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Innovation council unveils science scholarship |
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Written by MYRISSA KRENZLER
Citizen staff
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Wednesday, 21 May 2008 |
D.P. Todd students Riley Flannagan, left, Jordan Steele, and Elise Foot, all 16, turn Jordan into the Transporter from items collected during the Idea MashUp, a team event in the school gym. The event was the launch of the British Columbia Innovation Council’s Young Innovator Scholarship. (Citizen photo by David Mah)
The scholarship is aimed to encourage students to consider taking science and technology programs for their post-secondary education.
"(The program) is focused on getting students to think innovatively," said Ross Waddell, program director for BCIC. He added there will be one scholarship available to each school that participates in the program.
BCIC held an "idea mash up" at D.P. Todd secondary school on Tuesday to launch the project. The purpose of the event was to get students to think innovatively about products they already use.
Students were split into 13 teams and were given 10 minutes to create a new invention with items such as computer scanners, speakers, cardboard boxes and old badminton rackets. After their time was up, each team had to give a 30 second presentation explaining what their invention was and how it worked.
UNBC President Don Cozzetto was on hand to congratulate students who took part in the exercise and to encourage them to further their science and technology studies.
"Believe it or not, science and technology are fun careers just like the fun you had today," Cozzetto said.
Teachers and students agreed more people would apply for the scholarship because of the mash up.
"They're going to remember this," said Patty Wadson, a science teacher at D.P. Todd.
Waddell said there's a minimum of $2,000 awarded to each school. And in areas where the council has received a partner, the amount of the scholarship has doubled.
Waddell said the council is hoping to get the scholarship up to $10,000.
For schools to be eligible for the scholarship, a minimum of 10 students have to be participating. Smaller schools can partner with another school or can deal with the council directly.
Students are required to create an invention which will be judged by a panel of teachers. The scholarship will be awarded to the student who is most innovative.
"We're not necessarily looking for the top science student," Waddell said. This gives students who may not be at the top of their class a chance to win scholarship money.
If a school wants to hold its own mash up, BCIC will donate $750.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 May 2008 )
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