Science Rocks the North
Today’s students will be the future leaders of First Nation communities. We hope to ignite an interest in science at a young age in order to develop the skills to make informed decisions for generations to come.
Science Rocks the North: The Youth In Science Opportunity Program (YSOP)
The Youth in Science Opportunity Program (YSOP) supports teachers in encouraging interest in the environment and natural sciences among school children in remote northern Ontario communities. YSOP brings exciting, exploratory, hands-on activities that are done both in a lab setting and in the field.
With programming for students from kindergarten to grade 12, YSOP activities aim to allow students to explore science. Over a day or two, students have the opportunity to participate in a number of activities including topics such as chemistry, biology, environmental and earth sciences.
Hands-on science
Students use the same equipment that our scientists use at the University like multimeters to measure water quality, microscopes to identify insects and nets to sample zooplankton. The specimens that are analyzed typically come from the communities themselves and include insects, plants, lichens, fossils, bones and more.
Microscopes attached to iPads also let students look at the details of specimens. Taking technology one step further, students are able to use iPads or iPhones with a thermal camera that shows where heat is coming from and measure the temperature of the environment and the life around them. Other activities include sea level rise, ocean acidification, lake stratification demonstrations, and more.
The Outreach and Engagement group is lead by Chantal Sarrazin-Delay and Dr. David Pearson.
For more information on youth engagement and our Youth in Science Opportunity Program, please contact:
Chantal Sarrazin-Delay
705-675-1151 ext. 4451
