Riona Wilberg (L), Bianca Bitting (M), and Emma Buchanan (R) welcome campers to the 2018 Science Summer Camps. Photo credit: Michaela Ream
Science Summer Camp instructors are passionate and enthusiastic about sharing their love of science with our camps of future scientists. Meet the instructors of our Digital Creators summer camps.
Riona Wiberg
Program: BSc Honors in computing science
Interests: Reading, art, and technology
What do you love most about science?
Being able to understand and create innovative solutions to complex problems.
Why do you think it is important to promote science to young people, and what makes you a good science mentor?
I think it is important to promote science to young people because it instills them with a scientific curiosity that will last a lifetime. I will be a good mentor because I am very passionate about science and like working with youth.
Why did you want to work with Science Summer Camps?
I love the role that the University of Alberta is playing in helping kids find their passion for the sciences. I am proud to be a part of this program and am excited to help campers learn about fields of science that they may not otherwise get to experience.
Can you tell us a fun fact about your favourite scientist or scientific discovery?
Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin when he found a petri dish that had accidentally got moldy had destroyed bacteria samples around it. This is fun because it shows that mistakes can be an important part of scientific advancements!
Tell us a fun fact about you.
I have acted in three plays.
Emma Buchanan
Program: BSc in animal health
Interests: Some of my hobbies include camping, hiking, singing, and playing the ukulele! I also love movies, drawing, music, and hanging out with my friends.
What do you love most about science?
I love that there is always more to know about the smallest of ideas. Science gives an explanation of the world around us, including the things we can see and the things that we can only fathom. It allows us to dive deeper into the unknown and forces us to question what is thought to be true. Science gives us understanding but can also make us question everything we thought we knew.
Why do you think it is important to promote science to young people, and what makes you a good science mentor?
Science makes people ask questions, which is exactly what needs to be promoted to young people. I think that allowing for children to dive right into science gives them independence to think for themselves and explore our world without boundaries. This opportunity may spark interest in a variety of new fields that they may continue to enjoy later in life, and starting early only gives more time to learn and explore the millions of options out there.
I think I am a good science mentor because I am confident in the abilities of young people. Learning is more about the understanding of the material than it is memorizing every fact about every subject. This is why I am here as much to instruct as I am to guide the campers with taking the next step and making the material their own.
Why did you want to work with Science Summer Camps?
The Science Summer Camps are the perfect way of combining two things I'm very passionate about, working with young people and being able to expose them to the field of science. After learning that some of the camps were tackling concepts of design with computers, I realized I would be able to take something that I learned a bit later on in life and share it with people who may develop this same passion early on and go on to do incredible things. I want to be able to share my love for science and promote learning in a fun way, that captivates, entertains and results in a super fun camp experience!
Can you tell us a fun fact about your favourite scientist or scientific discovery?
Jane Goodall discovered not only that chimpanzees engage in warfare between other tribes, but they are also capable of altruism and will adopt orphaned chimpanzees.
Tell us a fun fact about you.
I Irish danced for 12 years.
Bianca Bitting
Program: BSc, specialization in computing science
Interests: Tennis, piano, guitar, travelling
What do you love most about science?
Science not only explains how the world around us works, but I love how this knowledge can be used to improve the lives of billions of people. With science, the possibilities are endless.
Why do you think it is important to promote science to young people, and what makes you a good science mentor?
If you ask a child what their hobbies are, many will give you a list of sports they like to play, or musical instruments they enjoy learning. Physics, chemistry and programming, however, rarely make this list. I believe it is important to show children that science is not a boring subject one has to sit through in school, but that it can be fun and exciting. Especially at a young age, hands-on experiments can create a positive attitude about science and learning in general that will help students throughout their academic careers, and inspire a new generation of passionate scientists and thinkers.
I believe I am a good science mentor because I am passionate about science and about promoting science to young people. I love working with kids and can't wait to get started on our projects together.
Why did you want to work with Science Summer Camps?
I love the idea of introducing programming to young people. The sooner kids are introduced to logical thinking, the easier they learn. I would love to help children get excited about programming and creating new things with the help of computers.
Can you tell us a fun fact about your favourite scientist or scientific discovery?
The first computer, the ENIAC, occupied an entire hall and weighed about 27 tonnes. That's the equivalent of 5 elephants.
Tell us a fun fact about you.
Until I started my computing science degree I had never programmed in my life.