Dr. Bonnie Schmidt
President, Let’s Talk Science
Let’s Talk Science is inspiring and empowering youth to develop essential skills through STEM learning.
As Canadians face continued school closures, parents are embracing digital education and at-home learning resources to help their children stay engaged. This new environment has also created a valuable opportunity for youth to participate in new forms of online programming.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has gained considerable attention over the past decade, in part because of the growing impact of technology on the economy and on most jobs. Furthermore, addressing critical global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, clean water, and sustainable energy requires people with strong STEM skills and knowledge. Meaningful STEM education develops creative, critical thinkers who are digitally literate and better prepared to contribute to and thrive in our connected world.
Demand for STEM skills continues to rise
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the critical need for improved scientific literacy and STEM skills amongst Canadian youth.
“STEM underpins the global response. Scientific data is showcased daily, scientific researchers are seeking treatments and vaccines, and technology companies are innovating to be able to support our frontline health care needs,” says Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, President and Founder of Let’s Talk Science, a national charitable organization that’s a leader in providing free online STEM learning opportunities. “Youth need to understand that scientific literacy is increasingly required for engaged citizenship and the demand for people with STEM skills will continue to grow.”
Engaging youth in topics that connect STEM to the real world, fosters creativity and ingenuity, teaches problem-solving, and encourages critical thinking. It also equips youth with valuable skills to manage information, use technology, build communication skills, and more. Meaningful STEM engagement is empowering.
Enabling children to develop STEM skills at home
Let’s Talk Science is committed to preparing Canadian youth for future career and citizenship demands in a rapidly-changing world. It offers unique programs that promote inquiry-based learning to support critical skill development.
Educators, caregivers, and students can explore the new STEM at Home section online, which brings STEM discovery home for children and youth from preschool to Grade 12. The activities and resources encourage active learning and discovery outside of the classroom in a simple way for parents. Here are a few of Let’s Talk Science’s online resources:
- STEM at Home: Check back often as more learning resource collections are added every week.
- Learning Resource Collections: Resources and activities for preschool to Grade 12 students.
- STEM in Context: Youth can explore articles about science topics in everyday life, like COVID-19.
- STEM-Based Web Series for Kids
- The Solutioneers: Follow a group of 12-year-old besties, coders, and budding inventors who plan to change the world using STEAM.
- Emerald Code: A STEM-based web series for elementary and middle school students with a diverse cast of creative kids who support each other in solving problems at school using science and technology.
Adults and kids can explore these resources to learn more about a variety of topics, from weather to the environmental conditions in space, using coding to solve problems, and even discovering the physics behind a roller coaster. Resources and activities support learning that encourages discovery and helps kids connect STEM to the world around them. It can be as simple as using the Let’s Talk Science online resources as a guide to help build their STEM skills on your family walks, working in the garden, or cooking and baking in the kitchen. Let’s Talk Science’s resources will foster your family’s curiosity and encourage your kids to explore this summer.
