Rock and Fossil Clinic Attracts Future Geoscientists
Kids dig rocks—it comes with the territory. But how do you show kids that loving rocks can pave the way to a career?
This year’s Rock & Fossil Clinic—held in Edmonton at the TELUS World of Science on Saturday, October 19, 2019—introduced hundreds of rockhounds and potential future professional geoscientists to amazing volunteers eager to share their love of the professions with the next generation.
Watch the CTV News recap of the APEGA Rock & Fossil Clinic
Calgary Rock & Fossil Clinic at TELUS Spark in 2020
To help spread the love of rocks and fossils across Alberta, we will be holding our popular Rock & Fossil Clinic at the TELUS Spark Centre in Calgary in 2020! The date is still to be determined, so keep an eye out for a future announcement.
Sharing the Love for the Professions
The Rock & Fossil Clinic relies primarily on our geoscientist volunteers, including members-in-training and university students. This year’s event had 19 volunteers, who also brought some of their personal collections to show attendees. More than 550 people, young and old, stopped by between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., some with their own rock specimens for identification and others just curious onlookers waiting for admission to the science centre.
Here are a few of the highlights:
- There were two activities for kids to learn about geological processes: Oreo Plate Tectonics, where kids squished the gooey centre of an Oreo cookie through cracks in the cookies, and Bread Fossil Formation, where kids put gummy candies between layers of bread and subjected them to extreme pressure (via heavy books) to show how fossils form. These activities were big hits—especially since the kids could eat their “fossils” afterwards
- Some amazing family heirloom rock artifacts were presented to the geoscientists, leading to some intense discussions about possible origins and composition. One couple presented an almost perfectly round rock that had become a special family item. Another couple brought a framed carved rock that used the natural compositional elements of the rock as part of the art.
- Some of the kids were avid rock collectors and were excited to just share their findings with the experts. Future geoscientists, indeed!
Have You Considered Volunteering
APEGA is always looking for passionate volunteers for many of our outreach events for Grade 1-12 students, such as the Rock & Fossil Clinic, Science Olympics, Branch Science Nights, and High School Career Days—there’s something for everyone!
Give back to your profession by inspiring the young students who will become the professional engineers and geoscientists of tomorrow.