Province of Manitoba Media Release | Minister Announces First Schools to Benefit from $25-Million Science-Lab Fund. Forty-five Manitoba schools will benefit from revitalized or upgraded science labs over the next two years under the $25-million Science Education Action Plan, Education Minister Nancy Allan announced today.
“We want to interest more students in the sciences and the exciting potential careers available to them in fields ranging from astrophysics and biotechnology to zoology,” Allan said. “Thousands of Manitoba high-school students will benefit from renovated laboratory spaces and state-of-the-art equipment as the Science Education Action Plan rolls out over the next five years.”
School divisions have identified capital project priorities, and the design phase for revitalized science labs is expected to be underway in the fall of 2011. New and improved equipment and classroom space will support implementation of Manitoba’s updated high-school science curriculum, which has been reviewed and revised over the past few years, the minister said.
Under the Science Education Action Plan, schools receiving renovated science labs will also qualify for the Science Enrichment Technology (SET) grant of up to $25,000 for lab equipment when the renovations are completed. This will mean more students will benefit from access to modern technologies such as Smart Boards, planetarium software, biomedical testing equipment and advanced digital microscopes, said Allan.
“Students whose imaginations are sparked by an interesting hands-on experiment or an understanding of how a science project is relevant to their day-to-day world are given an opportunity to see beyond the classroom and into the future. Engaging young people in their education helps them decide on possible career paths and opens the door to endless possibilities.”
The minister noted several innovative programs designed to engage Manitoba students in science education are currently underway. They include the biomedical sciences classroom at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, the Scientists in the Classroom program that will expand to include students in kindergarten to Grade 12 next year and a partnership with the FortWhyte Alive that offers sustainable development education and outdoor alternatives to classroom settings.
Additional science lab projects will be announced annually as part of the Manitoba Public Schools Capital Program for the five-year life of the fund, Allan said.
For the full list of current lab projects, click here.
All Manitobans are welcome to visit the Science Education Action Plan website at:
www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/science/action_plan/index.html.