Attention youth group leaders and teachers in School District 20, 8 and 10 CKISS is currently taking booking for FREE field trips with our organization! The field trips will take place in the spring and fall of 2023 and 2024. The trips are typically 2-4 hours in duration, but this timing can be adjusted if required. The trips can take place at the school starting with in class activities followed by outdoor activities. We will walk to a site to identify, map and if time allows remove invasive plants. There may be an opportunity for the field trip to take place off school grounds, please note the cost of busing is not covered by the program.
How do you book a FREE field trip?
To book a field trip or to find out more reach out the the CKISS Education Program Coordinator, Laurie Frankcom via email lfrankcom@ckiss.ca or call 1-844-352-1160 ext. 208. Space is limited! We hope to target this program to Indigenous students and/or those who identify as female, who are currently underrepresented in STEM careers. In addition students must be between the ages of 10-14.
What is the the STEMming Invasive Species Program?
The objective of the STEMming Invasive Species Program is to ignite a passion and understanding in youth of how they can make a difference in their community through science and engineering. CKISS has developed an educational program that goes beyond the classroom and brings learning and STEM to life. The STEMming invasive species program builds on ecology concepts that are introduced in the school science curriculum. Taking young Canadians into the outdoors, however, brings those concepts to life. With a mixture of in class and outdoor activities, CKISS goes beyond the traditional education, by providing the only program for students that teaches youth scientific methodologies in the field in a hands-on setting.
Some potential activities:
- Science: Participants will be taught the basics of invasion biology by CKISS staff using a series of games and activities. The focus will be on invasive species identification, impacts on biodiversity and actions that can be taken to prevent the spread. During the outdoor portion of the trip students may be given the opportunity to mechanically remove invasive plants and /or plant native species. These activities are site specific.
- Technology: Participants will use tablets to explore and identify native and invasive species during a field component. Several software platforms exist that utilize recognition software to aid in the identification of species using the tablet camera. Youth will also be trained on the software that CKISS uses to collect and map invasive plant data for provincial databases during practice plant surveys.
- Engineering: Participants will be challenged to create a gypsy moth trap using provided materials.
- Math: Participants will practice standard plant survey methodologies and then conduct practice plant surveys using the same software that CKISS uses to collect data for provincial databases.
Careers in Action!
Funders
- We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.”
- We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia
- This program is made possible with support from Columbia Basin Trust
