Students got to experience all kinds of science.
Grade 10 through 12 students from across the district spent three days learning about environmental science and careers at Camp Bickell last week. Organizers say workshops and activities ranged from things like forestry and biodiversity, with guest speakers from places like the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry hosting discussions.
Grade 11 student from Timmins High Alexis Moraze says she wants to pursue a career in science. This is Moraze’s second time attending the Fall Eco-Camp. She says there are always two workshops going on at the same time, so she wanted to go to all the ones she missed out on the first time. Moraze adds that the three-day camp is always amazing. “I’ve been introduced to a lot of job opportunities and I’ve learnt a lot more about the fields, it’s been very helpful actually.”
This camp has been funded by Glencore Kidd Operations for the past three years, making it free for students interested in a career in science. Over the course of last week, 42 students from francophone high schools and 26 from English speaking schools took part in this year’s camp. Grade nine through 12 teacher at Englehart Bill Nuhn says he has been to all three camps so far and believes this is a great opportunity for the students. “I think it gives kids a chance to see what they have learned in school in the outdoors, so it gets them to apply the theory that they learned at school in real applications and listening to the people who work in the industry.”
This is the last year the Glencore Kidd Operations will be funding the camp. Camp Organizer Robert O’Connor says with funding coming to an end this year, this could be the last camp. O’Connor says it is sad to see this coming to an end but it has been a lot of work. He says over the past three years the camp has done what it intended to do. “I met up with one of the presenters from the first year and she said students from that first year contacted her and asked her about careers and interview her about the field.”O’Connor says it would be great if someone else could take over planning the camp.
