Mining Matters
e-News
Issue #25, Winter 2022
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Read our e-News to catch up on what we at Mining Matters have been working on over the past few months and to see what we have coming up. |
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GEMS Kits Distribution and New Version of GEMS |
Since 2020, GEMS kits have provided hands-on resources about geology, engineering, mining, and sustainability to communities, ensuring that remote community partners who may lack access to a stable high-speed internet connection, can continue to take part in Mining Matters programs.
We distributed nearly 400 kits to communities in the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Quebec over the last few months.
A grant from the Nova Scotia Mineral Resources Development Fund has enabled the production of 180 GEMS kits for Indigenous youth in the province. Kits have been customized to include resources from the Atlantic Geoscience Society and the Mining Association of Nova Scotia.
With support from the province of Ontario, Mining Matters is moving forward with a second edition of our GEMS kit that will allow for 450 new kits to be distributed this spring to 15 communities in the Ring of Fire.
Thank you to the following organizations for their support:
- Alamos Gold
- Canadian Geological Foundation
- Glencore
- Government of the Northwest Territories
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Nova Scotia Mineral Resources Development Fund
- Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
- Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada
- Teck Resources Limited
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Virtual Student Workshops |
Since October, Mining Matters has delivered over 40 virtual workshops to approximately 900 students. The majority of these workshops were delivered in conjunction with North Bay Mining Week and were organized in collaboration with CIM Northern Gateway, Near North District School Board, Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord, and Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l’Ontario.
Two hundred workshop participants were from underserved communities through our Rocks + Kids = Opportunities program, sponsored by Kinross Gold.
Students identify properties of Earth materials while engaging in lively discussions to better understand where and how these resources form, as well as their importance in everyday life. Students develop critical thinking skills and apply inductive and deductive reasoning to identify a variety of samples.
Virtual geoscience workshops are available for classes across Canada. If you would like to book a virtual workshop for your class, please register at this link. See you online!
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We invite youth between the ages of 9 and 14 and their teachers to participate in the annual WHERE Challenge. This national contest asks students to discover the minerals and metals used to make everyday objects. All you need to do is pick an object, research the resources that go into making that object, and present your findings in a creative way (poem, website, video, etc.). Entries can be submitted individually or as a group.
Cash prizes are up for grabs for students. And three $500 prizes will be awarded to schools or classes based on a combination of quality and quantity of entries from each school or class. Teachers, gather your students and join the WHERE Challenge!
WHERE Challenge workshops are available for classes in Grades 4 through 9 to provide more information about the contest while engaging students with hands-on activities. Visit our website to register.
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These mini challenges are a condensed version of the larger contest and run once a month. Each month, one winner is selected by random draw and is sent a Mining Matters Prize Pack.
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Mineral Resources and Mining Education Tours: 10th Anniversary |
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Since 2010, Mining Matters, the Ontario Mining Association, the Canadian Ecology Centre, and the CIM have partnered to deliver Mineral Resources and Mining Education Tours, an experiential professional learning program for educators. While participating in presentations from industry professionals, resource workshops and visits to mine sites and mine manufacturing facilities, educators learn about sustainability, mine reclamation practices, occupational health and safety and careers in the industry. The tours are delivered annually in Ontario.
In honour of the Tours’ 10th anniversary, the Ontario Mining Association has developed a celebratory video highlighting experiences gained from the tours.
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2021 GAC-MAC Annual Conference |
Working in partnership with the APGO Education Foundation, Canadian Geoscience Education Network, Carleton University, Western University and the GAC-MAC local organizing committee, Mining Matters planned and delivered a symposium, a professional development workshop for educators, and a virtual field trip. The full-day professional development workshop for educators focused on the connections between Earth science and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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Coding with Copper with the Royal Ontario Museum |
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Mining Matters produced a video to provide an overview of the mineral resource development cycle for a new virtual workshop hosted by the ROM. The workshop incorporates coding while also focusing on building mineral literacy.
The free workshop Coding with Copper is available on the ROM Activities and Resources website.
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Summer STEM Co-op Opportunity |
We are looking to add a motivated, enthusiastic co-op student to our team this summer. If you are enrolled in a co-op program within the fields of STEM, enjoy working with kids, and have an appetite for learning new things, this could be the position for you.
Visit our website to view the full job description and instructions for how to apply. For questions regarding this opportunity, please email Sarah at [email protected].
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Other ways you can support us in our mission:
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Social Media
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and share our posts with your friends and loved ones.
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Send Us Feedback
We would love to hear from you.
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Your monetary contribution supports the development and delivery of our innovative, curriculum-linked educational programs.
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We would like to thank all of our donors, sponsors, and other supporters for your continued support -- without you, we could not share our love of geoscience with young people and educators across the country! Your support allows us to innovate, inform, and inspire thousands of students and their many diverse communities. |
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1102 - 150 Ferrand Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 3E5
T: 416-863-6463 | F: 416-863-9900
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