City to fund bid to host national science fair
Council agrees to supply $160,000 for U of L bid
The City has found some money to help with the bid process that could see a prestigious national-level science fair brought to Lethbridge. Council voted, during their regular meeting on Monday, to fund a bid by the University of Lethbridge to host the 2020 Canada-Wide Science Fair in the amount of $160,000.
Council heard a presentation on the 2020 CWSF bid during their April 3 meeting. That presentation involved a request for funding for $160,000. A decision on that request was deferred to Monday’s city council meeting in order to identify an alternate funding option to the Major Community Event Hosting Grant.
Administration identified funds available from five different sources, but suggested the Municipal Revenue Stabilization Reserve, which has $3.5 million available, as the best source for those funds.
The Canada-Wide Science Fair highlights science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), bringing those subjects out of the classroom as students are engaged in finding STEM solutions to real-world problems.
The CWSF is the finale for the National Science Fair Network. It involves some 500 of Canada’s top young scientists showcasing realworld solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing problems.
The students will compete for nearly $1 million in awards, prizes and scholarships. The event regularly draws hundreds or thousands of people interested in science.
This nine-day event would also feature opportunities for students and adults on campus and in the city, and a tour day would allow them to get a better sense of the city and surrounding areas.
Local students around southern Alberta would have an opportunity to view the projects on campus, tour the new Science and Academic building at the U of L, and participate in handson STEM learning opportunities.
The public would also be invited to view projects and the new Science and Academic building.
Lethbridge last hosted the CWSF in 2013 at the U of L. The event drew hundreds of students, officials, judges and parents from across Canada to the city over the course of a week and provided a number of opportunities for involvement from local residents.
It is hoped with the growth of the city’s technology sector, the CWSF could create opportunities to showcase Lethbridge as a destination city for future opportunities in STEM-related fields — particularly for postsecondary education and possible careers in the fields of science and technology.
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