Dear RSC Members, Friends and Colleagues,
Today we are delighted to announce that the RSC and Let’s Talk Science have established a multi-year partnership supported by the Government of Canada to engage over 600,000 youth across Canada in climate science education and action.
The past year has vividly demonstrated the passion and willingness of the scientific community to contribute to a better future, with over 450 individuals (so far!) contributing to the work of the RSC Task Force on COVID-19. Our partnerships with the Globe and Mail and FACETS have increased the reach and impact of this work, with over 400,000 reads of RSC informed perspectives and 30,000 downloads of COVID-19 Policy Briefings as of February.
As you will have seen, we are now expanding our efforts to include the provision of independent expertise on climate, the environment, and biodiversity, in an initiative led by John Smol, President of the Academy of Science. Last week’s launch of the G7 declarations (the statements are here and a news item by Ivan Semeniuk is here) is being followed up with the establishment of RSC Working Groups that will develop Policy Briefings tracking the latest insights and evidence that can contribute to Canada’s pursuit of Net Zero in keeping with the recommendations of the G7 science academies.
In this new partnership, the RSC will provide information on cutting edge climate research and the latest insights from across disciplines and across generations to be integrated into the award-winning outreach activities of Let’s Talk Science. Our objective is to provide youth from early years to Grade 12 with meaningful opportunities at no cost to make informed decisions and develop the skills they need to succeed in the future. Activities will include regional events, action projects, hands-on activities and a suite of digital resources, including career information, and will be locally relevant and accessible to children and youth from coast-to-coast-to-coast regardless of geographic location, age, cultural background and official language.
For a sense of things to come, please click here, and click here for information on a symposium on COVID-19 on May 5, called “Science in Real Time”, for high school students.
Our goal is to be both interdisciplinary and intergenerational, so I hope you will consider joining our efforts as the project evolves.
Sincerely,
Jeremy McNeil, FRSC
President