August 23, 2011
Awards Program to Support Province’s Youth Announced by Provincial Government
A new awards program is set to positively impact high school students in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Provincial Government, through the Research & Development Corporation (RDC), today announced the establishment of its Research Inspired Student Enrichment (RISE) Awards targeting Newfoundland and Labrador’s top high school students.
The RISE Awards will increase students’ knowledge of research-related education and career paths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics prior to post-secondary education.
“Through these awards, RDC is planting the seeds required to grow the next generation of innovators,” said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. “Providing young people with opportunities to explore education and research careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is critical to building an innovative economy and society. Through these awards, as well as the Provincial Government’s innovation and youth attraction and retention strategies, we are taking great strides to introduce youth to some of the exceptional and rewarding careers in knowledge-driven industries.”
In creating the RISE Awards, RDC is investing in the early development of the future talent that research and development (R&D) stakeholders need, recognizing the importance of R&D to innovation and business growth.
“Investing early in high school students represents an opportunity for the Research & Development Corporation to position a key building block that is vital to our economy,” said Glenn Janes, Chief Executive Officer of RDC. “These awards give young minds an opportunity to collaborate and learn from leading researchers in a variety of fields at prominent research institutions in North America.”
Through these awards, the RDC will sponsor two Newfoundland and Labrador Level II graduates to attend the highly competitive and prestigious Research Science Institute (RSI) in July 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Research Science Institute is a partnership between the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) in McLean, Virginia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which offers a six-week summer enrichment program emphasizing advanced theory and research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
“The center is pleased that two academic scholars in science and mathematics will be participating at the RSI 2012 collaboratively sponsored with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,” said Joann DiGennaro, President, Center for Excellence in Education. “CEE is proud to have Canada join the international community represented at RSI and looks forward to this important partnership to nurture young scholars to careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
RDC will also support other successful RISE Award applicants to attend similar high school enrichment programs in Canada including Shad Valley and Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP). Shad Valley is a four-week program held across 10 Canadian university campuses, including Memorial University, which focuses on bringing science, technology, engineering and mathematics research and entrepreneurship together. DEEP is a four-week program held at the University of Toronto which offers pre-university engineering and science enrichment and research project design opportunities.
Further details on the program will be posted on RDC’s website, www.researchnl.com, and promoted within schools in late-September.
The Research & Development Corporation (RDC) is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for improving Newfoundland and Labrador’s R&D performance. RDC works with R&D stakeholders including business, academia and government agencies and departments. For more information about RDC, go to www.researchnl.com.
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Media contacts:
| Scott Barfoot Director of Communications Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 690-6290 scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca |
Jeff Green Manager, Marketing and Communications Research & Development Corporation 709-758-0973, 691-8892 jeffsgreen@researchnl.com |
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Maureen Palmer Public Affairs Manager Center for Excellence in Education 703-448-9062, ext. 222, 571-435-5713 mpalmer@cee.org |
2011 08 23 2:10 p.m.