21–26 Jun 2026
U. Ottawa - Learning Crossroads (CRX) Building
America/Toronto timezone
Welcome to the 2026 CAP Congress Program website! / Bienvenue au siteweb du programme du Congrès de l'ACP 2026!

Tomorrow’s scientists: How a new program at SNOLAB is engaging youth in STEM

22 Jun 2026, 14:45
15m
U. Ottawa - Learning Crossroads (CRX) Building

U. Ottawa - Learning Crossroads (CRX) Building

100 Louis-Pasteur Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 9N3
Oral (Non-Student) / Orale (non-étudiant(e)) Physics Education / Enseignement de la physique (DPE-DEP) (DPE) M2-7 Student-centered education | Éducation centrée sur l'élève (DEP)

Speakers

Blaire Flynn (SNOLAB) Rachel Richardson (SNOLAB)

Description

Developing scientific inquiry skills in elementary and middle school students is critical for fostering long-term engagement with science and building scientific literacy in the next generation. With support from NSERC PromoScience funding, the SNOLAB education team has developed a new program for students in Grades 4–8 that emphasizes authentic, hands-on learning connected to Canada’s deep underground science laboratory.

This program introduces students to the scientific method and the world of research by guiding them through six sessions designed for in-person or virtual classroom delivery. Students learn about asking testable questions, designing experiments, interpreting results, and communicating what they found. The proposed session will present a program overview, share the initial outcomes from the pilot of the program, and discuss plans for intentional program expansion.

Session participants will be invited to take part in group learning opportunities, discussions on the value of early education programming to the field of physics, and how physicists can support inquiry-based science education at the elementary and middle school levels.

Keyword-1 STEM education
Keyword-2 K-12 education
Keyword-3 physics outreach

Authors

Blaire Flynn (SNOLAB) Rachel Richardson (SNOLAB)

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.