Education Department Science Consultant Wins Award

EDUCATION -Education Department Science Consultant Wins Award

Marilyn Webster, a science consultant in the Department of Education, has won a Nova Scotia Education Week Award for her excellence in promoting hands-on, minds-on science in our schools.

The award recognizes her work of the past five years. Among her efforts, Ms. Webster designed and delivered workshops for more than 300 teacher leaders, regional in-service workshops for hundreds of science teachers across the province, and many successful summer institutes.

"Marilyn is well-known and much-admired in our department," Education Minister Jamie Muir said today, April 23. "Her enthusiasm and boundless energy have opened the eyes of thousands of our students to the world of possibilities offered by science. Students, parents, and educators are all grateful for her contribution."

The official nomination described Ms. Webster as "tireless in promoting scientific literacy inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making through hands-on, minds-on science as the focus of all Department of Education science curriculum initiatives."

Her colleagues say Ms. Webster's workshops are renowned and in great demand. At one memorable session, a group of final-year education students found themselves making boats from materials such as straws, paper, balloons, and plasticine, and then racing them across tubs of water.

Education Week this year runs from April 18 to April 24, and highlights scientific literacy with the slogan "Question. Investigate. Discover."

Scientific literacy has been the focus of Ms. Webster's work as an educator for the past 25 years. In the 2001-02 school year she founded Nova Scotia Youth Experiences in Science (NSYES) to promote science among young Nova Scotians and celebrate the accomplishments of our young scientists.