YSF Alumni "Stepping Up" to develop new online guide

October 28, 2007

Thirteen YSF Alumni from the CWSF and Team Canada-ISEF gathered recently in Toronto to begin development of a new online resource for science fair participants looking to take their projects to the next level.

While the YSF Canada SMARTS program offers great resources for students getting started with their first project, there is a need for materials that help more experienced science fair participants with the finer points of good scientific research, including experimental design, data analysis, science communication, mentorship and presentation skills.

The project was initiated during the summer by Mubdi Rahman, a CWSF and Team Canada alumnus, and kicks off by bringing alumni together at two focus group meetings - this first one in Toronto and another in Montréal in December. Work on the guide, tentatively titled, "Stepping Up", will ultimately engage alumni from across the country through the use of wiki technology (similar to Wikipedia), which allows a large number of contributors to collaborate on the document. The Toronto gathering welcomed alumni from Sudbury, London, Waterloo and Hamilton as well as the Greater Toronto area.

The target for launching the new online guide is the beginning of Youth Science Month in March 2008.

YSF alumni interested in getting involved in the Stepping Up project should contact Mubdi Rahman.