Building awareness in the students of today
Knowledge of Earth Science is crucial for responsible collaboration between geoscientists, governments and companies to find and develop resources for the products and infrastructure that we use in our daily lives, and also fundamental to the public appreciation of responsible consumption, resource management, natural hazards, climate science and environmental issues. Increased science literacy is essential for the students of today as they will become the decision-makers of tomorrow and the future caretakers of the Earth. The goals of the ESfS committee are:
- To expose students and the public to various aspects of Earth Science in a fun, educational and interactive way.
- To inform students about education and career options.
- To demonstrate how Earth Science plays a critical role in our society.
- To make connections between responsible resource development and the things we depend on every day.
The annual ESfS Exhibition is a free event, open to the public, which showcases the importance of Earth Science in our everyday lives, and aims to inspire attendees to have a deeper understanding of Earth Science. The event particularly caters to youth, with over 1,500 grade 7 to 9 students attending this event from schools across Calgary and nearby towns. Presenters at the four themed pavilions, Resources and You, Energy for Us, One Dynamic Earth, and Our Future!, have created dynamic demonstrations and interactive exhibits that provide a unique learning experience.
The Exhibition is organized and implemented year-round by a dedicated team of over 30 volunteers. Over 100 additional volunteers are involved during the three day event. Many visitors and exhibitors positively remark on the helpful and energetic volunteers who help make ESfS possible. We are continuously looking for geoscientists to volunteer and help us grow the Exhibition into an even greater success. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up through our website by filling out the Volunteer Form.
2016 ESfS Exhibition highlights
The 2016 Exhibition was held from Sunday, March 13th to Tuesday, March 15th in the Big Four Building at Stampede Park. 27 amazing sponsors helped us make this year’s Exhibition possible. Public attendance hit new highs this year, reaching over 750 on Sunday, in large part due to a new outreach initiative with local Girl Guide groups. 13 schools from Calgary, Canmore, Okotoks and Crowsnest Pass participated on Monday and Tuesday, bringing in an additional 1,484 students.
24 exhibitors provided exciting displays and activities for all ages. Sunday’s Geo-Theatre showcased presentations from Dr. François Therrien of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, Dr. David J. Knudsen from the University of Calgary, and Dr. Chris Harrison, Creative and Social Media Geoscientist at Dr. Chris Inc. Hands-on activities included gold panning with Yukon Dan, geophysics demonstrations with the CSEG and CREWES, a scavenger hunt booklet, and a Trilobite fossil station.
The organizing committee received many compliments on the quality of the hands-on exhibits and the enthusiasm of the booth personnel. Thank you to all of our exhibitors and volunteers!
Preparing for 2017: sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities
ESfS is a non-profit group organized by volunteers. Sponsorship is essential to our program. Although 2016 was a difficult year for raising the funds required to host the exhibition, we were very fortunate to have 27 generous sponsors contribute to our success. We are now preparing for 2017 to be another challenging year. Please have your organization consider becoming a sponsor. We are also looking for future exhibitors. For more information, our Sponsorship and Exhibitor brochures can be found on our website (esfscanada.com).
Be sure to save the date for the 7th Annual Earth Science for Society Exhibition, which will be held from March 19th to March 21st, 2017. For more information about this event, please visit our website and look for the Event Overview brochure, as well as the videos from previous Exhibitions. We look forward to seeing you in 2017!
“Taught me things that I would like to go home to further research.”
– STUDENT (AGE 13)“A fabulous event. Just keep making it happen.”
– EXHIBITOR“[They were] really good at explaining the topic of seismic.”
– HAILEY (AGE 12)“There were lots of hands-on activities.”
– JESSICA (AGE 12)“Thank you to the organizers. I liked the friendly work environment.”
– VOLUNTEER
Brodie Sutherland, Earth Science for Society Committee
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