On October 15, 2025, the Youth BIOlab Jeunesse (YBL) at St. Boniface Hospital Research reached a major milestone, having worked with 100,000 students since the program began nearly two decades ago.

“On October 15, 2025, we reached an exciting milestone as 100,000 students have now participated in our outreach programs,” said Stephen Jones, Director of Youth BIOlab. “We celebrated with Grade 8 students from École communautaire Réal-Bérard in St-Pierre-Jolys, a francophone school in the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine. They dissected some hearts with Meghan Kynoch, our Program Coordinator, and joined us for some donuts afterwards. Their teacher tells us it’s the best field trip they take.”

A Brief History

• The origins of Youth BIOlab Jeunesse date back to 2005, when St. Boniface Hospital Research and the Louis Riel School Division launched an outreach program called It’s All About Me. The goal was to bring hands-on medical science experiences into classrooms.
• In 2013, the Youth BIOlab Jeunesse laboratory facility opened at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre. This allowed for expanded programming and a dedicated space where students can engage with authentic biomedical science.
• The lab was built with support from Manitoba Education, the RBC Foundation, the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, and other donors. National funding partners, such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), have also been involved.
• Youth BIOlab Jeunesse works in partnership with multiple school divisions, including but not limited to: Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, Louis Riel, Seven Oaks, Winnipeg, Seine River, Hanover, and Red River Valley.

Participation Breakdown & Reach

Of the 100,000 students who have participated:

• 48,000 have visited the lab since it opened in 2013
• 47,000 took part in school-based programs since 2005
• 5,000 joined online learning sessions

Today, the Youth BIOlab Jeunesse operates programming in 10 school divisions and collaborates with numerous other schools and community groups.

This milestone represents the continued commitment of St. Boniface Hospital, St. Boniface Hospital Research, and the Youth BIOlab to building scientific literacy and inspiring the next generation of researchers, health professionals, and innovators.

Learn more about the Youth BIOlab’s mission, partners, and programs at youthbiolab.ca