Tag Archives: Canada National Science and Technology Week (NSTW)

Science Odyssey replaces National Science and Technology Week (Canada)

Canada’s National Science and Technology Week was a ten-day (yes, not a week) affair held annually in October. At one time, it had some decent funding but over the years (under Liberal and Conservative governments) that funding became less adequate. So, I’m delighted to see the current government has decided to pump some new life into the effort, which has been rebranded as Science Odyssey and is taking place from May 6 – May 15, 2016. Here’s more from the event’s homepage (you can find links to event(s) taking place in your community there),

Embark with us on a Science Odyssey, a collaborative event geared to engage and inspire Canadians of all ages with accomplishments and activities in science, technology and engineering and mathematics.

Science Odyssey brings together a series of fun activities across the country from Friday, May 6 to Sunday, May 15, 2016. Events go from science-to-the –streets celebrations, to visits to labs, science fairs, talks and conferences, school field trips, encounters with researchers and scientists, museums and science centres special exhibits, community organizations hosting scientific events, online activities, and much more.

What is Science Odyssey?

Science Odyssey evolved from the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) to a celebration of science from the whole of Canada’s prolific scientific community.

Events will come from federal government scientific research and technological initiatives; it will also serve as an occasion to showcase the excellence in science, technology and engineering housed at Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics; it is also an opportunity to highlight the work of many other institutions, community organizations and groups dedicated to science promotion activities.

Science Odyssey is a collaborative event led by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) in collaboration with many other federal departments and agencies and community organizations.

A May 6, 2016 NSERC news release provides some information about funding,

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, announced $4.8 million dollars in awards today for 43 recipients to be supported by the PromoScience program, which enables science outreach across Canada. The announcement was made at the Canadian Association of Science Centres annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. The program provides funding to science centres, day camps, after-school programs, science outreach organizations, networks and more to support youth engagement in science

Minister Duncan, along with Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), made the announcement at the start of ScienceOdyssey, a 10-day national celebration of science-based activities and events across Canada. The focus of Science Odyssey is to showcase the wonders of Canadian science, technology, engineering and math to youth and the public at large.

Interestingly, there was another nationwide STEM event taking place. Science Rendezvous was held on Saturday, May 7, 2016. They seem to have allied themselves with Science Odyssey (listed as a sponsor), from the ScienceRendezvous homepage,

Science Rendezvous is an annual festival that takes science out of the lab lab and onto the street! We work with Canada’s top research institutes to present a coast-to-coast open house and festival that is  for everyone. With over 300 events across 30 cities and 1000’s of mind-blowing activities, Science Rendezvous is Canada’s largest celebration of the amazing feats of science and engineering happening right here at home.

In 2015, more than 200,000 attendees participated in our unique brand of hands-on science, a new landmark for such events in Canada.

Science Rendezvous is the only organization that generates this level of public engagement with science, and direct face-to-face involvement with those at the very frontiers of innovation.

I’m glad to see more science outreach.