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real issues real science real rewards

DiscoveryCreate new fundamental knowledge based on your curiosity by asking a question and using the techniques of scientific inquiry to develop an answer.

EnergyImprove our use of current energy sources, enable the transition to alternative energy sources, or reduce our energy footprint.

EnvironmentReduce our impact on, improve our understanding, and ensure the quality of water, air, soil, and the diversity of living things.

HealthIncrease our understanding of the human body, or apply science and technology to improve health, control disease, or support an aging population.

InformationEnhance communication and our use of information using digital and networking technologies, or applications of new media.

InnovationCombine scientific principles with your creativity to develop a new material, structure, device, or system to solve a problem or improve an existing solution.

ResourcesDevelop better ways to use our natural resources that provide sustainable sources of food, products, or prosperity.

Students Tell Us

Top 10 Reasons To Do A Science Project 1. Learn a lot.2. Make friends & contacts.3. Have fun!4. Do real science.5. It’s a great experience!6. Challenge yourself.7. Win cash, trips & scholarships.8. Develop skills like critical thinking, communication & time

management.9. Pursue your own ideas & interests.10. Explore careers in science & engineering.From Youth Science Canada’s survey of 500 Grade 7-12/Cégep student finalists at the 2010 Canada-Wide Science Fair.

In this mailingPlease post or share this newsletter and the contents of this mailing with your students and science colleagues:

Take the Challenge! poster on the Canada-Wide Youth Science Challenges calling on students to do a science project and enter their regional science fair.

Smarter Science / SMARTS insert describing Youth Science Canada’s initiatives for K-12 educators and our online community for young scientists in grades 7-12.

Deep River Science Academy insert inviting applications for Summer 2013 (high schools only)

Canada and the world are facing tough prob-lems. Canadian youth want to make a differ-ence. They know science isn’t easy, but it’s important. We’re challenging them to make their world a better place.

And with nearly $1M in awards, prizes, and scholarships, we’re serious!

The Canada-Wide Youth Science Challenges target seven issues that matter to Canadian youth, the future of the country and the world – Discovery, Energy, Environment, Health, Information, Innovation and Resources.

Challenge your students to use their curiosity and creativity – and the inquiry and critical thinking skills you’re teaching them – to tackle these issues by investigating a question or designing a solution to a problem.

Real science and engineering – real world problems. If “science fair” makes you think volcanoes and solar systems, you couldn’t be more wrong!

This past year:Maya Burhanpurkar, a grade 8 student from Shanty Bay, ON tested the cardiac and gastrointestinal effects of two promising

Alzheimer’s drugs (mela-tonin and alpha lipoic acid) using Daphnia (water fleas) and Lactobacillus (yogurt bacteria).Laurent Joli-Cœur, a Secondary 3 (grade 9) student from Westmount, QC designed, built, and tested a device to prove that light from Jupiter casts a shadow on Earth.Eric LeGresley, a grade 11 student from Chilliwack, BC used advanced computer model-ling and simulation to evaluate prospective anti-influenza drugs.

…the three Platinum Award winners from nearly 500 grade 7-12 students whose Challenge projects competed at the 51st annual Canada-Wide Science Fair in Charlottetown, PEI.

If you’re looking for more student engage-ment, deep and meaningful learning, real-world application, and the opportunity for authentic assessment – challenge your students with a project. We can help:

Find tools, resources and advice about the Canada-Wide Youth Science Challenges and

science projects at if.youthscience.ca and sf.youthscience.ca

Access our inquiry-based Smarter Science® teaching resources at smarterscience.ca

Challenge projects can be entered in over 100 regional fairs, in every province and terri-tory, where students can be selected for the national finals – Canada-Wide Science Fair 2013 – May 11-18 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Find your nearest regional science fair using Fair Locator in the menu at sf.youthscience.ca.

Challenge YOUR students to invent the future.

Photo: Matt Cormier

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Challenging Canadian teachers to engage students in inquiry and critical thinking through science projects and science fairs.

Young Canadians who participate in science fairs have a world of opportunities open to them through Youth Science Canada’s national and international programs.

When grade 7-12/Cégep students enter their project in a regional science fair, they can be

selected to attend the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), where Youth Science Canada awards nearly $1 million in cash, scholarships, trips, scientific experiences and other awards to the best science and technology projects every year.

Over the past year, winning CWSF awards or participating in other Youth Science Canada programs has given Canada’s top high school scientists the opportunity to travel to Slovakia, Sweden, and the USA to represent their country and compete internationally.

International experiences give young scien-tists a chance to benchmark themselves – and their science – against the best in the world. And when they take to the international stage, Canada’s young scientists excel.

Team Canada-ISEF 2012 put on a spectacular performance at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, bringing home a total of 30 awards, including one of two $50,000 Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards presented to the best of the best, three of the seven-teen Best of Category Awards, and four First

Place Grand Awards. Not bad for a team of 18 up against 1500 top young scientists from 70 countries at the world’s largest high school research competition.

Canada’s Young Scientists – Spectacular Results in 2012

Nicholas Schiefer (17) of Pickering, Ontario (at right) led Team Canada-ISEF’s spectacular performance, winning the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award ($50,000), a Best of Category Award ($5,000) and First Place Grand Award ($3,000) in Computer Science, plus five Special Awards. He studied “microsearch,” or the ability to search the fastest-growing information medium – small amounts of content, such as tweets and Facebook status updates – to improve search engines’ capabilities.

Photo: Society for Science and the Public

Laurent Joli-Cœur (15), winner of the Best Project Award at Canada-Wide Science Fair 2012. The Secondary 3 (grade 9) student from Westmount, Québec, also won the Discovery Challenge Award (Intermediate), a Gold Medal, and a university scholarship for his project, “La quête de l’ombre jovienne” (The Quest for Jupiter’s Shadow). Joli-Cœur combined his passions for astronomy and photography to design a method and an instrument to prove that light from the planet Jupiter casts a shadow on Earth – a world first!

Photo: Matt Cormier

Invent the Future is published each fall by Youth Science Canada for Canadian science educators. We engage youth in inquiry and critical thinking through science by: challenging students to do projects; inspiring educators to bring inquiry and project-based science into their classrooms; recognizing youth for achievements in science; providing tools and resources to support inquiry and critical thinking in science; and identifying and supporting youth with the potential for excellence in science. To learn more about our programs, visit youthscience.ca.

CWSF, Smarter Science, and the 5-pointed star are registered trademarks of Youth Science Canada.

National Science & Technology Week science.gc.ca/nstwJoin the

NSTW Guinness World Record Event!On Friday, October 12, your school can help set a new record for the world’s largest science lesson at multiple locations.

Visit science.gc.ca/newrecord to sign up. If you’re a Smarter Science teacher, be sure to click the check box.

October 12-21

Youth Science Canada welcomes new sponsorsIn May, Youth Science Canada was pleased to welcome Research In Motion (RIM) as the new lead sponsor of the

Canada-Wide Science Fair. RIM will be the presenting sponsor of the award ceremony, Innovation Challenge Awards, and the Platinum Awards – including Best Project – for three years, and will host a series of sessions designed to educate participating and visiting students on innovation and technology. “RIM continues to be an inspiration for innovative young Canadians who dream of transforming their ideas into solutions to global challenges and exciting new businesses.” said Reni Barlow, executive director, Youth Science Canada.

Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) sponsored the Canada-Wide Science Fair bronze medals for the first time in 2012.

Microsoft Canada announced a new partnership with Youth Science Canada to launch the Microsoft Canada Alumni Award. The recipient will be a Canada Wide Science Fair alumnus who best personifies excellence in innovation, science and technology in their chosen field. The award will be presented for the first time at CWSF 2013 in Lethbridge, Alberta next May.

Designed for students in grades 7-12, SMARTS connects students to science – and each other. Create a SMARTS group for your school’s science club, or have your students track a science investigation in a project log, or “plog.” See the SMARTS insert with this newsletter for details, or sign up at smarts.youthscience.ca.

Onlinescience community

forstudentsandteachers

Develop your students’ investigation skills AND cover the curriculum – in any grade from K-12. Our Smarter Science professional development workshops and resources show you how. See the Smarter Science insert with this newsletter for details, or visit smarterscience.ca.

InspiredTeachers

StudentsEngaged

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