About Us

Our ultimate goal is an Ontario where all students have opportunities to pursue science exploration.

To achieve this, Youth Science Ontario empowers regional organizations across Ontario to increase youth interest in inquiry-based science and innovation.

Originally called Sci-Tech Ontario, Youth Science Ontario was formed in 2001 to support and serve the science fair community in Ontario. Our main role was as a resource group to support the regional science and technology fair organizations in Ontario with resources including information, help in fund raising, and our coordination of events and programs. Key programs included:

• Team Ontario (the young scientists who champion our province at the national science and technology fair) - direct sponsorship of 1 scientist from each of the 30 regional science fairs to attend the Canada-Wide Science Fair
• Several awards given to each Regional Science Fair - provided by our sponsors, these awards reward a variety of young scientists in each of the 30 science fair communities
• Regional Science Fair Volunteers Conference - an annual conference for community volunteers to help them improve their science fair event and its operations
• Science Fair in a Box - sponsored the original developed and contributed to on-going improvements of an on-line science fair event management program to manage youth, volunteer and judge registrations, scheduling, judging and awards, budgeting and fundraising
• The Annual Showcase event to celebrate the achievements and success of Team Ontario.

Since 2008, the organization has worked towards expanding its role beyond science fair to support a variety of community-based youth science initiatives. With the support of a Trillium grant, Youth Science Ontario is working with communities to start new Science Olympics and Innovation Expos. Additional information about these programs can be found on the Programs page of the web site.

We believe strongly in what we call a “Community Sustainability” model; we work with local volunteers to start a new program, and then support that program through the start-up phase and into the next few years so that it becomes sustainable in the local community. This model allows us to work with more communities and to develop an ever-growing network of successful local/regional youth science events.

We also facilitate networking between these local and regional volunteer committees so that they can share best practices and learn from each other. This model leverages the knowledge embodied in these committed volunteer committees.

The result is improved youth science events in communities across the province. As the committees learn from each other, they improve the quality of their events and the way they promote it to youth and the local community. They also increase awareness of the importance of positive science, engineering and technology experiences for youth within the community, thus strengthening the local community itself.

Youth Science Ontario is governed by a board of directors whose members share a commitment to the development of project-based science and technology, innovation and excellence by elementary and secondary school students.

We thank the following Board members for their tireless commitment to youth science in Ontario: 

Mr. Lorne Heslop, Chair – Ottawa

Lorne has spent much of his career at the interface of government, industry and the public. After spending a decade in industry, Lorne joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa in 1982. Over the next 25 years, he worked as a research engineer, science policy director and  finally as Director of Science and Innovation before retiring in 2008. Lorne has been active in the youth science movement since 1994.

lheslop@xplornet.com

Dr. Patrick Whippey, Vice Chair – London

Patrick Whippey is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Western Ontario. He has long been involved with outreach activities, notably the Science Olympics and Science Fairs, at all levels. Chief Judge at the CWSF in 2000, he is currently the Chair of the Selection Committee for Team Canada, the group of students who represent us at ISEF.

pwhippey@uwo.ca

Dr. Adi Treasurywala, Treasurer - Mississauga

Adi has a PhD in Organic Chemistry and has spent more than 25 years in the pharmaceutical business in both Canada and the USA working in various capacities for Ayerst, Sterling Winthrop, Allelix Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. Prior to founding his own company- ArrowCan Partners Inc.- in 2005, Adi was the COO of the University of Toronto Innovations Foundation and Head of Business Development for U of T. ArrowCan searches across Canada for early stage opportunities for its clients in all fields of research. Adi has always had an interest in mentoring the younger generation most recently students in the MBioTech Programme at UTM. He is currently starting a mentoring programme for Toronto Biotechnology Initiative.

adi.t@arrowcan.com

Mr. Randy Borron, Member - Toronto

Randy is one of Canada’s leading commercial real estate agents.  With over 25 years of industry experience, he is currently the Senior Vice President at Cushman and Wakefield in Toronto. His expertise spans across a variety of specialty service sectors including Mission Critical, Education, Global Life Sciences, Financial Services and Government/Non-for-profit Agencies. Randy completed his post secondary degree in Urban Development and Economics at the University of Western Ontario.

randy.borron@ca.cushwake.com

Ms. Nicole Chiasson, Member – Sudbury

Nicole is the Director of Education and Northern Programs at Science North in Sudbury Ontario. She has been with Science North since January 1988 and since then has held a number of positions including Outreach Manager, Executive Manager of the CEO's office and Director of Dynamic Earth, Science North's earth sciences centre. Nicole has been involved in the Sudbury Regional Science Fair since 1991 and is currently President. Nicole was on the Grand Awards Committee with the Youth Science Foundation from 1998 to 2001.

chiasson@sciencenorth.ca

Ms. Lorraine Cantin, Member - Timmins

Lorraine Cantin is a key member of the Timmins Science Community playing a major role in their superb network of varied science programs and events. She has served as an Area Representative for Sci-Tech after her retirement from a full career in education as a teacher, consultant, principal, teacher at Laurentian University’s Faculty of Education, and coordinator of a Teacher Resource Network for Northern Ontario. Lorraine also co-chaired the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Timmins in 1998.

lcantin@me.com

Dr. Patricia Gillies, Member - Thunder Bay

Patricia has a PhD in Marine Geophysics (Auckland, New Zealand) & teaches as an occasional sessional lecturer in geology & geophysics at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay. She became involved in the Northwestern Ontario Regional Science Fair in 1987 as Chief Judge, and has held a number of positions since, including Chair for the last 10 years. Additional science fair tasks have included running: judges’ training workshops at both school & regional level in Thunder Bay, an intermediate level enrichment science fair class in Auckland, NZ, & science fair training workshops for student teachers at Lakehead University’s Faculty of Education. Patricia lives in Thunder Bay with her husband & 5 children.

gilliesp@hotmail.com

Ms. Sharon Mah-Gin, Member - Toronto

Sharon Mah-Gin is the President of Mah-Gin & Associates Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in retained executive and board level searches.  Prior to that she was with Korn/Ferry International, a global executive search firm where she developed a generalist practice including life sciences, professional services, industrial, and consumer and retail.  She is also a Chartered Accountant, having articled at Ernst & Young.  She has held various positions as Director of Corporate Review, Assistant Controller and Senior Auditor in the retail/real estate industries.  She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Queen’s University.  She is also a founding member of the PepsiCo Global Asian-Advisory Board and BioCEO.  She was also an associate TEC Canada member.

sharon@mah-gin.com

Mr. Mike Newnham, Member - London

After 25 years as a science teacher, enrichment teacher and computer consultant, Mike has spent the past nine years as the science learning coordinator for grades 7 to 12 with the Thames Valley District School Board. The Board has developed a new program called Smarter Science to encourage hands-on, inquiry-based learning. Effective 1 October 2008, he has accepted a two year secondment with the Youth Science Foundation Canada to further develop this program.

mike.newnham@youthscience.ca

Dr. Mira Ray, Member - Toronto

Mira completed a BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, a MSc in Immunology at McGill University and a PhD in Pathology at the University of British Colombia. In 2006, following a career in oncology research, she received a Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Science to Business scholarship and went on to complete an MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business. Mira is a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Toronto and has worked in many industries including health care, retail, and oil and energy.

mray.mba2007@ivey.ca

Dr. William Smith, Member - Oshawa

Dr. Smith is the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Ontario's only fully laptop university, which accepted its first students in fall, 2003. With a goal at the outset of being both a research-intensive and student-centric university, by 2006 UOIT has grown to over 4300 students, has several prestigious Canada Research Chair positions, and will initiate several graduate programs in fall 2007. Dr. Smith has a keen interest in promoting science to youth and to the general public, and he has initiated several outreach events at UOIT, including the rebirth of the Durham Regional Science Fair and the launch in Fall 2006 of an innovative 3-year program directed at the encouragement of youth project-based science, in collaboration with Youth Science Foundation Canada and funded by Ontario's Youth Science and Technology Outreach Program (YSTOP) and local industry partners . William has also acted as a judge for Team Canada selection and given presentations at Canada-Wide Science Fairs.

William.Smith@uoit.ca

Mr. Grant Tipler, Member - Toronto

Grant is the Head of the Life Science and Health Service team of the Knowledge Based Industries group at the RBC Royal Bank. Grant is well known in Ontario’s Bioscience industry, holding volunteer positions with the Ontario Bioscience Industry Organization, UofT’s Mbiotech Advisory Board and the YORKbiotech Board. He was also Chair of The Biotechnology Initiative, Ontario’s biotech industry association from 2006-2009, where he was made a member for life.

grant.tipler@rbc.com

“Supporting programs such as Youth Science Ontario's Science Olympics help create science literate citizens which is important to our economy and important to Hydro One.” - Sheelagh Lawrance, Manager of Community Citizenship, Hydro One Networks Inc. 

Youth Science Ontario would like to thank its sponsors for continuing to support Ontario’s young scientists.

Gold

 Silver

Bronze

Award Partners

University of Ottawa, Faculties of Engineering, Science, and Health Sciences www.uottawa.ca

Across the province of Ontario, our volunteers – scientists, educators, parents, technical professionals – have generously contributed their time, skills, and experience towards promoting scientific knowledge and achievement of young students in Ontario communities.

Volunteering with Youth Science Ontario is a great opportunity to:

• support a cause you believe in
• apply your current skills and perhaps learn new ones
• meet new people and develop professional contacts
• make a difference in young people in your community

We are seeking and welcoming new individuals to join our team of dedicated volunteers.

Current Volunteer Opportunities: 

• Utilize your research and analytical skills as a Fundraising Database Researcher
• Fine-tune your French language skills by volunteering as a Translator
• Apply your technical skills working as a Web master on our official website
• Work with grade 4 to 6 students and be part of the Junior Science Innovation Expo

Youth Science Ontario Inc.
411 Richmond Street East
Suite 001
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 3S5

Fax: 1-888-876-5055

For general enquires:
Lidy Lee, Administrative Assistant
Telephone: (416) 598-8827, ext 102
E-mail: admin@youthscienceontario.ca

Executive Director:
Carolyn Rayfield
Telephone: (416) 598-8827, ext 101
E-mail: crayfield@youthscienceontario.ca

For Science Olympics, Innovation Expo, and Science Rendezvous:
Carolyn Loos, Program Coordinator
Telephone: (416) 598-8827, ext 103
E-mail: cloos@youthscienceontario.ca

Science Fair Liaison:
Jacqueline Hsi
Telephone: (416) 598-8827, ext 104
E-mail: jhsi@youthscienceontario.ca