This person will be responsible for managing WISEatlantic’s social media accounts, maintaining web content, and general administrative tasks. Anticipated start date is September 3, 2019 and approximate weekly hours are 7. See the full job description and qualifications here [Part-Time Communications Assistant]

CAGIS is an award-winning club for girls aged 11 to 16 that facilitates interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). CAGIS chapter members meet monthly to explore STEM with fun, hands-on activities led by women and men experts in a variety of STEM fields.

These monthly events often occur at the work places of our STEM experts, giving girls a behind-the-scenes view and allowing them to experience the lab and field environment for themselves!

If you’d like to learn more, or register, please visit the CAGIS national website at girlsinscience.ca 

Through-out the week, the girls spent time in the lab studying baby zebrafish under microscopes and staging their development. When they weren’t watching the zebrafish grow, they were participating in other STEM activities around campus. The girls put their detective skills to the test as they scavenged a crime scene for clues – by performing both hair and fingerprint analysis they were able to step into the world of forensic investigation and catch the thief! During a Biology session, they explored the mind-boggling concept of regeneration and got to see it occur first hand by studying planaria. They learned about why water and oil don’t mix, and to visually demonstrate the occurrence, they made cool-colored lava lamps out of recycled bottles. The girls also got to create roller coasters using a limited amount of materials that would hold a marble all the way down the track; the more complex the roller coaster was, the more points they gained.  

We had a few guests in to do activities with the girls through-out the week. Lockheed Martin introduced them to Cryptography, and they had to decode an encrypted text to open a briefcase. Code Mobile gave the girls the opportunity to create their own websites using HTML/CSS coding. We got to explore how Virtual Reality can facilitate training for welding with the Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council and all the girls got to experience what it’s like to walk along a beam on the MacDonald bridge! In the computer lab, the girls completed a scavenger hunt using the StatsCan website and explored the benefits of having accurate data that can help inform our decisions. Finally, the Nova Scotia Boat Building Association came in to challenge the girls to create their own self-moving boats out of household items – it was more challenging than you’d think! 

In addition to all the activities mentioned above, the girls got to talk to a variety of women in STEM during a round-robin styled role model session. They got to ask questions regarding schooling, day-to-day lifestyle, and challenges faced in the workplace. A Chemist, Marine Biologist, IT specialist, and an Engineering Specialist for Jazz Aviation were all present.