Minerva Award Winner

2010-05-10

Anita Rossall’s interest in science began outside the classroom; which may be somewhat telling about why the President and Chair of the Alberta Science Literacy Association is so passionate about bringing science to life inside our schools.  

“I was a kid who always had questions like, ‘Why does this work?’ and I was interested in trying to understand how all these bits and pieces of the world fit together,” she says. “I had an uncle who lived in Holland and when we visited, he would take us out on these little sojourns into nature. We would look for deer and frogs and he would show us interesting trees and really just engage us kids in the marvel of nature.”

Rossall says those memorable hikes not only made her a life-long nature lover, they helped stimulate her innate interest about the world.

“Although I had this curiosity, I had better marks in geography and languages at school,” she recalls. “I found science and math to be interesting but couldn’t quite picture myself going forward in it.”

Fortunately, Rossall’s father, a high school science teacher, was able to picture his daughter pursuing a science-based career after graduation.  

“I grew up in a supportive home where education was important. It was never a question of whether I would go on to post-secondary, but what I was going to take and what I was going to do,” she recalls. “My father first mentioned engineering to me when I was 16 and at that time, I had no idea what an engineer did – I thought they drove trains,” she laughs.  

Upon further investigation and a chance to speak with some female engineering students, Rossall “realized engineering was something that appealed to me.” She earned a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering at the University of Waterloo and went on to a succession of fulfilling roles at Gulf Canada Ltd., ICG Propane and at Petro-Canada.

It was while working for Petro-Canada that Rossall became involved in the Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation, a corporate partnership between Petro-Canada and Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School in Calgary. Being volunteer chair of the program married her interest in science and education and led her to taking a more active role in promoting science in the classroom with the Calgary Science Network (CSN).

Through her involvement with CSN, which includes serving as Board President from 2007-2009, Rossall was not only able to make a positive impact on students as a popular classroom presenter and hands-on project facilitator, she developed a thorough understanding of the importance of science outreach.

“The issue we face in Alberta, and likely across much of Canada, is that the curriculum at the elementary and middle-school levels is fairly intense. In recent years, many experienced teachers have retired, resulting in a disproportionately large number of new teachers and fewer experienced mentors.  We see that many elementary teachers are intimidated by the science curriculum, because they do not have a science degree and consequently resort to textbook teaching. As a result, these students are not being exposed to the wide-eyed wonder of science."

Rossall says it is paramount that interesting and engaging science classroom experiences take place during these critical years so that students are enticed to take science courses in high school. Once there, that interest in science should continue to be nurtured.

“Due to the wider variety of course options in high school, kids stream their course selection and post-secondary options to what they perceive they are good at or will be easiest for them or what they’re told they are – ‘You’re a math whiz,’ or ‘You’re a good writer,’” she says.

“A student could very well be a good writer but they may be someday covering topics related to the environment or new technology; therefore they need science, math, engineering and technology literacy skills in order to present a balanced, well-researched and thoughtful written piece,” she says, adding this is why students need to see how science integrates with all aspects of their community and surroundings.

One route to this destination is to bring subject-matter experts (astronomers, geoscientists, engineers, meteorologists, etc.) into the classroom to engage students and teachers through hands-on demonstrations, show-and-tell and question and answer sessions.

The Alberta Science Literacy Association (ASLA) is doing its part by promoting an active, lifelong interest in science, technology and nature. An umbrella organization for five science networks based in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Medicine Hat and Red Deer (with a sixth currently being set up in Lethbridge), the ASLA’s programs place volunteer scientists in the classroom, offering experiential, curriculum-based, science opportunities to students at no cost to schools.

“I’d like to see more people volunteering with our networks. It is a very easy way to volunteer in a meaningful way and involves a relatively low investment of time,” she says. “Visiting classrooms once or twice a year makes a big impact because the experience is then leveraged. The teacher learns from the presentation so that every time they teach that unit going forward, the 25 or 30 kids in their classroom benefit from the scientist’s knowledge.”

According to Rossall, research shows that a scientist or engineer who spends even an hour or two in the classroom can make a powerful and lasting impression on students.

“I remember doing a career presentation at a junior high and one girl, who had been actively engaged in our discussion, came up to me afterwards for a little advice. She didn’t have a mom at home and being the oldest child, she had to look after her siblings. But saddest of all, her father had told her that she didn’t need education beyond high school because she would just end up getting married and taking care of the family anyway.”

“It just goes to show how important science outreach programs are,” Rossall says. “Students see someone standing in front of them, telling them that science is indeed a viable career option. In some cases, it might be the first time they’ve heard about where their interest can take them and the doors it can open for them in the future. That can be very empowering.”