Relay Education’s national Kids’ World of Energy Classroom program delivers education programs to youth in schools across Canada. Interactivity and student-led learning are at the heart of our delivery. The programs cover topics such as: renewable energy, energy conservation, natural resource protection and climate change.
Our goal is to reach more than 12,610 elementary students during the 2021-2022 school year. Our classroom workshops are offered virtually and in-person to help students continue learning and support teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alex McPherson, an elementary teacher in Sambro, New Brunswick said, “Relay Education responded to schools in need with STEM workshops that involved an online presentation and a safe hands-on experience in the classroom. Emily did a fantastic job engaging students with a presentation on wind turbines and renewable energy. My students reacted with curiosity and thought the wind turbine experiments were fun.”
The pandemic has made it challenging for students to receive programs from STEM education experts, like Relay Education. The programs are especially critical for marginalized youth who face more barriers and are most at risk of falling behind in their education.
With the support of a $100,000 grant from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation®, we will be offering 220 workshops to more than 4,500 marginalized youth, specifically students within Indigenous communities and communities with barriers to accessing hands-on STEM workshops by educational providers. By funding education workshops across Canada, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is helping youth receive unique workshops about energy and environment topics they may not otherwise receive.
“Supporting charities and educators that teach youth about STEM and environmental sustainability in new ways, especially students who might not otherwise have access to this knowledge, is critical,” said Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director of TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. “We are proud to help Relay Education connect thousands of youth across Canada to new opportunities with unique hands-on activities and technology through their Kids’ World of Energy Classroom program.”
Relay’s workshops improve students’ learning about science using technology and hands-on equipment. Over 2,000 of the students will also take part in one of the 100 Design Challenge workshops. They will take the learnings from our workshops and use them in building and designing a wind turbine or solar car.
The workshops include both hands-on and online components, which use scientific methods, such as data collecting, trial and error, and controlling each experiment themselves.
“Relay’s amazing team has persevered over the last two years to provide extraordinary learning experiences for youth. Working with partners like TELUS Friendly Future Foundation ensures our programming will continue to reach marginalized young people across Canada.” Said Wesley Normington, Executive Director of Relay Education.
Students learn how renewable resources can be transformed into clean electricity which is essential to mitigating climate change.
Relay makes energy literacy and environmental learning possible for all people through accessible and inclusive education programs. The funding supplied will help us reach youth across Canada who have limited access to STEM education and interactive learning.