Challenge supplies to the National Office, and to the University of Guelph Bookstore for donating 16 reusable grocery bags for the winners' prize packs.

Check out some of our photos of the Challenge Day below! 

Photos complements of our 3 volunteer photographers: 

Alex Swirski, Jessica Nelson and Keith Poore.

The Quiz Challenge!

The Design Challenge!

The Victors!

Spirit Award Kortright Team 1 from Kortright Hills Public School, Guelph	3rd Place Wildcats from Willow Road Public School, Guelph
2nd Place The Return of the Protons from Waverley Drive PS, Guelph	2014 Let's Talk Science Challenge Champions! Not So Average Joes Team 1 from Laurel Wood PS, Waterloo

The team of volunteers that helped us pull it all off!

(and yes, almost everyone is looking at the other camera! LOL)

Let's Talk Science at Guelph Activities Nominees and Finalists for National Awards

Congratulations to some of our volunteers who were nominated for national Let's Talk Science Awards!

Read the official National Office announcement and story here

The National Let's Talk Science Volunteer of the Year Award

This award recognizes volunteers that have shown outstanding innovation, communication and a commitment to science outreach and education, whether at a Let’s Talk Science Outreach site or by volunteering directly with the Let’s Talk Science national office.

Nominee: Alexandra Swirski

Nominee: Kate Williams

Nominee: Kayla Skubowius

You can read more about Alex and Kate in our other blog post: 

http://ltsatuog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/happy-national-volunteer-week.html

A feature post about Kayla will be coming soon!

The Canadian Institute of Health Research-Synapse Award
The annual CIHR-Synapse Award recognizes an outstanding and innovative health research-related activity done by a Let's Talk Science volunteer(s). The activity for which they are nominated must relate to health research, but the volunteers do not have to be registered in a health-related program at their post-secondary institution. They must have also been trained using Science with Impact^®.

Finalist: Kaitlyn Roke & Maude Perreault 

were finalists for the 2014 CIHR-Synapse Award for their Let's Talk Nutrition activity.

You can read more about their nomination and activity in the @Guelph story.

http://atguelph.uoguelph.ca/2014/05/nutrition-workshop-aimed-at-making-healthy-choices/

Finalist: Keith Poore 

was also a finalist for this award for his statistics based disease propagation activity, 

which will be appearing in our catalogue of available activities in Fall 2014.

Kaitlyn, Maude and Keith were beat out by Jovian Tsang, a volunteer from the Let's Talk Science at the University of Ottawa site. His activity was based on designing a vaccine to save the world from the spread of the zombie-virus.

Congratulations everyone!

And thanks for all your hard work!

Happy National Volunteer Week!

It's National Volunteer Week, and I'd like to take a moment and recognize a few of our outstanding volunteers!!!

These volunteers are so stellar, we nominated each of them for a National Let's Talk Science award!

Kate Bishop Williams  (Nominated: National Volunteer of the Year Award)

Kate is definitely one of our most dedicated, flexible and all-round wonderful volunteers! If you're looking for an experienced, enthusiastic volunteer to run an activity in your classroom, Kate's your girl! She brings her wealth of experience working with kids and her enthusiasm for teaching and scientific communication to every activity she runs -- and it shows! Educators have nothing but good things to say after Kate visits their classroom, and the kids can't stop asking when she'll be back! Thanks KATE!! :)

Q . What are you studying and what have you studied in the past?
A. I am currently finishing my MSc in Epidemiology. I completed an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences. In September I will begin my PhD in Epidemiology!

Q . What has been your favourite part of volunteering (or what is the best activity that you've done so far)?
A. I love the opportunity to work with kids! I used to teach swimming lessons and I gave that up when I started grad school. Now I have the opportunity to work with children again, teach something that I love and hopefully inspire a few bright young minds to consider a career in science. What could be more fun!?

Q. Why did you become a Let's Talk Science volunteer?

A. I became a let's Talk Science volunteer for a number of reasons! The main reasons were to work with kids, teach science and meet other graduate students at my university. The somewhat more selfish reasons that are still valid are to build my CV, learn how to communicate science and my research to a different group and build teaching experience. But in the end, I have stayed a volunteer because I LOVE working with LTS at the University of Guelph!

Q. What are your goals for the future?

A. My goals for the future are to start my PhD in September and complete it in 4 years or less. I would like to continue to volunteer with LTS, continue to work as a teaching assistant and maybe even as a sessional instructor! In the end, I would like to be a professor of epidemiology or of climate change and health.


Alex Swirski  (Nominated: National Volunteer of the Year Award)
Alex was a brand new addition to our Let's Talk Science Outreach program in September, but what a great addition to our team! Alex brings enthusiasm to every activity, and she has a great rapport with kids of all ages! Despite only joining the team in September, she quickly became one of our most active volunteers, heading to both local AND rural schools to run hands-on/minds-on activities with kids! Thanks ALEX! :D

Q . What are you studying and what have you studied in the past?
A. My undergraduate degree was in microbiology. I am currently studying epidemiology, looking at how season influences water contamination with Giardia spp. and the impact of season on the incidence of human cases of giardiasis.

Q . What has been your favourite part of volunteering (or what is the best activity that you've done so far)?
A. I love getting kids excited about science! My favourite part of volunteering is when we do the wrap up at the end of the activity and the kids tell you about their favourite part and what part they are going to tell their parents about when they go home. I love seeing the excitement that comes from learning something cool and new.

Q. Why did you become a Let's Talk Science volunteer?

A. My friend suggested that I try it out and I am very glad I did!

Q. What are your goals for the future?

A. I am still trying to figure that out for myself! However, I would love to work for the World Health Organization and help with disease eradication and                                                                                       vaccination programmes.


Keith Poore  (Nominated: CIHR-Synapse Award)
Keith was another new addition to our team in September. He quickly distinguished himself as a dependable volunteer who was willing to help out wherever we needed help most. Within a couple months, he was already offering to design a brand new activity (a disease propagation activity for grades 6+ that you'll see featured on our blog over the summer). For his work in developing this Health-based activity, we nominated him for the CIHR-Synapse Award. Thanks KEITH!

Q . What are you studying and what have you studied in the past?
A. I am currently in my second year of my MSc. in Biophysics. I did my BSc. in Medical Physics at Ryerson University.

Q . What has been your favourite part of volunteering (or what is the best activity that you've done so far)?
A. I like to help others, whether it be learning something new and exciting or just lending a helping hand. When volunteering through Let's Talk Science, I really enjoy the eureka moments students have when they understand a new concept.

Q. Why did you become a Let's Talk Science volunteer?

A. I heard really great things about LTS, from friends who had volunteered. I also like to teach science (at any level), so it seemed like a great opportunity.

Q. What are your goals for the future?

A. I am currently running for Guelph City Council. I also want to do a PhD in either Biophysics, Biomathematics, or Applied Mathematics.

Our Fantastic College Royal Exhibit! (Saturday & Sunday, March 15 & 16, 2014)

Our College Royal Display was a huge success, attracting over 700 visitors, both young and young at heart!

We had a silly putty making station, a magic milk painting station, model lung systems, some chemistry magic show demonstrations, tornadoes in bottles, and some very cool specimens (mouse ovary and brain cells, garlic and leaf cells, dog hair) to look at under microscopes.

 Making Silly Putty!!!

!

Checkin' out some brain    Literally burning money!       A room full of          

cells under a microscope           (...or were we...?)         volunteers and visitors!

  Our coordinators aren't afraid to get their hands dirty for the sake of a demonstration!
(Nancy & Miyuki preparing the silly putty ingredients.)

March STEM Madness! Upcoming Community Activities

Our fantastic Let's Talk Science volunteers at the University of Guelph will be crazy busy over March Break in local and rural communities, bringing hands on science to all ages of youth (and even their parents!)

Come join us at one of the events below!

Date: Saturday, March 8th

Activity: Hands On Science: Robert Munsch 50 Below Zero Activity (Ages 4-6)

Location: Guelph Public Library Main Branch

Time: 1:30-2:20 pm

Contact: Andrea Curtis at the Guelph Public Library

http://ltsatuog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/march-break-launch-of-our-second-robert.html

Date: Sunday, March 9th

Activity: Hands On Science: Matter Matters (Ages 7-12)

Location: Bruce County Public Library in Kincardine

Time: 1:30-3 pm

Contact: Carolyn McKeeman at the Kincardine Library (519-396-3289)

Date: Wednesday, March 12th

Activity: Chemistry Magic Show (All ages!)

Location: Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in Southhampton

Time: 15 min shows from 1-3 pm

Contact: Christine Schmidt at the BCM&CC (519-797-2080 ext. 104)   

Date: Wednesday, March 12th

Activity: Hands On Science: Robert Munsch 50 Below Zero Activity (Ages 4-6)

Location: Guelph Public Library East Side Branch

Time: 2:30-3:30

Contact: Andrea Curtis at the Guelph Public Library

http://ltsatuog.blogspot.ca/2014/01/march-break-launch-of-our-second-robert.html

Date: Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16

Activity: Hands On Science at College Royal Open House Weekend (All ages!)

Location: University of Guelph campus (Science Complex, Room 1504)

Time: Sat (9am - 5 pm), Sun (9am - 4pm)

Contact: Let's Talk Science at the University of Guelph (uguelph@letstalkscience.ca)

http://www.collegeroyalsociety.com/open-house.html

** This is one of our biggest 'displays' of the year! College Royal Open House is the largest university run open house in North America, and about 20,000 people visit campus over the weekend to watch tractor pulls, tour labs, do hands on activities -- pretty much anything you can think of! Let's Talk Science run a room of activities for all ages, young and young at heart alike! Come by to chat with a scientist, talk to the Let's Talk Science coordinators, or just try out our fun science demonstrations! **