August 06, 2013
High school students from Nanaimo, Nanoose Bay and Lantzville will become the next CSI experts as Genome BC Geneskool Summer Camp returns to Vancouver Island University (VIU) for an intensive five-day workshop.
Through fun, hands-on activities in state-of-the-art labs facilities, students will learn about genetics, DNA profiling, blood splatter and fingerprint analysis, bacterial transformation and much more. The students analyze a fictitious crime scene and put their newfound knowledge to use to solve the mystery around “who killed Dr. Little.” This popular outreach program illustrates the use of genomics in everyday life and affords participants an opportunity to learn new methods and techniques that they can apply to upcoming science courses once the school year begins.
This year the camp will host several exciting guest speakers including Cpl. Keith Stone, RCMP Identification Officer. He will discuss how a crime scene is protected and the types of forensic evidence discovered and collected as well as science-related career options that students may not have previously known about or considered.
The Genome BC Geneskool program has been involved in communities throughout BC since 2004. Summer camp has been available since 2009. “Students are really enthusiastic about summer camp, because it highlights the fun and relevance of science to everyday lives and they get to see what life is like in a real college laboratory setting” says Sally Greenwood, Vice President, Communications and Education at Genome BC. “We explain the scientific concepts and how they can be applied to real life situations, and explore the potential applications and impact of genomic technologies on society.”
Part of the program is designed to get students working in teams to learn about science in a cooperative manner. The students will be spending time at VIU where they will have an opportunity to explore the applications of genetic technologies beyond the lab by considering the science from social and ethical perspectives. The program is set in a university laboratory so participants are able to conduct real experiments using state-of-the-art equipment.
“Our aim is that after attending Genome BC Geneskool camp students will continue to appreciate the value of science and math in today’s knowledge-based economy. We are hopeful that students not only develop greater understanding of genetic sciences, but realize the wealth of opportunity that exists in scientific disciplines,” says Greenwood.
“The impact and applications of genome sciences in this century will be profound and far-reaching and we believe it is important that as a society we understand it,” says Dr. Alan Winter, President & CEO of Genome BC. “Engaging students in innovative education programs such as ‘Genome BC Geneskool’ helps them understand the significance of the science in a way that is accessible and exciting.”
