OTTAWA, Ontario, June 12, 2022 – Youth Science Canada announced its 2022-2023 board of directors at a special general meeting held virtually on June 11, 2022. The board includes a new group of dynamic STEM advocates and experts to help steer the organization. The four new directors joining the board include Nika Elmi, Linda Guo, Varsha Jayasankar and Dawn Pratt, who will sit alongside re-elected director Jamie Parsons and continuing members Najib Hayat, Austin Sawyer, Christian Theriault, and Dick Wilson.

“We’re excited to welcome our new directors and to continue our work with those who have generously renewed their commitment for another year,” said Jamie Parsons, current chair of the board. “Throughout their respective careers as STEM leaders, the new directors will bring deep expertise in STEM and a strong commitment to inspiring Canadian youth to ask questions about the problems of today and tomorrow.”

Nika Elmi is a former Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) Ambassador, alumnus, judge and current researcher in the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University. Linda Guo is a two-time CWSF medalist with eight years of experience in science fairs. Varsha Jayasankar is a Team Canada alumnus who participated in four past CWSF events and, since 2018, has been a member of the Bay Area region’s organizing committee in Hamilton, Ontario. Dawn Pratt, founder and CEO of askenootow STEM Enterprise Inc., teaches Indigenous knowing and practices in STEM education. Life-long STEM champion and assistant principal of Holy Spirit High School in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Jamie Parsons, was re-elected for a second consecutive three-year term.

“I look forward to working with this year’s board to deliver our mission of inspiring young scientists to apply their curiosity and ingenuity to STEM projects and changing the world for the better,” said Reni Barlow, executive director of Youth Science Canada. “Their enthusiasm for motivating and empowering youth through STEM projects and an inquisitive, scientific mind, is contagious.”

For information on the 2022-2023 Youth Science Canada board, as well as background on its newest and returning members, visit  youthscience.ca/board-of-directors.

 

About Youth Science Canada
Youth Science Canada fuels the curiosity of Canadian youth through STEM projects. A registered charity incorporated in 1966, YSC delivers on its mission through national programs including mySTEMspace, the National STEM Fair Network, Canada-Wide Science Fair, STEM Expo, Team Canada representation at international fairs and Smarter Science professional development for teachers. Through these programs, YSC provides direct support to the more than 500,000 students who do STEM projects in any given year.

For more information:
Laurence Sauvé
Torchia Communications
[email protected]
(514) 984-4122