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Sparking wonder and curiosity through science

Our outreach programs have a long history of sparking wonder and curiosity in students through hands-on demonstrations, activities, and experiments. With a wide range of topics for every age, we proudly offer virtual and in-person interactive activities designed with grade-specific outcomes for elementary and high school-aged children. 

Through the much-needed support of our outreach program donors, we can continue expanding science's reach by encouraging exploration, inquiry and discovery in countless youth and adults alike. We hope you can join us in changing the world through science!

Science In Action

Science in Action is a free outreach program open to elementary, middle, and high school classes interested in exploring science more deeply. Thousands of children and youth visit the Burnaby and Surrey campuses yearly to participate in exciting lab activities and hands-on science workshops and presentations or attend online lessons and engage with SFU’s teaching resources. 

Learn more about the Science in Action outreach program here

Trottier Observatory & Science Courtyard

Are you interested in having your or your organization's names at the SFU Burnaby campus for posterity? The Science Courtyard offers several opportunities, such as community tables, star benches and green screens, available for recognition.

Learn more about the Trottier Observatory & Science Courtyard here.

Math Catcher Outreach Program

The Math Catcher outreach program is a science outreach initiative run by SFU faculty, staff, and students who volunteer their time to the program.

Math Catcher aims to tackle the stigma surrounding mathematics among Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth through several initiatives. These include school visits, workshops, academic summer camps, tutoring programs, and classroom resources. 

The program's main goal is to encourage students to discover the joy and appeal of mathematics at a critical age. We hope they will better understand the presence and importance of mathematics in everyday life and consider it a field of study and future career.

Math Catcher introduces mathematics and science to students through First Nations imagery and storytelling. Math Catcher has produced animated films in many Indigenous languages (Blackfoot, Cree, English, French, Gitxsan, Halq 'em ́eylem, Heiltsuk, Hul'q'umi'num', Huu-ay- aht, Nisga'a, Tla'amin, Spanish, Squamish, and Wet'suwet'en) as well as bilingual picture books in Blackfoot/English, Cree/English, Squamish/English, Nisga'a/English, and Tla'amin/English. The program is rooted in the belief that we must engage students in mathematics and science at an early age.

We are creating a series of classroom resources based on each story to support teachers and students in exploring the mathematical concepts in the Small Number stories. Each resource includes the following:

  • Mathematical concepts contained in the story
  • Mathematical vocabulary used in the story
  • Cultural components in the story
  • Possible answers to the open-ended question at the end
  • Mathematics in- and out-of-classroom activities based on the story

Learn more about the Math Catcher outreach program here

To learn more about supporting Science outreach, contact:

Greg Weinrauch

Director, Advancement
778-782-9351
greg_weinrauch@sfu.ca

Jennifer Bergeron

Advancement Officer, Leadership Giving
778-782-8038
jennifer_bergeron@sfu.ca