STEM Workshops
ECSD students are diving deeper into science, technology, engineering, and math. Students at all grade levels are participating in virtual workshops led by the organization Scientists in Schools which is meant to build critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills through fun and relevant lessons and hands-on experiments, with the hope of inspiring a love of science.
Scientists in Schools has been around for more than three decades but only recently expanded into Edmonton. Its scientists, science technologists, and educators are working with five ECSD schools this year:
- St. Jerome Catholic Elementary School
- St. Angela Catholic Elementary School
- St. Richard Catholic Elementary School
- St. Vincent Catholic Elementary School
- St. Catherine Catholic Elementary/Junior High School
At St. Jerome Catholic Elementary School, students are learning how things wiggle, roll, and fly. They are learning how to fly over a rainbow into the world of colours or find wonder at their fingertips by exploring their senses. Some are investigating invertebrates or creating their own concoctions. Others are engineering structures and putting them to the test, while some are uncovering and exploring the mysteries of the machines they already use every day. Some students are investigating mysteries using chemistry and crystallization as others explore and soar by learning how the properties of air and Newton’s third law allow for flight!
Each workshop is delivered by a highly trained presenter, serving as a passionate and knowledgeable role model for the next generation. The workshops are designed and offered to help students gain STEM skills and confidence to empower them to explore their scientific interests.
About 50%-75% of future jobs are predicted to be in a STEM-related field. Unfortunately, students that lost interest and confidence in science and math will do so by Grade 5. Building and empowering confidence in STEM skills are instrumental in furthering students’ desire for discovery and innovation.
The Scientists in Schools workshops were made possible thanks to grants from the Edmonton Community Foundation, Saint John’s Legacy Foundation, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC).
Edmonton Catholic Schools has offered exceptional Green STEM programming at the elementary level for many years and is expanding to Our Lady of Mount Carmel this fall. We are also introducing a new STEM program at Louis St. Laurent Catholic JH/SH School called Spark Academy.