Innovation, Business and Rural Development
May 30, 2014
Investments in Innovation Support Youth Education
2014 Youth Innovation Project Recipients Announced
The Provincial Government is providing over $400,000 in funding to 32 schools and organizations to support youth innovation and new learning experiences throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, made the announcement this morning at Millcrest Academy in Grand Falls-Windsor.
“Our government is committed to supporting youth who represent the future leaders of Newfoundland and Labrador. Youth Innovation Projects help create an awareness of the value of innovation in the province’s resource and non-resource based industries. It is important that as a government, we provide opportunities that encourage innovation, creativity and build problem solving skills for students. I am confident that our investment of over $400,000 will increase opportunities for our young people and broaden their horizons.”
- The Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development
Through this initiative, the Provincial Government is helping youth connect with technology-based opportunities that focus on innovation and creative learning. Millcrest Academy, one of the recipients of the funding, will receive nearly $15,000 to introduce a robotics program in the school. A complete list of recipients is noted in the backgrounder below.
“The funding made available to our school will make our robotics program a reality, providing our students with the tremendous opportunity to explore their own aptitude for new and emerging technologies. The robotics program will also allow our students to work with students from other schools, implementing a collaborative approach to learning, which I am sure will teach them skills that will be very useful as they continue their education.”
- Darryl Stacey, Teacher, Millcrest Academy
Youth Innovation Projects, which are funded under the Regional Development Fund, provide non-repayable contributions, up to 80 per cent of eligible project costs to a maximum of $15,000. Since 2009, the Provincial Government has invested over $2 million in 136 projects that support youth innovation.
QUICK FACTS
- $401,377 is being provided to 32 schools and organizations to support youth innovation and new learning experiences throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Youth Innovation Projects help to create awareness among the province’s youth of the value of innovation in the province’s resource and non-resource based industries.
- Youth Innovation Projects are funded under the Regional Development Fund and provide non-repayable contributions, up to 80 per cent of eligible project costs to a maximum of $15,000.
- The Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development offers a wide range of services to economic development organizations. Additional information on programs can be found at: //www.ibrd.gov.nl.ca/programs/RDF.html.
- 30 -
Media contacts:
| Jennifer Tulk Director of Communications Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 728-4104 jennifertulk@gov.nl.ca |
Maria Antle Principal, Millcrest Academy 709-489-3805 |
BACKGROUNDER
2014 Youth Innovation Project Recipients
Youth Innovation projects relate to science, technology and engineering and identify opportunities in a number of strategic sectors, such as digital media, emerging technology and knowledge based-industries. The following 32 schools and organizations will receive funding that will benefit participants by increasing their opportunity to engage in technology-based educational projects.
| School/Organization | Project | Funding |
| Avalon | ||
| Acreman Elementary | Daily Five – students will participate in the Daily Five Language Arts program. | $9,017 |
| Amalgamated Academy | Conservation and Engineering Corps – a project that will implement a conservation and engineering corps. | $15,000 |
| Baccalieu Collegiate | Historical Information Communications - a partnership with communities to create a series of e-books and photo-displays with historical content. | $15,000 |
| Beachy Cove Elementary | GRIT (Girls Reveling in Tech) - girls, in Grades 4 through 6, will explore science, technology, engineering and math in collaboration with each other. | $7,157 |
| Brother Rice High School | Where They Once Stood - the development of an online video repository of history and traditions in Newfoundland and Labrador | $15,000 |
| Cape St. Francis Elementary | Connecting Communities - a partnership with Pouch Cove, Bauline and Flatrock that will provide students with collaborative opportunities to create multi-media projects to explore and celebrate communities | $14,977 |
| Community Youth Network- Southern Avalon | Visual Media Project - a project that will engage youth in technology and arts by creating a regional visual media group | $5,333 |
| Goulds Elementary | DynaVox 21 Century Learning - a project that will support the purchase of the DynaVox Xpress communication device, which will be used to help students with ASD and other learning differences to express thinking processes in Math and Science curriculum | $5,876 |
| Hazelwood Elementary | iCan iDo - a literacy-based project that will introduce tablet technologies throughout all grade levels | $14,627 |
| Holy Spirit | Collaborative App Development Project – students will participate in a real-world R&D project, under the mentorship of researchers, technology specialists and digital media professionals | $15,000 |
| O'Donel High School | Coastal Ocean Applied Science & Tech (COAST) - a project that will support student engagement in science engineering and technology with a focus on mechanics, instrumentation, electronics and other sampling technologies | $15,000 |
| Prince of Wales Collegiate | Real Applications of Physics - a competition for students to use technology to solve challenges in transportation, surveying and mining using remote control drones | $15,000 |
| St. Catherine's Academy | Innovate to Excel - a project that will provide tablets to engage students in 21st Century Learning | $13,841 |
| St. Francis School | Salmon Project - students will be introduced to data collection and analysis while studying life cycle of Atlantic Salmon. | $15,000 |
| St. Kevin's | e-Library Project - the development of e-library project and e-tools such as tablets and other wireless devices. | $13,049 |
| St. Peter's Junior High | Empowering Youth Today - a project that will promote careers in skilled trades and technology to Canadian youth through involvement with Skills Canada. | $15,000 |
| Woman in Resource Development | Tech. Exploration for Girls - a two-day technology based career exploration session in July for Grade 9-12 girls. $15,000 | |
| Eastern | ||
| St. Lawrence Community Youth Network | GEMS - Girls Exploring Marine Sciences - a project that will support The St. Lawrence Community Youth Network participation in GEMS. | $9,076 |
| St. Mark's School | ROV Ocean Research Project - a project that will support real world application of ROV technologies. | $6,500 |
| Central | ||
| Botwood Collegiate | Mate ROV - a project that will support the robotics program and assist with school travel. | $2,000 |
| Helen Tulk Elementary | Technology & Physical Ed. Integration - Students will participate in physical activities by integrating current technology and entertainment games. | $15,000 |
| Marine Institute - School Ocean Technology | Oceans Innovation 2014 Speaker Series – Students will use a TED-type talk at Junior High School in Lewisporte and will be simulcast at School in Washington DC (Hosts of Oceans 2015). | $15,000 |
| Millcrest Academy | Robo E Learner - a project that will support development and implementation of a robotics program. | $14,995 |
| Valmont Academy | InSync with Youth – a project that will support the implementation of a class set of Apple iPads as well as other media equipment. | $11,110 |
| Western | ||
| JJ Curling | Space Camp - Will support 36 Grade 6 students to attend Space Camp at the Cosmodome in Laval, Quebec. | $15,000 |
| Labrador | ||
| Southern Labrador- Strait of Belle Isle CYN | Ghost Walk – a project that will focus on incorporating technology into theatre productions to build IT capacity among Youth. | $15,000 |
| Pan Provincial | ||
| Association for New Canadians | Newcomer Youth Leadership Conference (CB, Western, Central) - a one-day conference to help create a pathway toward a career in sciences. | $10,718 |
| Allied Youth NL | Youth Leadership Kick-off - regional chapters will network and participate in educational sessions on relevant issues facing youth today. | $8,101 |
| FIRST Technology Association | Lego League Expansion – an expansion of First Lego League (FLL) science and technology project. | $15,000 |
| Marine Institute | 3rd Annual Model Boat Competition - a project that will support the implementation of the 3rd Annual model boat competition for 10 schools. | $15,000 |
| Marine Institute - Ocean Net | Youth and the Oceans Conference - a project that will engage over 1,000 youth, teachers in ocean research, creative art. | $15,000 |
| Women in Science and Engineering-NL | Wise NL Aboriginal Youth Conference - Women in Science and Engineering-NL will host the Aboriginal Youth Conference in Corner Brook and promote science and engineering careers to aboriginal communities. | $15,000 |
2014 05 30 11:00 a.m.