Scientists in School is a Canadian non-profit, charitable organization that offers science education workshops aligned with the curriculum for Kindergarten to Grade 8. Over 375 workshop presenters have career backgrounds in science, technology and engineering and deliver hands-on programs in a half-day format designed to spark scientific curiosity to half a million students each year.

History

Scientists in School was founded in 1989 by Erica Bruce and Dr. Nancy Williams on behalf of the Ajax-Pickering branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women

Canadian Federation of University Women

The Canadian Federation of University Women was founded in 1919 It is a non-profit, voluntary self-funded bilingual organization of women university graduates , with almost 10,000 members....

. Originally, SiS was guided by the CFUW's mandate that female graduates use their education to effect social change, but in 1999, when Scientists in School's participating students grew to over 100,000, SiS incorporated as a charitable non-profit.

Locations

Scientists in School began with 40 classrooms participating in the Durham region, then the program expanded into Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 and beyond. Currently, SiS has five regional branches and a national office in Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

 and one regional branch in Lethbridge, Alberta

Lethbridge

Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...

.

Awards

• Conference Board of Canada's Top 100 Best Community-Business-Education Partnerships (1997)
• Michael Smith Award for Excellence in Science Promotion by The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
  Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
  The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is a Canadian government agency that provides grants for research in the natural sciences and in engineering. Its mandate is to promote and assist research....
  
  of Canada (NSERC)
• YWCA Durham Region Women of Distinction Award to Executive Director Cindy Adams (2003)
• Ajax/Pickering Board of Trade 2009 Business Excellence Award