Science in the Schools

Terry Hudson is a microbiologist and the outreach and development specialist for the organization Science in the Schools.  She had some experiments that are used in the class room that are simple but effective in teaching young people.  She had Aaron try to blow up a long balloon and he couldn't do it - but she held the balloon up and with one breath created a low pressure area that created an air current that filled it.  Appreciating and understanding the world around us is the foundation of science and the organization tries to foster innovation in youth.

Their mission is to engage children to enquire and to excite them and develop interest them in science as a career.  Their vision is every child engaged in doing in a relevant and fun way.

They try to show the marvel of existence and give kids an opportunity to flourish.

It was started by two mothers in Ajax who took workshops to 40 classrooms and the demand grew.  The registered as a charity in 1999 and are now moving into Alberta.  They have visited with 7 million students so far.  Starting in kindergarten with sessions like Never Say Ugh to a Bug and with hands on sessions geared to all grades they try to connect kids to the real world and to develop their skill sets.  The programs are delivered by experts and the courses support teacher development and can be seen as field trips in the classroom.

Skill levels in Ontario are dropping and are dropping in comparison to other countries like Japan.  Acquisition of these skills through the educational system is vital to deal with modern scientific and moral issues.

They have visited 2,100 schools with 82 different topics discussed reaching 630,000 students a year in 310 communities, including some French ones.  It's a three way partnership between the Community, the Education system and Business that works to develop a trained workforce.  The schools pay a small fee but donations help.  Each session costs $194.00, taxes included.