Report to Sponsors & Partners

Transcription

1 Report to Sponsors & Partners 2011

2 Thank You to Our Sponsors INVENTORS/INVENTEURS DEVELOPERS/DÉVELOPPEURS EXPLORERS/EXPLORATEURS MOTIVATORS/MOTIVATEURS Actuarial Foundation of Canada Cangene Corporation Engineers Canada Ontario Power Generation FRIENDS/AMIS Best Buy, Ajax S.M. Blair Family Foundation Canadian Acoustical Association Canadian Association of Physicists Canadian Commission for UNESCO Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science Canadian Society for Senior Engineers Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science (Weizmann Science Canada) Canadian WEF Member Associations, the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, and ITT Water & Wastewater Canada Carlson Wagonlit Travel Dalhousie University Faculty of Science Discovery Channel Lowe s Companies Canada, ULC Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation National Youth Science Forum Australia Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Seneca Residence Staples, Pickering Statistical Society of Canada and Biostatistics Section TCH University of British Columbia (Vancouver) University of Ottawa University of Western Ontario 2 2

3 Introduction Dear sponsors and partners The Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) held in Toronto, Ontario, May 14-21, 2011 celebrated the event s 50th anniversary. The quality of science produced by the 509 finalists was impressive and competition was intense for the nearly $1M (actually $881,900) in awards, scholarships and prizes thanks to the generosity of Youth Science Canada s sponsors and partners. This year we introduced numerous changes: a shorter schedule; a new awards and judging structure; one day of judging instead of two; the Canada-Wide Youth Science Challenges; CWSF Ambassadors; and full implementation of the new division of responsibilities between Youth Science Canada and the local host team. Each CWSF takes on its own particular character, but 2011 will likely be remembered for its classy celebration of the 50th Anniversary and the achievements of the 2011 finalists. The opening ceremony and banquet featured retrospective looks at the decades from the 1960s to the present through historical video, music, dance, and reflections by CWSF alumni. It was identified by the finalists as the most enjoyable activity of the week, followed closely by the awards banquet and dance held at the impressive Liberty Grand on Toronto s waterfront, and the awards ceremony in the spectacular Roy Thomson Hall. The Toronto host team worked tirelessly to ensure that the student finalists and adult delegates enjoyed an outstanding, true Toronto experience, including opportunities to travel downtown by subway, visit the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum, Harbourfront, and the Ontario Science Centre. In 2012, the CWSF will travel to PEI for the first time ever a great way to kick off our next 50 years. As you ll read in this report, the results of our third annual finalist survey confirm that the CWSF remains an outstanding, often life-changing, scientific, cultural and social experience for the young scientists in grades 7-12 who participate. We are pleased to share this report with you and look forward to working with all of our partners and sponsors to build an even better Canada-Wide Science Fair in the future. Reni Barlow Executive Director Youth Science Canada 1550 Kingston Road, Suite 213 Pickering, ON L1V 1C youthscience.ca 3

4 Background Celebrating 50 Years... Youth Science Canada is celebrating 50 years as a leader in engaging and supporting Canada s young scientists, and in recognizing, rewarding and celebrating excellence in science and technology among young Canadians. Youth Science Canada exists so Canadian youth are engaged through science in inquiry and critical thinking. We do this by: engaging youth in science-related activities; ensuring that educators and parents value an inquiry-based approach to science learning; recognizing youth for achievements in science; developing resources and tools to support inquiry and critical thinking in science; and identifying and supporting youth with the potential for excellence in science Of the estimated 500,000 Canadian youth who do a science project in their classroom, at home, or for a school fair, approximately 25,000 go on to participate in one of 102 regional fairs in every province and territory that are affiliated with Youth Science Canada. Each region then selects the finalists it will send on to the national competition the CWSF, held each May, in which 500 of Canada s top young scientists compete for more than 350 awards, prizes and scholarships with a total value of nearly $1 million. Each year, the CWSF also engages 500 academic and private sector scientists, engineers and researchers from the host community as judges. Hundreds more across the country lend their support each year as mentors to students who go on to be CWSF finalists. Nearly 200 delegates, most of whom are teachers, chaperone the finalists and dozens of local volunteers also contribute to a successful CWSF. Youth Science Canada s science fairs program is truly national, and the CWSF is the culmination of a year s worth of effort by approximately 8,000 volunteers working through our affiliated regional organizations and the provincial organizations that support them. This network assures the participation of youth from coast to coast to coast. As a further measure of its national scope, Youth Science Canada has committed to holding the CWSF in a different community each year. In fact the CWSF has been held in eight different provinces over the past ten years. 4

5 By the numbers... Number of finalists CWSF 2011 celebrated its 50th anniversary by being the largest ever and the first with over 500 finalists. We were pleased to welcome back two BC regions North Okanagan/Shuswap and Northern Vancouver Island returning to the CWSF after a ten-year hiatus. Ontario was represented by 200 finalists for the first time with nearly every region sending its maximum allocation the result of direct financial support to regions from the provincial government through Youth Science Canada and Youth Science Ontario. The number of participants in any given year is governed by the allocation of finalists and delegates to the CWSF by Youth Science Canada, which is based on the region s population, as well as the success of each region s and province s fund-raising to cover the cost of sending their allotment continued to be a challenging year for fund-raising, as well as volunteer recruitment at the regional level. Despite the availability of full funding for CWSF travel and registration, two Ontario regions North Channel and Victoria County became inactive this year due to a lack of organizing committee volunteers. Efforts continue, particularly at the provincial level, to develop new regional organizations in unserved areas, and to restart inactive regions. For 2012, we are encouraged by discussions with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations regarding potential affiliation with Youth Science Canada. YEAR HOST CITY TOTAL FINALISTS 2011 Toronto, ON Peterborough, ON Winnipeg, MB Ottawa, ON Truro, NS Saguenay, QC Vancouver, BC St. John s, NL Calgary, AB Saskatoon, SK 447 Winnipeg, Manitoba May 9 17,

6 By the numbers... Finalists by Province and Territory All provinces and territories were represented at CWSF Participation grew by 3% over PROVINCE/TERRITORY Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick 9 9 Newfoundland and Labrador 8 8 Northwest Territories 6 6 Nova Scotia Nunavut 6 6 Ontario Prince Edward Island 5 5 Québec Saskatchewan Yukon 3 3 International Guests: Australia, Mexico, Taiwan (R.O.C) 9 10 Total Finalists by Gender Over the past seven years, the ratio of male to female finalists has reversed. In 2005, 55% of competitors at the CWSF were male. At CWSF 2011, 52% of finalists were female, down slightly from GENDER 2010 % 2011 % Female % % Male % % Total % % Finalists by Grade & Category CWSF 2011 saw a 16% increase in the number of senior finalists; the junior category decreased by 3%. GRADE Grade 7/Secondary Grade 8/Secondary Grade 9/Secondary Grade 10/Secondary Grade 11/Secondary Grade 12/Cégep Cégep Total Junior (Grade 7/8) Intermediate (Grade 9/10) Senior (Grade 11/12/Cégep) Total

7 By the numbers... Projects by Challenge Restructuring of CWSF project classification and judging was completed in Beginning this year, projects were judged for Excellence Awards (medals) against all others in their grade category (i.e., junior, intermediate, senior) with the goal of ensuring that the best projects were recognized with medals, regardless of the type of science involved. In previous years, projects were judged in groups by scientific discipline. To match projects with judge expertise, finalists classified their project work using more detailed criteria (e.g., plant science - photosynthesis) than the old division structure permitted. Judges used the same classification system to identify their areas of expertise, enabling better matching of judges to projects than ever before. In October 2010, Youth Science Canada launched seven new Canada-Wide Youth Science Challenges Discovery, Energy, Environment, Health, Information, Innovation, and Resources with the goal of engaging Canadian youth in current national and global issues and problems through project-based science. Regional Science Fair Coordinators as well as 11,000 schools with grades 7-12 across Canada were mailed a Take the Challenge poster along with Youth Science Canada s Invent the Future materials. Projects at CWSF 2011 were organized in the exhibit hall by Challenge, and new Challenge Awards recognized the best junior, intermediate, and senior project in each Challenge with a $500, $750, and $1000 cash award respectively, based on their Excellence Award judging results. CHALLENGE CATEGORY PROJECTS Discovery Energy (Suncor Energy) Environment (Encana) Health (Synapse - CIHR) Information (Intel Canada) Innovation (Research in Motion) Resources Junior 28 Intermediate 23 Senior 15 TOTAL 66 Junior 25 Intermediate 16 Senior 10 TOTAL 51 Junior 33 Intermediate 23 Senior 19 TOTAL 75 Junior 50 Intermediate 34 Senior 36 TOTAL 120 Junior 7 Intermediate 6 Senior 8 TOTAL 21 Junior 23 Intermediate 26 Senior 26 TOTAL 75 Junior 5 Intermediate 4 Senior 5 TOTAL 14 TOTAL PROJECTS 422 7

8 By the numbers... Excellence Awards (Medals) by Gender The overall distribution of Excellence Awards (medals) by gender was consistent with the ratio of female to male finalists (52%/48%), though males were significantly overrepresented among gold medal recipients. MEDAL FEMALE MALE TOTAL Gold Silver Bronze TOTAL PERCENTAGE 54% 46% 100% The maximum number of medals is set at 30 gold, 60 silver, and 120 bronze a total of 210; however, medals are awarded by project and some projects are completed by pairs of finalists, resulting in finalist medal totals that exceed these numbers. At the gold level, for example, 30 projects received gold medals; six were pair projects. Each gold medal is accompanied by a $1,500 cash prize; $750 for silver medals and $300 for bronze. Cash prizes are shared if the project is completed by a pair. Honourable Mention awards (and their $100 cash prize) were discontinued this year, but the number of bronze medals was increased to provide a total similar to the combination of medals and honourable mentions in previous years. (In 2010, a total of 232 medals and honourable mentions were awarded.) Approximately half the CWSF projects receive an Excellence Award (210 of the 422 projects in 2011). The medals themselves were redesigned for 2011, featuring the chemical symbols for gold (Au), silver (Ag), and ancient bronze an alloy of copper (Cu) and tin (Sn). The medals are larger (8.7 cm) and include the new Canada-Wide Science Fair logo, the Youth Science Canada logo on the back, and the year and city printed on the ribbon, which was black and gold this year in recognition of the event s 50th anniversary. 8

9 Finalist Survey 2011 What finalists told us and how it will inform our planning... Survey metrics All Canadian CWSF 2011 finalists (n=499) were invited by to participate in an online survey, open from June 28 to July 10, approximately one month after the event. A PDF version of the survey is available for download at: A 2 GB ipod Shuffle (value $59) was offered as an incentive to one participant selected at random from those who registered their name and address after completing the survey, which was completely anonymous. Arjun Neil of Calgary, Alberta won the ipod Shuffle. 257 finalists responded to the survey a 52% response rate, marginally higher than the 50% in 2009 and notably higher than the 46% in 2010 when the survey was conducted in June. Unfortunately, only 70% of respondents fully completed the survey, suggesting that this year s version was too long. The geographic distribution of respondents closely matched that of the CWSF, with at least one respondent from every province and territory. The school grade distribution of respondents closely matched that of the CWSF. Demographics Some demographic questions are collected as part of CWSF online registration, providing data for all finalists: 79% of CWSF 2011 finalists reported that one or both of their parents/guardians has a university degree 6% higher than in (3% were not sure.) For reference, Statistics Canada indicates that 19% of the Canadian population aged 15 or older has a university degree. 52% of CWSF 2011 finalists reported that one or both of their parents/guardians works in a science-related field. (2% are not sure.) 73% of finalists were attending their first CWSF, 19% were attending their second, 4% were attending their third, and 4% had attended four or more CWSFs. These demographics are similar to those reported in 2009 and

10 Finalist Survey 2011 Science project development The Internet continues to be ranked significantly higher than other factors as being important or very important in the development of a project by 87% of CWSF finalists in 2011, followed by 66% for parents, 47% for mentors, and 35% for school/ teacher (down from 40% in 2010 and 47% in 2009). Other students and non computer based media do not appear to be important factors. Youth Science Canada s focus on the development of web-based resources and tools to support project development, including the SMARTS online social network, continues to be well targeted. The decline in importance of schools and teachers in the development of projects (12% from 2009 to 2011) indicates that CWSF finalists must be increasingly self-sufficient and that fewer teachers have the skills, knowledge, inclination, or time to support student projects at this level. Programming Initiative: Teachers can play an important front-line role in the engagement of youth in science, and in building the inquiry and critical thinking skills necessary for students to undertake science projects, but many lack the knowledge and experience to do this well. Through the Smarter Science/Éducasciences initiative launched in Ontario, Youth Science Canada is working with school boards to train and support grade 1-12 teachers in the use of inquiry-based approaches to science education. The most significant challenge facing finalists in the development of projects continues to be managing time (reported by 54%, down from 63% in 2010), followed by finding scientific information (31%), accessing equipment (27%), funding expenses (22%), and finding science fair rules or information (21%). Obtaining skills or training to use equipment was identified as a significant challenge by 18% of finalists, while just 16% indicated that getting support and encouragement was a challenge. Programming Initiative: The next phase of development for our SMARTS online community, includes a project log (or plog ) a structured blog to help students manage and track their project work in a recommended sequence to help them save and manage time. Changes currently underway to the CWSF and new science fair resource areas of the Youth Science Canada web sites are focused on making information easier to find. Mentorship and support In the 2011 survey, 60% of finalists agreed or strongly agreed that mentorship helps to produce better scientists. At the same time, only 34% agreed or strongly agreed that mentored and non-mentored projects have an equal opportunity to succeed at the CWSF. Beginning in 2010 our National Judging Committee examined the validity of this perception by conducting a one-factor ANOVA (analysis of variance) between finalists declared level of mentorship and medal results. In 2010, the analysis showed no correlation (p<0.05). However, the 2011 analysis found significant differences (p<0.05) between the mentoring levels and awards received when all projects were assessed together, but not in the category-specific evaluation. Significant changes to the CWSF judging and medal structure in 2011 make it is difficult to draw conclusions. The National Judging Committee will continue to examine this issue in % of finalists reported some level of mentorship (58% in 2010). Level 1 exchanging a few s or phone calls and/or meeting with a mentor once or twice to discuss ideas was reported by 11% of finalists, while 9% reported Level 5 working closely with a mentor over an extended period of time to develop the idea, plan and conduct the research, and analyze the results or test the innovation, with regular access to materials, space, equipment, or other personnel in a specialized facility. The remainder reported Level 2 (11%), Level 3 (12%), and Level 4 (17%). These data are virtually identical to those reported by 2010 finalists. The most common mentors in 2011 were university or college professors, researchers, engineers or technicians (30%), a parent/guardian or relative (24%), a teacher in the finalist s school (21%), and a government or industry researcher, engineer, or technician (10%). The remaining 15% of mentors 10

11 Finalist Survey 2011 included undergraduate and graduate university students, high school students, and others. There is a persistent perception amongst science fair volunteers and others that finding a mentor is often a significant barrier; however, only 4% of CWSF 2011 finalists indicated that they had tried to find a mentor but were unsuccessful, or that they wanted a mentor but didn t know how to find one. Most CWSF finalists who want a mentor appear to be able to find one, either on their own or with some local assistance. Overall, 37% of CWSF finalists indicated that they didn t want or need a mentor, or that they never thought about a mentor. It is likely that some members of this group would actually benefit from mentorship. and technology; create groups for regional fairs, schools, science clubs, and event participants; share opportunities, photos and videos; and earn points for blog entries, wall posts, and other activity. Programming Initiative: The SMARTS online community will help CWSF alumni stay connected, but the plan is to promote membership to regional science fair participants (approximately 20,000 each year), and all grade 7-12 students across Canada doing any form of science investigation or project a potential audience numbering in the millions. Programming Initiative: Youth Science Canada believes that: support from a thoughtful and committed mentor, in accordance with Youth Science Canada guidelines, serves to assist young scientists in their journey towards becoming professional scientists; appropriate mentoring benefits all projects; it should continue its work with affiliates and partners to make mentoring available to all students. Youth Science Canada s efforts in mentorship will continue to focus on the development of promising young scientists at the national level who would most benefit from a mentor similar to the process for the identification and support of elite national athletes rather than open calls to youth across Canada who may be looking for a mentor. CWSF finalists have a strong desire to support upcoming young scientists 67% (up from 61% in 2010) agreed or strongly agreed that they would be interested in mentoring other students in the future, while 25% (down from 32% in 2010) indicated that they have already acted as a mentor to other students. The SMARTS online community ( youthscience.ca) was officially launched at CWSF 2011 and currently has 432 members. The community provides a platform in both official languages for youth and adults to share their interest in science This year Youth Science Canada introduced the CWSF Ambassadors program. CWSF alumni who had already graduated from secondary school were invited to serve on a team of volunteers, each assigned to a specific set of regions. Their role was to encourage and support their regions finalists and delegates in making the most of the CWSF experience and to act as a role model, particularly for younger finalists. Despite the fact that these volunteers were responsible for their own travel costs to Toronto, we received 42 applications (from BC to Nova Scotia) for 17 positions. Finalists agreed or strongly agreed that the Ambassadors made them feel welcome (86%); provided helpful and/or useful information (78%); encouraged them to participate in activities (67%); and inspired them to continue in science fairs or science (65%). Perhaps most telling, 83% of finalists indicated that they would be interested in serving as an Ambassador at a future CWSF. 11

12 Finalist Survey 2011 Programming Initiative: The CWSF Ambassadors program will be reviewed in more detail, but it is almost certain that it will continue in 2012, subject to available funding. Additional opportunities at the CWSF to feature alumni and their achievements are under consideration. CWSF finalists are almost evenly divided on the support for science projects provided by schools and teachers. Fewer finalists this year (32%, down from 42% in 2010) agreed or strongly agreed that their school/teachers provide good mentorship/support, while 38% (up from 34% in 2010) disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement. The remaining 31% were neutral. This suggests that as many as 69% of CWSF finalists may not be receiving good support for science projects from their school or teachers. Programming Initiative: We continue to believe that the key to increasing science fair participation, but more importantly to cultivating an interest in science, is to increase the number of students developing inquiry and critical thinking skills in the classroom a curriculum goal in every province and territory. Smarter Science/Éducasciences, is a free and opensource framework for teaching and learning science in grades 1-12 that aims to help teachers and students develop the skills of inquiry, creativity and innovation in a meaningful and engaging manner. Currently working with 19 of the 20 largest school boards in Ontario, we continue to develop resources and tools based on the framework and to explore opportunities to extend the initiative to other provinces based on expressed interest and available funding. Youth Science Canada resources Again this year, the CWSF Online Registration System was identified as the best resource in preparing for the CWSF, with 85% of finalists rating it helpful, very helpful, or extremely helpful. The CWSF web site, which was managed by Youth Science Canada for the first time in 2011 (and which replaced the CWSF Participant Guide PDF document) followed at 80% (up from 52% in 2010), with Regional Science Fair Organizations at 77%, and the Virtual CWSF at 52%. Programming Initiative: We are pleased by the results of this year s transition to our new web sites, but we believe that the user experience in locating key information on science fairs and the CWSF can still be improved. For 2012 we are restructuring the CWSF area and creating a new area for science fair resources, redesigning the Virtual CWSF, integrating the Stepping Up Guide, and ensuring complete translation of the web sites to French. CWSF impact on interest in science and engineering As in previous years, finalists report a strong interest in science or engineering prior to the CWSF, with a total of 95% indicating they are interested, very interested, or extremely interested. Post-CWSF, the total remained at 95%, but there was a 14 percentage point increase in the number who report being extremely interested. Analysis of these data by grade category shows that this shift is most pronounced amongst intermediate and senior finalists (those in secondary school) of both genders. It appears that the CWSF experience reinforces or elevates interest in science and engineering for all finalists, but the effect is particularly strong for those in high school. 12

13 Finalist Survey 2011 CWSF impact on postsecondary and career plans in science and technology The proportion of CWSF finalists planning to pursue post-secondary education in a science or engineering program increased by 3 percentage points (from 80% before CWSF 2011 to 83% after) a result that is virtually identical to As in 2010, the increase was greatest for intermediate finalists (those in grades 9/10) who showed an 11 percentage point increase compared to a decline of 1 percentage point for juniors and a 4 percentage point decline for seniors. Comparing responses by gender, females showed a 6 percentage point increase from 77% before CWSF to 83% after. Males showed no change, reporting 83% in both surveys. These results suggest that the CWSF experience has a particularly powerful impact on grade 9/10 females, helping them to envision a post-secondary education in science or engineering and closing the pre-cwsf gap with males. As in 2010, few finalists reported that they hadn t thought much about post-secondary education, with a maximum of 10% post-cwsf among grade 7/8 finalists. Consistent with past results, only 3% of intermediate and senior finalists report not thinking much about post-secondary education. Interestingly, the number of finalists reporting that they are having difficulty deciding about postsecondary education remains consistent across the age groups, and with previous years, at around 4%. The number of finalists who plan to pursue a career in a science or technology-related field increased from 73% before CWSF 2011 to 77% after the event slightly higher levels and larger increases than in both 2009 and However, the increase is entirely attributable to female finalists whose plans for a career in science and technology increased from 70% to 79% while males remained steady at 77%. Unlike with plans for post-secondary science and engineering, thinking about a career in science and technology changes significantly (+17 percentage points) pre- and post-cwsf among junior (67% to 84%) and intermediate finalists (+10 percentage points from 78% to 88%). Senior finalists show little career plan change (82% to 84%). Post-secondary and career plans in science and technology are positively influenced by participation in the CWSF, with intermediate finalists showing the greatest increase in post-secondary science and engineering plans and younger finalists (junior and intermediate) increasing their interest in a career in science and technology. Anecdotal comments included statements such as, Science fairs help me understand the broad range of topics and careers... and, CWSF was a fantastic opportunity to learn about many scientific careers that I have never thought about before, or didn t know where to find information about them. Although the event clearly has an impact on finalists thinking about careers, several finalists specifically requested that more information on careers be provided at the CWSF. Programming Initiative: Youth Science Canada will continue to include opportunities at the CWSF beyond judging for finalists to interact directly with scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs who represent the widest variety of opportunities available through science and technology. In addition we will explore opportunities to highlight the diversity of careers available through science and engineering. The CWSF experience Of CWSF 2011 finalists, 95% rated their overall experience as good, very good, or excellent, with 89% reporting very good or excellent a slight decrease from 2010, rated at 100% and 95%. Negative comments centred around food quality, service, and high environmental impact of the Seneca College cafeteria a source of disappointment, aggravation and embarrassment for the organizing committee throughout the week. The vast majority of anecdotal comments used phrases such as the best experience of my life, inspirational, life-changing, phenomenal and amazing. One veteran 2011 finalist reflected, Science fair has changed my life for the better. I have spent practically 40 days at CWSF, and 5 years of my life working on projects, I can t imagine May without going to Canada-Wide. I have made lifelong friends, as well as being guided towards the careers I 13

14 Finalist Survey 2011 now hope to pursue...i hope there s another 50 years of CWSFs that I can stay involved in. As always, the most important aspect of the CWSF experience for finalists was interacting with other finalists, rated as very important or extremely important by 83% (down from 93% in 2010), followed by interacting with judges (76%), and banquets and ceremonies (71%). The least important elements were social/ recreational activities (53%), the all-day tour (51%), interacting with the CWSF Ambassadors (42%) and sharing their project with local students (36%). As in past years, the importance attributed to cash prizes offered (56%), medals and other non-cash awards offered (60%), and scholarships offered (60%) fell between these two groups. CWSF finalists clearly value the direct interaction with peers and judges more highly than the rewards of the competition. Two years ago, 63% of finalists told us they wanted more free time to network with other finalists and to be physically active. These concerns were addressed in 2010 with the provision for pick-up sports and social activities with the result that 62% rated the amount of unscheduled time available for personal, social, or recreational activities as about right. The CWSF 2011 schedule was further modified to provide even more opportunities a significant challenge, given that the 2011 event was shortened from 8 to 7 days. Thus, we are pleased that 73% of CWSF 2011 finalists rated the amount of unscheduled time as about right. The percentage might have been even higher if most of the outdoor recreational activities, including pick-up basketball, volleyball, soccer, frisbee, etc. hadn t been eliminated by the rain that persisted from the Sunday to Thursday. Programming Initiative: We have made significant progress in this area over the past two years and the CWSF schedule now has a good balance of activities that we will maintain in future years. The most popular spare time activities in the CWSF 2011 exhibit hall included talking/socializing with other finalists (95% indicated doing this often or regularly ), looking at projects in their Challenge area (88%), looking at projects outside their Challenge area (77%) and trading pins or other items (69%). Although wireless Internet access was available in the exhibit hall (provided by SMARTS), online activities (identified by 53% of finalists) were less frequent than practising for judging (72%), and individual activities (reading, homework, games, etc.) at 58%. Only 27% of finalists reported never doing online activities in the exhibit hall; in 2010, this number was 41%. We expect that this percentage will continue to drop as web-enabled phones, tablets, netbooks, etc. become even more ubiquitous among teens. Programming Initiative: In addition to talking and socializing, finalists value the opportunity to view other projects, but are expected to remain at their projects most of the time in the exhibit hall. We will explore ways to structure time for finalists to visit projects. We will continue to expand our use of social media to connect with finalists before, during, and after the CWSF. CWSF 2011 introduced greater variety and interactivity to the school tour experience. Collaborating organizations, including Chemical Institute of Canada, FIRST Canada Robotics, Let s Talk Science, Professional Engineers of Ontario, and Youth Science Ontario added short presentations and hands-on activities to the standard exhibit hall tour of projects. A passport issued to each student visitor listed the activity options and a CWSF thermochromic colour-change pencil provided an incentive to visit at least 10 activities or projects. The new format was well received by students and teachers, though finalists continue to report that school tours are one of the least enjoyable aspects of the CWSF. Programming Initiative: While we were pleased with the improvements to the student visitor experience, future effort will focus on teachers and parents as key adults in engaging youth in scientific inquiry activities. We will work to leverage our Smarter Science initiative to provide introductory workshops for teachers in the year leading up to the CWSF, as well as during the fair. Beginning this year, Youth Science Canada was responsible for the exhibit hall experience as one of the mission critical elements of the CWSF. 14

15 Finalist Survey 2011 Additions for 2011 included music during project setup and a Command Centre with bilingual hosts who answered questions (86% of finalists found this useful) and engaged finalists with lighthearted activities like science yoga throughout the week. The hall also included a Youth Science Canada feature area, which transformed throughout the week, serving as: the safety check centre and tool crib during setup; a display area for the CWSF timeline and historical items during school tours and judging; a showcase for the three Platinum Award projects during public viewing; and a backdrop for Nobel Laureate Professor John Polanyi s presentation to finalists on the final morning. A SMARTS booth that demonstrated the features of the new online community and enabled finalists to create an account on the spot rounded out our new, larger presence. This year, for the first time, we asked finalists to rate their level of enjoyment for each of the CWSF activities information that will help guide planning for Youth Science Canada and future host teams. The table at the right summarizes the percentage of finalists who rated each activity as either quite or extremely enjoyable. As Youth Science Canada is now also responsible for the selection and design of CWSF identity and promotional items, we asked finalists to rate this year s materials on a four-point scale from poor to great. The 50th Anniversary and CWSF 2011 pins ranked highest, with 94% and 92% of finalists rating them as good or great. These were followed by the T-shirt (91%), notebook/journal (87%), maze pen (86%), tote bag (84%), water bottle from Synapse CIHR (83%), Bendeez stress stick (80%), mints (76%), stadium cup (63%), and waterless tattoos (47%). We re very pleased that all but three items were rated highly by 80% or more of the finalists. In true science fair fashion, anecdotal comments from several finalists recounted that when they were unsure what the stress stick was supposed to be, they searched its patent number on Google, revealing it to have been registered as jewelry(?!) CWSF 2011 ACTIVITY Quite or Extremely Enjoyable Opening Ceremony & Banquet 95% Awards Banquet & Dance 90% Awards Ceremony 89% Downtown Toronto Tour 85% Ontario Science Centre 80% Farewell Festivities 75% Judging 68% Social - Pin Trading (Sunday eve.) 68% Public Viewing (Friday morning) 65% Social - Jam Session (Monday eve.) 52% Prof. John Polanyi Presentation 50% Project Setup & Safety Check 38% Arrival/Registration 36% School Tours (Secondary - Thu.) 36% School Tours (Elementary - Mon.) 33% Science Chase 27% Project Take-down 26% Judging Consistent with the past two years, 77% of finalists reported that they received the information they needed to understand and prepare for the CWSF judging process. Of concern are the 9% who report that this was not their experience. (The other 14% were neutral.) The CWSF judging experience continues to be very positive for finalists, with 77% rating it as quite or extremely enjoyable in

16 About Finalist CWSF Survey 2011 All judging took place on one day this year, eliminating a persistent complaint from past fairs the amount of time spent by many finalists on the second judging day sitting at their projects with few or no judging interviews. In order to accomplish this, the 30-minute Excellence Award (medal) judging interview blocks were scheduled with the 15-minute Interdisciplinary Award blocks. Consistent with 2010, 79% of this year s finalists indicated that the Excellence blocks were about right in length; only 55% felt the same way about the Interdisciplinary blocks, with 32% indicating that they were too short. Programming Initiative: We will explore ways to address the small number of finalists who feel unprepared for CWSF judging. The National Judging Committee will review the structural and scheduling changes implemented this year, including the number and length of judging periods for each award type. Finalist support during judging During judging, a group of volunteers known as the Finalist Support Team provides assistance and support for finalists, as the adult chaperones (delegates) are not permitted in the exhibit hall. This year, a subset of the CWSF Ambassador team performed this role. They were provided with teal T-shirts and black CWSF vests to increase their visibility, as finalists in past years (53% in 2010) indicated that they had difficulty identifying these volunteers. Despite the new uniform for the Team, even fewer finalists (35%) reported being able to identify them, though 29% were not sure. It is likely that confusion was introduced by having the highly visible Ambassadors perform this role. Programming Initiative: The CWSF Ambassadors performed the Finalist Support Team role extremely well, suggesting that this should simply become part of their function at the event. If the Ambassador program continues, a separate Finalist Support Team role and identification will likely be eliminated. Sponsor Recognition The support of CWSF sponsors makes the event possible and Youth Science Canada works to ensure that sponsors are recognized appropriately at the event. Beginning with last year s survey, we asked finalists to write the names of three sponsors that they remembered, as a measure of whether they actually noticed them. The top ten sponsors recalled by CWSF 2011 finalists, and the percentage of respondents who wrote them were: 1. Synapse - CIHR - 41% 2. Youth Science Canada - 38% 3. SMARTS - 28% 4. Encana - 22% 5. Seneca College - 20% 6. Province of Ontario - 17% 7. Intel of Canada - 15% 8. University of Western Ontario - 11% 9. Research in Motion - 9% 10. Youth Science Ontario - 7% Synapse CIHR s profile at CWSF 2011 included an engaging exhibit booth, sponsorship of the Health Challenge Awards, and distribution of promotional water bottles, as well as a prominent position (just below the Province of Ontario) on sponsor recognition signs, as a Developer level sponsor. This level of activation clearly has benefits. Although neither Youth Science Canada (nor SMARTS, which is one of our programs) were actually sponsors, efforts to rebrand our flagship event have clearly been successful. Encana continues to enjoy strong recognition as sponsor of the Environment Challenge and from being a long-time supporter. As the host institution, and an event sponsor, Seneca College, supported by an exhibit hall booth, achieved a significant level of recognition. The Province of Ontario had top billing on sponsor recognition materials at the Inventor level, but a lower level of sponsorship activation, reflected in a lower level of finalist recall. Both Intel of Canada and Research in Motion benefited from their sponsorship of the Information and Innovation Challenges. The University of Western Ontario provides entrance scholarships to every medal recipient in all grade 16

17 Future Directions categories, meaning that half the finalists return home with a UWO scholarship certificate clearly an effective strategy. Youth Science Ontario, the provincial youth science support organization, was not a CWSF sponsor, but provided Ontario team jackets with their logo to 40% of the finalists and held a recognition event for the provincial team on the Thursday morning, which appears to have garnered them some halo effect recognition. It is clear from these results that sponsors (and non-sponsors) who activate their support through awards, an exhibit booth, promotional items, or through direct interaction with the finalists gain recognition in the finalists minds. We encourage all our sponsors to explore activation opportunities at the CWSF and through our other Youth Science Canada programs. CWSF 2012 and beyond... Youth Science Canada marked the CWSF s 50th anniversary with a wide variety of changes designed to reinforce the branding and visibility, as well as the effectiveness, consistency, and sustainability of the country s largest youth science event. Next year, for the first time in its history, we take the CWSF to Prince Edward Island, leaving only one province that has never hosted the event New Brunswick. The Canada-Wide Youth Science Challenges will again be the focus of our fall Invent the Future campaign to 11,000 schools across the country. We look forward to working with our partners and sponsors to activate this program in more direct and interactive ways challenging Canadian youth to tackle important issues and problems through inquiry and project-based science. With CWSF 2011, Youth Science Canada demonstrated that it is prepared to lead the development and delivery of its premier event. The new alignment of Youth Science Canada and local Host Team responsibilities enables local volunteers to focus on hosting and hospitality, delivery of an outstanding cultural and social experience to finalists and delegates, local transportation, the recruitment of judges and other volunteers, and local fund-raising. Youth Science Canada is now responsible for all mission-critical aspects of the Fair. Discussion with future and potential CWSF hosts is positive and we believe that the new approach to selecting and working with host communities will enable Youth Science Canada to significantly increase the value and profile of the event as we head into its second 50 years. 17

18 Conclusion An amazing experience... Looking back at 50 years of the CWSF, its impact on young Canadians is reflected in the thoughts of Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar a finalist in the second CWSF in Toronto in 1963: As a Grade 13 student, I participated in the City Science Fair in Toronto and then went on to represent my region at the Canada- Wide Science Fair. It was an experience that would ultimately define my life. Forty-eight years later, the CWSF continues to place an indelible mark on those who participate, best described by the finalists themselves: The experience was fantastic, so many things contributed to making this event surreal. I made tons of new friends, even took home a gold medal. And it was also my first CWSF so it will definitely leave a lasting impression for years to come. This has definitely made me love science and I would do it again in a heartbeat! CWSF 2011 has impacted me a lot because I always thought that science was all work and no fun. Having spent the week at Seneca, I met so many people and learned a lot about the different sciencerelated fields. This has changed my view of science because I now know that I want a career in a research field. Thank you CWSF 2011! «Elle m a confirmé pour attrait pour les sciences et j ai adoré rencontré des gens formidables qui partagent les mêmes intérêts que moi. J ai, plus que jamais, le goût de recommencer l an prochain. Donc, et je l espère, rendez-vous en 2012!» CWSF has helped me get noticed in my community. At school most of my classmates are envious of me and my project. The newspaper has put in 2 articles about me. Also, getting the chance to go to the CWSF when I put it on my resume will help me get a summer job. Both CWSFs I ve attended were absolutely incredible. I come home and all I can think and talk about is the fair. I feel like I m in a community of all-around great people for one week it s our own little world. The science is incredible. To meet people who all love science and accept one another is the best feeling. CWSF only furthers my future plans to become a marine biologist. My CWSF experience opened me up to a whole new science community that I wouldn t have been a part of otherwise. I am still in contact with many other finalists from CWSF (Toronto 2011) and I have already begun new and exciting ventures in science, including my project for 2012! Thanks! 18

19 Conclusion CWSF 2011 has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I travelled across Canada, from above the Arctic Circle... to participate in a once-ina-lifetime event. I have always had an interest in math and sciences, and this experience has further inspired me to partake in more science, math and technology programs in my community, and to further my education in the mathematical and scientific fields. CWSF finalists return from the Fair with an enhanced love of science, inspired to plan post-secondary studies and careers in the field. Youth Science Canada is proud and gratified to work with its sponsors and partners to host an event that so many Canadian youth have considered life-changing over the past 50 years. «Elle m a permis de rencontrer d autres étudiants intéressés aux sciences comme moi, elle m a aussi donné des idées de carrière... C était un évènement incroyable qui m a marqué à tout jamais. J ai tellement hâte à l année prochaine pour recommencer à nouveau!» I love Canada Wide Science Fairs! They are a great way to network and build lasting friendships with like-minded youth. My partner and I put a lot of time and energy into doing science fair projects and discovering! And for that one week at CWSF we get to share with judges and others our findings and get appreciated! I loved this year s changes to judging - one day judging, as well as the fairness regarding award availability! CWSF 2011 has opened my eyes about all the different opportunities that are involved in science. I enjoyed being able to meet people from all over Canada and being able to discuss science with so many people. Science fair has a completely different meaning for me now and I... plan on continuing with science fair through all my high school years and go to university in scientific fields. I loved getting to go to another place in Canada and seeing so many different cultures and languages. A week almost didn t seem long enough to get to do everything. Overall, I had an amazing experience at CWSF 2011 and hope to continue going to CWSF. For most finalists, the social aspects of the Fair were as enjoyable as the science-related activities. To spend a week among peers from across Canada who share their passion for science was great fun; and for those who had never been so far and so long away from their parents, a chance to spread their wings. For others, the CWSF was an opportunity to travel and see a part of the country far from home. They appreciated the cultural aspects of the Fair and the opportunities to explore Toronto. 19

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