Mining Matters
e-News
Issue #27, summer 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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In 2022, Mining Matters developed a new workshop centered on robotics to introduce students to the minerals industry while teaching them how robotics is used to survey potential mine sites, increase a mine’s efficiency and improve safety during mine operations.
Working in teams, students practice procedural writing, create a flowchart, write pseudocode and then code a path for their robot to solve a robotics challenge. Through this activity, students develop skills in coding, research, teamwork, problem solving, communication, data analysis, and critical thinking.
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Mining Matters thanks the York Region District School Board for hosting a series of pilot virtual workshops this spring. Participating students and teachers provided valuable support and feedback. We look forward to delivering more Robotics Rocks! workshops this fall.
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In June, Mining Matters and Courtney Onstad, PhD candidate from Simon Fraser University, delivered a multi-day in-person program in Île-à-la-Crosse, a Métis village in Saskatchewan. The program was made possible with financial support from the International Minerals Innovation Institute and extensive collaboration with the Saskatchewan Mining Association.
Twenty-six students from Rossignol High School participated in the program, which introduced students to the geology and mining industry in Saskatchewan, integrating career content and focusing on different aspects of the mineral resource development cycle. Participating students were among the first to take part in our Robotics Rocks! workshop in-person, which was very well-received by youth and teachers. Students also took part in water sampling and testing – their results were uploaded to Water Rangers, a citizen science initiative with an online database that collects and preserves water monitoring data.
Indigenous perspectives were integrated into the program through a new activity developed by Ms. Onstad. Uniting Perspectives asked students to pick a landform, research the western science and Indigenous perspectives surrounding it, and then create a piece of art, a video, or write a report to represent both views.
An outreach event was held for over 40 community members. Student volunteers, alongside Mining Matters staff, delivered activities to attendees, allowing youth the opportunity to share what they had learned in the classroom.
Mining Matters would like to thank the teachers, students, and administration of Rossignol High School, as well as the members of the Île-à-la-Crosse community for making our first multi-day in-person program in two years a great success.
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Mineral Resources and Mining Education Tours - Registration is Open!
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Tours are open to educators at the elementary and secondary level, post secondary and other educational institutions and individuals from companies and organizations and/or communities with links to mining and mineral resources.
Since 2010, The tours have provided enriching, experiential learning. Connected to science and geography curricula, the tours focus on Earth science, modern mining, sustainability, careers, and occupational health and safety.
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2022 Tour Dates:
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Life in a Mining Camp Tour: August 14-16
Located at Impala Canada's Lac des Iles Mine, north of Thunder Bay
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Foundations and Mine Life Cycle Tour: August 21-24
Located at the Canadian Ecology Centre and includes a site visit to the Nickel Rim South Mine in Sudbury
There is a $50 non-refundable administration fee per tour. Please note that transportation to and from the tour is not covered and is the responsibility of the participant.
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Mining Matters Partners with the APGO Education Foundation at
Science Rendezvous
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Mining Matters and the APGO Education Foundation (APGOEF) exhibited at Science Rendezvous this past May in Kingston, ON.
Together, we promoted a greater understanding of geoscience to 976 attendees.
We are thankful to our friends and partners at the APGOEF for their support and collaboration. We were thrilled that our exhibit was voted a People's Choice favourite. The exhibit included a display of local rock samples that tied in nicely with geological displays at the Miller Museum. A geology-themed scavenger hunt where participants could earn a digital “Geo-Explorer Badge” of Kingston was also offered as part of the event.
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Mining Matters exhibited at the 90th Annual PDAC Convention. Thanks to everyone’s support during our online auction, we raised more than $8,500 for mineral resources education.
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In the spring, 175 GEMS Kits engaged more than 1,600 Indigenous youth in communities in Ontario, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut.
Between April and June, our team delivered 83 workshops to more than 2,300 students across Canada.
With support from Teck Resources Limited, Mining Matters awarded more than $3,000 in prizes to students who participated in the 2021-2022 WHERE Challenge contest. Winners submitted projects about the minerals and metals used to make a lightbulb, lithium-ion batteries, and the importance of fluorite in Canada. All winning entries can be viewed here.
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Invest in Mineral Resources Education
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Why invest?
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Sparking interest in youth about the industry starts with education. Every dollar raised helps us bring mineral resources education to more classrooms and communities across the nation.
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There are more jobs available than there are people to fill them. Education about the minerals industry will raise awareness about the array of future career possibilities and education pathways.
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Knowledge is power. Having knowledge about the minerals and metals that go into making the objects we use every day enables us to make decisions that will help preserve the environment and sustain our resources.
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Other ways you can support us in our mission:
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Follow Us on 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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Purchase a Necklace
A portion of every sale will be donated back to Mining Matters. Learn more at delane.ca.
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We would like to thank all of our donors, sponsors, and partners -- 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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