By Taylor Johnson (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: July 18, 2012
For some students in BC, a trip to Vancouver’s Telus Science World requires hours of travel or expensive flights with hotel costs. This is where Science World’s Outreach program, the “BC Program for the Awareness and Learning of Science” (BC PALS), steps in. Experts took their science show on the road and brought Science World to smaller communities that otherwise couldn’t attend the popular attraction.
After years of joining up with the Ministry of Education, BC’s Liberal Party has cut one million dollars in funding to the Outreach program. Without this vital funding the Outreach program cannot bring science shows into distant classrooms. The lack of funding however has not stopped Science World’s determination. “We are trying to figure out ways around this,” stated Jo-Ann Coggan, Science World’s manager for community engagement. Coggan stated that the Outreach program’s funding cut will take away from small community classrooms: “Our number one goal is to get kids excited, fascinated and discover how science applies to real life jobs.” Science World is currently looking for possible sources of donations and funding in order to sustain the Outreach program.
Over the course of this program’s lifetime it has reached over a thousand classrooms and connected with over a million students, engaging them in science careers and possibly spiking passion for further science education. Science careers are vital to our future, however the interest and desire to go into these careers starts at a young age.
Compounding the possible termination of the Outreach program, Abbotsford’s Community Science Celebration has been cancelled. The week long program featured free hands-on science shows in Abbotsford and Chilliwack. Since the 2010 Olympics this program has brought Vancouver’s Science World temporarily into the Fraser Valley. The event also featured local science-based careers in a career fair setting, allowing students to ask experts questions and possibly gain interest in a career.
Science World is able to support itself by donations, admission charges and memberships. However taking it a step further and going beyond the circular walls of the Vancouver branch requires more funding, funding which was provided by the provincial government until recently. In the economic crunch Science World was not the only program facing a cut back; other education programs, like the Advanced Education program, will also take a hit.
Fortunately, Science World’s presence in the Fraser Valley has not been completely removed by the funding cut. The Super Science Club will remain present in local classrooms. This program receives its funding largely from the school district, community partnerships and is staffed by UFV student volunteers.
