University grad students inspire and delight

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The students at Haa-huu-payuk elementary school were treated to a special workshop Jan. 11 and 12 that got them talking about science.

It was just the kind of activity the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council's fisheries program-called Uu-a-thluk- was hoping the school would engage in to help ensure the future of resource management.

Many young people have a strong dislike for math and science, key subjects needed to advance in resource management careers, said Shannon Cowan, Uu-a-thluk's capacity building co-ordinator. That's where a program by the University of British Columbia (UBC) called Let's Talk Science comes in. Invited to the school were UBC science grads to work with the students on science experiments.

Graduate students Derrick Randall and Alfredo Franco traveled to Haa-huu-payuk school with an SUV filled with a variety of items, from gummy bears and nitrous oxide to disposable diapers and hydrogen peroxide. The unusual combination of materials became tools to teach about chemical reactions and genetics.

"The hands-on experience of science is always highly motivating for young children," said Haa-huu-payuk principal Darryl Ashdown. "The magic of it, the suspension of thinking, really warms up children's curiosity and enthusiasm."

The two days of science at Haa-huu-payuk proved to be very successful and "a great lead-in" to a science fair that Ashdown is planning for the end of February. "Having a couple of young grad students who know their stuff and are excited about what they do made for great day," he said.

"Getting these types of enrichment activities into the schools as early as we can is one step towards demystifying science and math and showing how useful and fun they can be," said Cowan.

"It was brilliant," said Grade 5/6 teacher Nicole Baribeau. "They asked me what we were doing in class and then brought along experiments that leant themselves really well to what we are doing... They made elephant paste...and used dry ice to bring about chemical reactions...the kids just loved it."

In a report prepared for the tribal council last year, science enrichment programs like Let's Talk Science were recommended for children in Nuu-chah-nulth communities who don't often have broad exposure to science.

"Ultimately, our goal to is bring programs like Let's Talk Science to more remote Nuu-chah-nulth communities," said Cowan. "Haa-huu-payak fit in with the Let's Talk Science schedule on short notice, so we were able to make that work. Now we're looking at other programs to bring science enrichment to communities that normally wouldn't have that experience."