What are we all about?

Science Outreach – Athabasca

20 January 2009

Some people promote sports,

some promote art.We promote science.

Science Outreach – Athabasca

Science Outreach – Athabasca

is an ad hoc subcommittee of theCentre for Science, Athabasca

UniversityAlberta, Canada

1. Promote science in the greater Athabasca area and beyond.

2. Advance knowledge about the Athabasca River Basin.

Objectives of Science Outreach -

Athabasca

1. Greater Athabasca Area

The Greater Athabasca Area includes the towns of Athabasca, Slave Lake, Lac la Biche and Westlock, as well as the settlements within the Aspen View School Division plus Calling Lake

2. Athabasca River Basin The Athabasca River

Basin (ARB) extends from the Rocky Mountains to Lake Athabasca.

Most of the ARB lies within the province of Alberta but the Clearwater tributary extends into Saskatchewan.

Team members, March 2002

Who are we?

biologist

biologist

science teacher

ex-coordinator

coordinator

librarian

retired nurse

web designer

Not In photo:

• retired teacher

• recreation coordinator

1. Public talks and presentations

2. School talks

3. Field trips

4. Traveling exhibits

5. Brochures

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

1. Public talks and presentations – examples of past events

2. School talks

3. Field trips

4. Traveling exhibits

5. Brochures

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

Public talks and presentations: Speaker

Series

Terry Thormin, Royal Alberta Museum

John Acorn, “The Nature Nut”

Marc Garneau, Honorary Doctorate of Athabasca University

Joan Galat,Dot to Dot Books

Elston Dzus, Alberta Pacific Forest Industries

Public talks and presentations:

• 2003 “Lord of the Benzene Rings “ >600

people

• 2001 “Lab Survivor” >400 people

Chemistry Magic Shows

• 2005 “CHEM TV”

>600 people

Public talks and presentations:

Karvonen Nature Film Festivals

In cooperation with Crooked Creek Conservancy Society of Athabasca

2005 >1,000 people

2006 > 1,200 people

Public talks and presentations:

Athabasca River Basin Conference In cooperation

with Athabasca Peace Initiative, Crooked Creek Conservancy Society of Athabasca, and Athabasca University

2007, >480 people over three days

1. Public talks and presentations

2. School talks – mainly in Aspen View School District

3. Field trips

4. Traveling exhibits

5. Brochures

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

In Town of Athabasca: Athabasca Playschool Athabasca Day Care EPC (high school) Landing Trail Whispering Hills

Also in: Boyle Grassland Hutterite Colony Lac la Biche Rochester Smith

School talks

Children of Athabasca play school looking at live tarantula

1. Public talks and presentations

2. School talks

3. Field trips – for general public and schools

4. Traveling exhibits

5. Brochures

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

Since 1999

2001: highest attendance in Alberta (out of 40 such counts)

Field trips:

Athabasca

Butterfly Counts

Helped advertise counts for Athabasca, Lac La Biche and Slave Lake

Helped run counts in Athabasca

Field trips: Christmas Bird Counts

Field trips: Science Day Camps

In cooperation with: Athabasca Regional Recreation

Junior Forest Wardens

Youth Apprenticeship Spring Camp, Lac la Biche

1. Public talks and presentations

2. School talks

3. Field trips

4. Traveling exhibits – We borrow from others as well as make our own.

5. Brochures

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

Traveling exhibits: Science Alberta

Foundation

“Murder in a Minor Key”, Canada Day 2003, Athabasca

“Jungle Fever”, 2002, Athabasca

Travelling exhibits: Telus World of Science (formerly Odyssium)

“Night Sky"and planetarium; various physics demonstrations

January 2002, 200 people in Athabasca; September-October 2003, 1200 students in Athabasca and Smith

Traveling Exhibits: Canadian Museum of

Nature

Mineral exhibit

February 2002, 350 students in Athabasca

Traveling exhibits: Science Outreach -

Athabasca “Mollusks: Snails, Clams

and Squids” and “Birds of the Boreal Forest”

Various libraries and 14 schools of Aspen View School District

Traveling exhibits: Science Outreach -

Athabasca “Extinct and Extant Bison

Skulls”

County of Athabasca and Athabasca library

Traveling exhibits: Science Outreach -

Athabasca We made 25

junior & 25 senior back packs with various science activities

Distributed by libraries, schools and parks; given out at talks

Canada Day events

Various open houses

Traveling exhibits: Information Displays about Science Outreach – Athabasca

1. Public talks and presentations

2. School talks

3. Field trips

4. Traveling exhibits

5. Brochures- also available on our web site

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

Butterflies, dragonflies, birds and mammals of the greater Athabasca area

In cooperation with Crooked Creek Conservancy Society of Athabasca and others

Brochures

1. Public talks and presentations

2. School talks

3. Field trips

4. Traveling exhibits

5. Brochures

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

Interpretive signs: Fossils

Fossil clams and snails at Athabasca University, Athabasca

Interpretive

signs: Athabasca River Basin Riverfront Park,

Athabasca

Includes aspects of: astronomy, biology, geography, meteorology

Interpretive signs: Arthropod Mobile

Formerly at Athabasca University, Athabasca

1. Public talks and presentations

2. School talks

3. Field trips

4. Traveling exhibits

5. Brochures

6. Interpretive signs

7. Web site

Activities

Web site: Home Page http://scienceoutreach.ab.ca

Web site: Kids’ Pages http://scienceoutreach.ab.ca

Web site: Public Participation

Pages

Web page: Resource Pages

http://scienceoutreach.ab.ca Web links for parents and teachers

Spreadsheets for Athabasca University collections, e.g. plants, birds, mammals

Electronic copies of brochures

Data on Athabasca River Basin , especially bibliography

“Have science, will travel”

1. Science Outreach - Athabasca

2. Telus World of Science, Edmonton

3. Xxx, Toronto

4. Xxx, Waterloo

5. Xxx, Montreal

6. Xxx, Corner Brook

Map modified from: University of Illinois, Physics Van web page:

http://van.physics.uiuc.edu/k12/map.php?map=CANADA

Science Outreach – Athabasca is one of the few science outreach programs that

regularly goes outside of its institution’s walls

Accomplishments of Science Outreach -

Athabasca Between 2001 and 2008,

250 activities

in 19 communities

to over 17,000 children and adults

Year

Public talks and presentations

School talks Field trips Travelling exhibits Major events (>80 attendees)

Total Events

# Attend. # Attend. # Attend. # Attend. # Attend.

2001 2 158 9 179 4 79 1 450 5 428 21

2002 2 40 5 180 4 61 7 280 7 1050 25

2003 6 261 4 165 6 212 2 200 11 2083 29

2004 6 255 4 53 10 158 3 350 6 1166 29

2005 5 256 9 336 10 272 11 842 4 958 39

2006 7 481 7 331 8 120 7 1079 8 165 37

2007 8 503 9 250 1 8 5 584 6 731 29

2008 11 423 13 203 4 90 11 1659 0 0 39

Totals 47 2377 60 1697 47 1000 47 5444 47 6581 248

Summary of events conducted by Science Outreach – Athabasca. # = number of events, Attend. = attendance, Major events = special speakers, chemistry shows, film festivals, conference). These figures exclude work with our web site, brochures, signage and organizational meetings.

Work in Progress More public and school talks and presentations

Bibliography of the Athabasca River Basin (present count >11,000 science publications)

Updating and improving of web site

Athabasca University, 2001-present Alberta Science and Research Investments Program (ASRIP), 2001-2004

National Sciences and Engineering Research Council - PromoScience, 2004-2007

Suncor Energy Foundation, 2008-2010 Alberta Culture and Community Spirit: Communities Initiative Program, 2008-2010

Alberta Pacific Forest Industries, 2008-2010

Major Funding Sources ($15,000+)

County of Athabasca

Athabasca area businesses Buy Low Foods

Extra Foods

Miller Western Industries

Super 8 Motel

Town of Athabasca

Public donations

Smaller Funding Sources

Centre for Science Office of the Vice President, Academic Computing Services Research Centre Financial Services Public Affairs Facilities

Help and cooperation from Athabasca

University

Crooked Creek Conservancy Society of Athabasca Aspen View School District Athabasca Regional Recreation Junior Forest Wardens Athabasca Peace Initiative Canada World Youth Athabasca Native Friendship Center Many volunteers from the local community

Telus World of Science (Odyssium) Science Alberta Foundation Canadian Museum of Nature Royal Alberta Museum

Help and cooperation from:

Thank you for your support for:

Science Outreach - Athabasca

Attending our events Visiting our web site Volunteer work Writing letters of support for our funding applications

Financial and in-kind contributions