SCIENCE FAIRS IN THE COMMUNITY REVEAL YOUR POTENTIAL 2015-2016 Annual Report 1
Message from the Chair of the Board The 2015-2016 fiscal year represents a time of significant advancement of the Science Fair Foundation of BC (SFF BC) vision as set out by the Science Fair Foundation of BC s founders. Today we see the results of the strategy implemented to accomplish that vision. Students throughout the province have access to participate in science fairs in their own communities and to move through the various science fair levels from the classroom to the National and International platforms. Their continued successes at these competitions have put British Columbia on the global science stage. Once again, a BC Science Fair student, Austin Wang, received the top award at the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair. This report highlights the achievements of all of BC Science Fair students. SFF BC has become Canada s leading Provincial Science Fair organization. It has developed the largest Volunteer science outreach network across academia, industry, and the education community. It is through the tireless efforts and commitment of these Volunteers and our sponsors that our youth are inspired to pursue excellence as they connect with the fascinating world of science and technology through Science Fair activities. Sponsors are essential for the success of the Science Fair program. This year s 17th Annual Microsemi Science Fair Fun Run s provided an opportunity to introduce this new title sponsor to the technology sector. It is anticipated that this annual fundraising event will continue to be one of the largest events in the science and technology community. At last year s Annual General Meeting we were fortunate to welcome four new members to the Board of Directors Science Fair Alumni Dr. Leonard Foster and Caedmon Nash together with Dr. Judith Soon and Dr. Rossi Marx. These individuals bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Board leadership that complements the skills and expertise of the Board members. As many of you know, Executive Director Patti Leigh O.B.C. will now devote her passion and energy to support the newly created Dr. Michael Smith Science Fair Endowment. Patti has played a profoundly important role in creating the vision and conditions for SFF BC s success, and in providing a platform for BC students to excel on the National and Global stages. As Chair of the Board, on behalf of the SFF BC management and Board, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you and best wishes to Patti. Robert Carveth CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2
Board of Directors Officers Chair Bob Carveth President, Consilium Enterprises, Inc. Treasurer Anthony Lindsay Partner, KPMG LLP Secretary - Linda Bartz Communications Consultant MEMBERS-at-large Leonard Foster Professor, University of British Columbia Roswitha Marx Chair, Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair Professor, University of Victoria Judith Soon Professor, University of British Columbia Caedmon Nash Constable, Vancouver Police Department Bryan Tisdall President, Science World management Madeleine Guenette Director of Operations Karen Morley Director of Programs Purposes 1. To organize, raise funds for, support, stage and promote Regional, Canada-Wide and International Science Fairs in British Columbia. 2. To promote Science Fair activity in British Columbia. 3. To provide assistance to students from British Columbia to participate in Science Fairs held within British Columbia and elsewhere. 4. To act as the host organization for future Canada-Wide Science Fairs to be held in British Columbia. 5. To improve the effectiveness of organizing committees responsible for the organization of Regional, Canada-Wide and International Science Fair activities in British Columbia. Auditors: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 250 Howe St., Suite 700, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3S7 Legal Counsel: Richards Buell Sutton LLP 700 401 West Georgia St. Vancouver, BC V6B 5A1 3
Canada-Wide Progress 1986 2016 Date Location Regions Students Projects 1986 Calgary, Alberta 11 30 26 12 14 1-2 2 9-1987 Mississauga, Ontario 11 38 31 16 18 3 1 32 8 3-1988 Winnipeg, Manitoba 11 46 38 17 17 1 1 6 4 9-1989 St. John s, Newfoundland 12 36 34 15 24 1 2 10 9 6-1990 Windsor, Ontario 13 44 38 16 28 1 5 6 7 5-1991 Vancouver, BC 13 42 38 19 15-2 8 4 3-1992 Sudbury, Ontario 13 40 36 18 43 1 8 4 23 3-1993 Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec 13 42 35 22 24 3 5 2 8 4-1994 Guelph, Ontario 13 52 40 22 37 5 3 4 8 14 5 1995 Whitehorse, Yukon 13 49 42 22 29 2 4 2 5 11 3 1996 North Bay, Ontario 13 59 49 23 36 2 1 9 17 6 1 1997 Regina, Saskatchewan 13 61 52 17 39 4 5 7 6 14 3 1998 Timmins, Ontario 13 64 55 20 43 3 8 4 14 14-1999 Edmonton, Alberta 13 66 52 18 51 7 13 10 11 9 1 2000 London, Ontario 12 69 54 23 67 6 11 10 22 18-2001 Kingston, Ontario 12 67 56 21 65 5 10 2 31 17-2002 Saskatoon, Saskachewan 10 45 37 16 74 20 3 7-15 - 2003 Calgary, Alberta 10 51 48 19 43 5 3 10 14 11 1 2004 St. John s, Newfoundland 11 58 47 19 37 1 10 6 12 8-2005 Vancouver, BC 10 53 44 16 37 3 6 8 7 13-2006 Saguenay, Quebec 10 53 43 17 33 3 6 7 6 10 1 2007 Truro, Nova Scotia 12 70 56 22 56 3 8 6 11 11-2008 Ottawa, Ontario 12 71 57 25 46 5 5 12 24 17-2009 Winnipeg, Manitoba 12 74 64 26 64 5 14 18 15 13-2010 Peterborough, Ontario 12 74 63 27 87 2 9 19 6 13-2011 Toronto, Ontario 14 78 68 28 92 4 8 25 7 - - 2012 Charlottetown, P.E.I. 14 77 67 27 105 4 5 32 14-1 2013 Lethbridge, Alberta 13 73 60 26 101 10 11 15 11 - - 2014 Windsor, Ontario 13 73 62 26 117 4 7 25 14 - - 2015 Fredericton, New Brunswick 13 72 68 27 144 7 18 18 13-3 2016 Montreal, Quebec 13 71 70 25 114 5 13 20 16 - - Adults Awards Gold Silver Bronze Special Award Hon. Mention Grand & Platinum 4
Team BC at the Canada-Wide Science Fair Each year, the Canada-Wide Science Festival (CWSF) brings hundreds of Canada s brightest young minds together to compete, network and foster interest in science at the highest level of Science Fair competition in Canada. This year, 71 participants selected from the 13 regions throughout BC and the Yukon presented projects at McGill University in Montréal, QC at the 55th CWSF. Team BC (below) brought home 114 awards and scholarships including 5 gold medals, 13 silver medals, 20 bronze medals, 16 Special Awards and 60 Scholarships! 5
Science Fair Fun Run 17th Annual PMC Science Fair 5K Fun Run May 29, 2016 The Athlete s Village Plaza www.sciencefairs.ca/funrun The Fun Run is the largest event in BC s technology sector, the largest fundraiser for the Science Fair Foundation of BC and the largest timed 5K run in BC. It has received generous support from Vancouver s leading companies and institutions including representatives from the high-tech, biotech, financial, and legal communities, as well as local universities and schools. After the run, participants enjoyed giveaways, live entertainment, science experiments and free entry to TELUS World of Science. The Science Fair Fun Run attracted over 40 teams again this year with Microsemi as the new title sponsor! Over 1,000 participants came out on Sunday, May 29, 2016. The Microsemi Science Fair Fun Run raised almost $40,000 this year. Over the past seventeen years, the run has raised over $710,000 for The Dr. Michael Smith Science Fair Endowment in support of Science Fair programs across BC. 6
2016 PMC Science Fair Fun Run Sponsors Title Supporter Gold Silver Bronze Media Products & Services 7
Sponsors Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia Corporate Sponsors PARTNER PLATINUM Supporter GOLD Silver Bronze BC Agriculture in the Classroom MDA TRIUMF FRIEND SPONSORS BC Greenhouse Growers Association BC Science Teachers Association Government Agencies and NGOs We acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Education of British Columbia, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada Founding Patron Dr. Michael Smith (1932-2000) Nobel Laureate FoundER Patti Leigh O.B.C. 8
you thank Provincial Awards Sponsors Association of Professional Biology Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation BC Association of Physics Teachers BC Greenhouse Growers Association BC Hydro BC Innovation Council BC Ministry of Transportation BC Nature (Federation of British Columbia Naturalists) BC Science Teachers Association Canadian Land Reclamation Association, BC Chapter Division for Advancement of Women in Engineering and Geoscience (DAWEG) Genome British Columbia Massachusetts Institute of Technology Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Vancouver Centre Simon Fraser University Faculty of Applied Science Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST) WorkSafeBC Financials Revenue Sponsorships 38% Grants & Donations 21% Gaming Grant 24% Fun Run Registration Fees 14% BCIC Scholarships 3% Interest 1% Expenses Science FAIR IN THE Community 22% SALARIES and BENEFITS 35% PROVINCIAL AWARDS 8% FUN RUN 19% BCIC SCHOLARSHIPS 2% OFFICE and GENERAL 14% 9
National & International Competitions Taiwan International Science Fair Austin Wang, a Grade 12 student from Vancouver and Daniel O Reilly, a Grade 11 student from Prince George, were selected to represent British Columbia and Canada at the 2016 Taiwan International Science Fair in Taipei, Taiwan. They were accompanied by Pat Offin, a retired teacher and long-time Science Fair advocate and volunteer. Mr. O Reilly received a bronze medal in the Medicine and Health category for his project Remedies Recovered from Roof top Resources in which he sought to devise a new approach to treat superbug bacteria by using natural, sustainable resources to improve quality of life. Mr. Wang received a gold medal in the Microbiology category for his project titled A Novel Method to Identify Genes in Electron Transfer of Exoelectrogens which aims to identify the genes involved in bacterial extracellular transport to generate power in microbial fuel cells. 10
INTEL International Science & Engineering Fair BC Science Fair alumni, Austin Wang (above, centre) and Nathan Kuehne (right) were among the 1,700 students from 75 countries that were selected to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) this year. Mr. Wang was awarded the $75,000 Gordon E. Moore Award for his project Boosting Microbial Fuel Cell Biocatalyst Performance: A Novel Gene Identification and Consortia Engineering Approach. The Gordon E. Moore Award is the top award at this prestigious event and was awarded to Raymond Wang, another BC Science Fair alumnus, in 2015. 11
Quest for Science Fair Champions Quest for Science Fair Champions is designed to equip the science teachers of BC, from K to 12, with the tools to implement inquiry-based instruction in their classrooms. Now at the completion of the 5th year of our multi-year program, we believe that we have stimulated an appetite among the science teachers of BC, the Aboriginal and First Nations community educators and the Francophone educators to explore inquiry-based teaching in their classrooms. This is an important step forward, both in terms of the effectiveness of our education system for all students, but also in terms of supporting the Science Fair programs that appeal to the most creative and ambitious of our students. Today, over 1,500 teachers have been involved at some level of participation and we believe that we are beginning to see the positive impact that the inquiry approach to learning has on projects in the successes of BC students this year at regional, national and international Science Fairs. Distinguished Service Awards The Distinguished Service Awards annually recognize volunteers and staff who have made an outstanding contribution, through innovation, long service, or leadership, to Science Fairs at any level. This year, Dave Grant (top right) of Vancouver and Shelagh Bannister (top left) of Salt Spring Island were among the ten people from accross the country recognized by Youth Science Canada for their longterm service and leadership in Science Fair activities. Alumni Mentorship Program The BC Science Fair Alumni Mentorship Program (AMP) assists students in grades 7-12 by helping to identify resources needed as they investigate scientific questions of interest to them. It is open to students throughout BC and connects teachers, students, parents, Canada-Wide Science Fair alumni, and researchers in an attempt to encourage academic discussion and project-based learning in science and technology. The 2015-2016 program provided assistance to 24 students working on a total of 20 projects. Eight of these students were selected to attend the Canada-Wide Science Fair. A goal in coming years is to increase the reach of the AMP program to more regions across BC. 12
Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia 900-1188 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC, Canada V6E 4A2 T: 604.602.5262 E: info@sciencefairs.ca W: www.sciencefairs.ca
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