1994 Winner: Excellence In Science And Technology Public Awareness
Non-Profit Organization Excels in Science Promotion
Established in 1990 as a non-profit charitable organization, the Science Alberta Foundation (SAF) was created to promote science education, encourage Albertans to pursue careers in science and technology, and raise the overall level of understanding of science, with the goal of enabling Albertans to make informed decisions on scientific matters that affect their lives. Science Alberta has often been referred to as a ‘science centre without walls’. Its exhibitions have been developed with a view to using non-traditional venues such as shopping malls, hospitals or sports arenas. All of its programs require a ‘hands-on, minds-on’ approach, based on the philosophy that people learn best by doing.
In 1993 Science Alberta sponsored, developed, or funded 35 projects, which appeared in more than 1,225 public sites in Alberta. More than 112,000 people participated in these programs in 129 communities; 73% were located outside the metropolitan areas of Calgary and Edmonton. Some of its more current programs and exhibitions include ‘The Body in the laboratory’, a student of forensics; ‘Yo Leonardo’, an exploration of artistic creativity using Leonardo da Vinci as an example: ‘Northern Exposure’, a simulation of survival in the Arctic; and a variety of science education programs for teachers.
