Telus Spark Science Center Support Programming

Telus Spark Science Centre Education Programs exists to entertain people of all ages in creative encounters with science and technology. Through visits to Spark, and encounters with Spark in the community, people feel lifted up by the positive power of curiosity, experimentation and problem-solving. Focusing on the education side we run a myriad of programs for school-aged children both as an extension to in-school learning and for out of school experiences. Both areas include a myriad of offerings that broadly appeal to children of all ages, but primarily of the ages 5 – 12.

The Telus Spark School and Day Camp Support volunteer opportunity will focus on supporting the educational activities that are run at the science centre. This will likely manifest in being a supportive hand working with children as they navigate pedagogical activities and working with classroom management in school programming as well as camps.

School programs run usually 60 to 90 minutes and have one class focused on a particular subject. This program delivery is supported by setup and takedown, supply preparation, and greeting schools.

Camps run all day on days when school is not in and intersperse classroom activities with exploration in the science centre, taking in movies in the dome theatre, etc. The programming is supported in a similar way to schools with a lot of support of the classroom management and navigating the children through the science centre.

Who

All Bachelor of Education Students

What

Support delivery, logistics, and prep of all curriculum-based activities that occur at the science center

When

PD Day Camps: Weekdays, AM or PM shifts

Telus Spark School Programming: Weekdays through semester

Where

Telus Spark Science Centre, 220 St. George’s Dr NE

Jan 30, Feb 3, Feb 16-17, Mar 10, Mar 17, Mar 27-31

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM or 12:30 - 4:00 PM

This session will include but not limited to supporting program delivery, logistics, and prep of all curriculum-based activities that occur at the science centre. The age range of student participants will be 5-12 years

There are different day offerings for this session. You can attend more than one session

Program Location: Telus Spark Science Centre, 220 St. George’s Dr NE

Weekdays Throughout Winter Semester

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

(can work shorter shift 9-12 PM if preferable)

This session will include but not limited to supporting program delivery, logistics, and preparation of all curriculum-based activities that occur at the science centre. The age range of the participants will be 5-16 years

Program Location: Telus Spark Science Centre, 220 St. George’s Dr NE

What's involved

In both the school and camp programs the students would be responsible for the following to support the Spark staff that are leading the programs:

Supporting the delivery of the program
Assisting students/campers in the activities to aide in their success
Assisting with classroom management
Assisting with greeting schools (providing an orientation to Spark)
Working with children as they engage with the science centre, helping them in the galleries and as an extra hand to move children through various locations
Supporting the set-up and take down of programming
Supporting the prep of programs (more relevant on days when programs aren’t scheduled)

Requirements

Pre-service teachers need a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening (issued after May 1 of the current academic year). Students who do not already have a police check should begin this process online with their local Police station as soon as possible as police checks often take 4-6 weeks to process. Please see the Field Experience Police Information Requirement webpage for more information on how to request a PIC-VS.
Participants will be required to sign a volunteer agreement.

Examine a variety of approaches to teaching and learning in non-traditional educational settings

Examine how educators apply teaching concepts in their daily work

Examine how teaching and learning take place in other contexts

Gain experience working with youth in a classroom setting

Model positive behavior for children, youth, teachers, and parents

Orientation and Training: early January, based on volunteer availability
School Programming:
- Weekdays throughout the semester
- 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (can work shorter shift 9-12 too if that is preferable)
PD Day Camps:
- 9:00 - 12:30 (AM shift) or 12:30 – 4:00 (PM shift)
- Winter 2025 PD Day Camps are on Jan. 31, Feb. 13, Feb. 14, Mar. 7, (also on May 16 after the formal program has ended)
Pre-service teacher volunteers may also include other Telus Spark volunteer hours outside of school and day camp programming, if that works for both the program coordinators and volunteers.

In total, pre-service teachers agree to commit to a minimum of 20 hours to this opportunity.

Please note that this program only runs in the Winter semester.

Fall Semester Timeline

Fall 2024 Applications Open: August 28, 2024
Werklund Information Sessions:
- Cancelled; please email wse.experiential@ucalgary.ca with any questions about the Service-Learning program or to arrange for a meeting.
Fall 2024 Applications Close: September 17, 2024 for smaller programs, larger placement applications are ongoing.
Fall 2024 Placements Start: early October (program dependent)
Fall 2024 Placements End: mid-December (program dependent)

Winter Semester Timeline

Winter 2025 Applications Open: November 15, 2024
Winter 2025 Information Session: November 26, 5:00 pm (Zoom)
Winter 2025 Applications Close: Ongoing, program-dependent
Winter 2025 Placements Start: early January (program dependent)
Winter 2025 Placements End: mid-March (program dependent)

Experiential Learning Check-In & Reflection Opportunities

All participants in Experiential Learning programs are welcome and encouraged to attend at least two of the check-in & reflection sessions below as part of their program. Reflection is an incredibly important part of experiential learning. It encourages students to consider their experience so far and to adjusted as needed as they go forward through the rest of their program, or into the next step of their career.