The start of the school year for St. Boniface Hospital Research’s Youth BioLab was decidedly quieter than usual – the first class of the year was for teachers from the Hanover School Division. The full-day session was organized by teacher/coordinator Steve Jones.
“They are a new partner for us” says Jones. “These teachers represent schools whose students will be visiting the BioLab for the first time this coming year. I thought it would be best to give them a heads-up on what we will be doing with their students when they arrive”.
High school science teacher Ashley Penner (Grunthal, MB) is ‘super excited’, and looks forward to bringing as many as 3 classes from her school in the coming year. “The hands-on experience is critical for my students. We simply don’t have access to the equipment they have here, and the experience will give them a real-life connection to working scientists at the Centre” she says.
The RBC Youth BIOlab Jeunesse teaching laboratory was built with support from Manitoba Education, RBC, and the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation and opened its doors to students in Spring 2013. The program is delivered in partnership with Manitoba school divisions and with the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to connect St. Boniface Hospital and Research Centre to classroom learning.