Where to find scientists in school

Three students correct Steven Price’s suggestions about which mouse bones were discovered in an owl’s pellet.  (Photo credit – Hester Fuchs/Scientists in School)
The occasion was the Hamilton, Ontario open house for Scientists in School, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to sparking curiosity for science in elementary students by getting their hands dirty in experiments.  And dirty we got, finding mouse bones in that pellet, eventually taping nearly a full skeleton of bones to an index page of simple drawings, showing leg bone, pelvis, backbone and so forth.  Kids really like finding the jaw bones full of tiny teeth.
For a couple of hours, a dull roar filled the gymnasium of Westwood Public School, as kids dashed from table to table, looking in microscopes at pond water, shining flashlights down fibre optic cables, and making batteries from salt water and pennies.  The interactive displays are a taste of Scientists in Schools’ menu of half-day classroom workshops, delivered by hundreds of scientist leaders.  But to be sure, it’s the students who are the “Scientists” in School.
Helping expand and enrich the educational curriculum, the workshops delight the students, as well as parent volunteers who help out in the class.  Last year, Scientists in School reached 600,000 students in over 20,000 workshops, across some 30 boards of education.  Both Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, were in attendance at the open house, key partners announcing their support publicly.  The Ontario Trillium Foundation has provided a generous grant for the region.
An interest in science helps develop an inquiring mind.  By 2050, society needs to have tackled the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, of overharvesting 75% of all seafood species, and of food production and distribution for 9 billion earthlings.  Inquiring minds we need, indeed.
I’ve left full disclosure for last.  My day job is Conservation Science Director for WWF-Canada, where we believe that science forms the foundation for sustainability and that awareness and education guide citizens, business and government to responsible action.  My evening “job” is a volunteer one, with a science-based educational organization.  I proudly chair the board of directors for Scientists in School and have volunteered with the board for eight years now.  I believe everyone would benefit by finding the volunteer role that suits their interests and time – I’ve found mine.