2023 STEAM Green Award Winner

Science Rendezvous Kingston

The Science Rendezvous Kingston team embraced the challenge to STEAM Green in 2023, hosting another outstanding Science Rendezvous festival on May 13, 2023.

Over 5,300 youth and families gathered at Leon’s Centre and The Tragically Hip Way to engage with a diverse array of 50 booths and demonstrations covering topics from cardiovascular health and robotics to plant sciences, geology, engineering, and art conservation. This event was made possible by the dedication of a team of over 430 volunteers, including Queen’s faculty members, researchers, and students, as well as representatives from local museums, schools, and community partners. Their collective effort ensured the success of the event, providing an enriching and inspiring experience for all attendees.

A notable highlight of Science Rendezvous Kingston was the introduction of the Sensory Friendly Science Zone. This pilot project, sponsored by an NSERC PromoScience Supplement, was designed to support children with ADHD, autism, social and emotional mental health needs, or other sensory-related or physical disabilities. The zone featured exclusive booths and activities, fostering an inclusive environment for all participants.

The excitement and learning extended beyond the physical event, however, as librarians at Queen’s Faculty of Education curated booklists with suggested readings in both English and French, complementing Science Rendezvous activities. Booth presenters also developed engaging activities for families and children to explore at home or at school, including a dancing raisins experiment, an artificial heart craft, and a balloon rocket.

Online, the Science Rendezvous Kingston website provides valuable resources like Wáhta Teachings, part of the Million Tree Project. Wáhta is the Kanyen’kehá:ka word for Sugar Maple. The resource draws upon the strengths of both Indigenous and scientific knowledge systems to educate all Canadians, and in particular, geographically separated Indigenous communities, about land-based traditional plant knowledge and how it has contributed to and continues to impact Western science in significant ways, and how Western science can play a role in preserving Indigenous communities’ access to the natural resources that are essential to their cultures and ways of life.

The website also hosts two Museum in the Classroom kits, created in collaboration with Research Casting International. The Pleistocene Extinction and Vertebrate Evolution kits are available both as physical kits and digital teaching units, containing fossil casts (or 3D scans) from Canada and around the world.

Science Rendezvous Kingston’s dedication to making science accessible and inclusive continues to leave a lasting impact on our communities. Thank you for being true leaders and a part Science Rendezvous. We are looking forward to seeing what you will come up with in 2024!