Aurora Research Institute’s STEM outreach team has been named a co-award winner by Actua Canada.
Presented with the 2022 Actua Experience - Teacher Training Award in Ottawa Jan. 26 for its “train the teacher, loan the gear” system developed and employed over the Covid-19 pandemic, the NWT-wide outreach program was commended for its ability to reach remote communities that colleges cannot access. It was also applauded for its efforts working with schools to help improve students abilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by lending kits to classroom free of charge.
“The ARI STEM Outreach team has shown creativity, innovation and a deep understanding of the unique local needs to develop STEM activities that captivate and educate Northern students,” stated a Feb. 24 news release. “What began as a response to the challenges of the pandemic has grown into an exciting, thriving program that provides important supports for teachers and students across the NWT.
“In addition to working closely with regional school divisions to deliver one-to-one training to teachers, the outreach team works with Aurora College’s Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) diploma program to train ELCC students to deliver age-appropriate STEM activities. The team worked with 125 NWT educators at the Northwest Territories Teachers Association (NWTTA) conference in October 2022.”
ARI’s STEM team includes Annika Trimble, ARI outreach coordinator in Inuvik; Hilary Turko, South Slave outreach coordinator; Chris Black, North Slave outreach coordinator; and Kelly Kamo McHugh, STEM outreach technician in Inuvik.
Actua is Canada’s largest STEM outreach organization, representing a national network of 43 universities and colleges that engage youth aged six to 26 in STEM learning experiences.