Science Expo held its Fall Info Night last Tuesday at Earl Haig Secondary School, attracting science lovers from all over the city. Student speakers at the event introduced multiple opportunities in “STEM” fields—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
The two-hour session featured enrichment opportunities including the Canadian Youth Scientist Journal, a national research publication. Participating students collaborate with PhD graduates to conduct and publish original scientific research. The journal comes out three times every year, and offers a variety of awards and scholarships. Other opportunities featured at the conference included the DaVinci Engineering Enrichment Program and the Canada Wide Science Fair.
A spaghetti and marshmallow tower build-off followed the evening’s presentations.
Another speaker focused on Shad Valley, a month-long enrichment camp in July. Twelve university campuses across Canada take part every summer, opening campuses to students in grades ten through twelve. Participants meet university professors, like-minded peers, fresh ideas, internships, and other academic opportunities. Focusing on STEM fields as well as entrepreneurship and leadership, students participate in lectures and workshops. Aside from the academic components, Shad Valley also offers a variety of recreational activities, including water rafting or tours around the city. At the end of the four-week program, students receive a monthbook (like a yearbook, but for the month), and membership in the Shad Club to keep in touch with friends.
An engineering workshop followed the presentations. Students formed groups to build towers out of marshmallows, raw spaghetti, and tape. The challenge was to assemble the tallest, most structurally sound construction possible. Science Expo Ambassador Jinyin Chen tells The Reckoner that events like these are “great opportunities to meet new people while demonstrating our passion for STEM.”
But awards and scholarships aside, it’s all about science in the end. As Science Expo Ambassador Lyon Qiao puts it, “Science is not about the awards; it’s about the learning.”
