Centre for excellence in science education established at UVic.

A new centre for excellence in science education will be launched June 2 at the University of Victoria to help provide teachers with the tools they need to develop a more scientifically literate populace and to inspire Canada’s next generation of scientists.
The Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Understanding Science (CETUS) aims to help teachers move beyond the traditional textbook-dependent approach towards a more innovative and creative teaching method for elementary and secondary school students in British Columbia.

“ The new Centre is dedicated to the on-going professional development of teachers,” says Dr. David Blades, Director of CETUS and faculty member in the department of curriculum and instruction at UVic. “Working with teachers, we will develop mentorship programs that encourage science education leadership in school districts. We will also develop curriculum resources and establish a network of educators and scientists committed to helping teachers understand and teach science effectively.”

A grant of $250,000 to support the first five years of CETUS operations is being provided by the Imperial Oil Charitable Foundation, which has played a key role in stimulating Canadian school science education. Blades recently came to the University of Victoria from the University of Alberta, where he served as founding director of the Imperial Oil National Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education.

“ At Imperial Oil, our vision is to help build a life-long learning system in Canada that ranks among the best in the world. By helping to improve the teaching of math, science and technology in our classrooms, we believe that we are making the best possible investment in Canada’s future,” says Barbara Hejduk, President of the Imperial Oil Foundation.

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