The wonders and excitement of science came alive for students in the North Island when Science World’s touring science team visited the region.
The On the Road program aims to bring Vancouver’s Science World experience to communities outside of the lower mainland in an effort to pique student’s interest in scientific curiosity and boost science literacy.
“You’ll notice our shirts say Science World British Columbia, not Science World Vancouver,” said science team member Nicola Grice, during the presentation at Eagle View Elementary School in Port Hardy on Dec. 6. “ We are actually going around the province visiting awesome guys like yourselves, bringing our experiments to you.”
The presentation for grades four to seven was called the “Earth Wind and Science Show” featuring many experiments about weather systems which gave student volunteers hands-on experience with experiments involving fire and electricity.
“We will be doing experiments that have an air of danger to them but we want you to be safe so please make sure no one crosses this white line,” said science team member Parker McLean at the beginning of the demonstration.
In its first seven years under Provincial Government funding, the On the Road program reached more than 1.3 million British Columbians, including more than one million students in schools K–12. The On the Road team made more than 1,000 visits to communities large and small across BC. The program went on a three-year hiatus beginning in 2012 due to lack of funding, but was relaunched in 2015.
This year the program was funded in Partnership with BC Hyrdro. Community representatives from BC Hydro give special electrical safety demonstrations at the beginning of each presentation.
BC Hydro representatives spoke to the students at Eagle View about how electricity works and what you need to remember if you see a fallen power line.
Science World On the Road visits over 30,000 students each year at schools outside the Lower Mainland providing high energy gymnasium presentations, which are curriculum linked and provide an unforgettable science experience for your students. The On the Road team will spend two weeks of December visiting North Island Schools. The first week, between Dec. 5 - 8, was spent in Port Hardy at Fort Rupert Elementary, Eagle View Elementary, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw School, and Avalon Adventurist Junior Academy. The second week, between Dec. 11 - 14, they will visit Cheslakees Elementary, T’lisalagi’lakw School, Alert Bay Elementary, A J Elliot, and North Island Secondary School.
