Opportunities From: TELUS Spark Science Centre

  Welcome to Indoor BLUprint!  

BLUprint highlights the connection between the professional trades and STEAM, allowing our guests to experience parts of the job within the skill trades and learning about the science within them. In this opportunity, you will have the opportunity to help facilitate our indoor bluprint space (within open studio) and help ensure the activations run smoothly and guests are using them properly.

Areas include: VR welding, vortex simulator, Masterkidz wall, and rigamajig area. Focus will be primarily on the vortex simulator, but it will be key to rotate throughout the areas. The vortex simulator allows guests to pick between driving a forklift, crane, or excavator, and is a simulation for the difficulty around operating these machines. 

In this opportunity, you'll have the chance to:

Assist guests with the vortex simulator.Become familiar with each simulation with the vortex simulator so you can better assist guests.How to troubleshoot the various areas and ensure guests get the best experience.Communication and interpretation skills by engaging with guests in the various areas. Learn more about the overlap between the skill trades and STEAM and educate guests on this topic.IMPORTANT NOTE:

This opportunity will have two time slots available to volunteer for. One between 10 Am and 1 pm and one between 1 pm and 3 pm. The opportunity will state whether it is the AM or PM timeslot, and you can sign up for one or both. 

Reporting Managers: Seb Pon, Maddie Bemrose

Exhibit Location:  Upper galleries, the area is mainly across from the VR area.

  Welcome to Indoor BLUprint!  

BLUprint highlights the connection between the professional trades and STEAM, allowing our guests to experience parts of the job within the skill trades and learning about the science within them. In this opportunity, you will have the opportunity to help facilitate our indoor bluprint space (within open studio) and help ensure the activations run smoothly and guests are using them properly.

Areas include: VR welding, vortex simulator, Masterkidz wall, and rigamajig area. Focus will be primarily on the vortex simulator, but it will be key to rotate throughout the areas.

The vortex simulator allows guests to pick between driving a forklift, crane, or excavator, and is a simulation of the difficulty of operating these machines. 

In this opportunity, you'll have the chance to:

Assist guests with the vortex simulator.Become familiar with each simulation with the vortex simulator so you can better assist guests.How to troubleshoot the various areas and ensure guests get the best experience.Communication and interpretation skills by engaging with guests in the various areas. Learn more about the overlap between the skill trades and STEAM and educate guests on this.IMPORTANT NOTE:

This opportunity will have two time slots available to volunteer for. One between 10 Am and 1 pm and one between 1 pm and 3 pm. The opportunity will state whether it is the AM or PM timeslot, and you can sign up for one or both. 

Reporting Managers: Seb Pon, Maddie Bemrose 

Exhibit Location:  Upper galleries, the area is mainly across from the VR area.

Build, Test, Assess: Parachute Tube Challenge!

Welcome to Open Studio, the area of Spark where various hands-on exhibits allow guests to explore through inquiry-based learning. The parachute tubes traditionally have pre-made parachutes that guests are able to put in and try. This activity you will get the chance to facilitate an activation where you'll help guests make parachutes out of various materials and test them! Explore creativity and ingenuity in this engineering challenge! 

Volunteering here you will guide guests through parachute creation and provide the following services:

Help guests build and test their own parachutes! Help guests with the idea to keep trying even if it doesn't work the first time!Help facilitate learning by asking open ended questions to provide ways to help change and improve the design.Explain the science behind how parachutes work connecting to air resistance and drag. 

Please come and join us for this opportunity where you can improve your science communication and education skills while helping guests to participate in the iterative design process.

Training will be provided. You will run the activation independently once you feel comfortable.

Reporting Managers: Maddie Bemrose / Paige Martineau

Exhibit Location: Upper level, Open Studio, across from Steven's lab.

A delightful metamorphosis has taken place...
Hold on to your lab coats! The Open Studio Workshop has evolved into Steven’s Lab, a place set out to inspire the next generation of innovators through creative hands-on experiences with real scientific tools. Through live experiments and cutting-edge knowledge, Steven's Lab is where the future of science will come to life.

Dr. Steven Keating was a brilliant mechanical engineer and passionate advocate for patient access to health data. His unwavering curiosity, resilience, and commitment to innovation left a lasting impact. In his honor, the Keating Family has generously funded the creation of Steven’s Lab, inspiring others to push boundaries and have a positive impact on the world.

Volunteer roles in Steven's Lab:
Volunteering in Steven's Lab is a great way to practice your science communication skills with the public. Topics rotate in Steven's Lab every 2 to 3 months, which provides opportunities to learn about various areas of science. Volunteer roles in the lab include signing up guests for time slots, talking to guests about the science behind the experiment, helping guests with experiments, resetting experiments, and cleaning up. Prior lab experience is an asset, but it isn't required. Some experiments involve chemicals and will require chemical safety training before handling.

The Dress Code:

All staff and volunteers in Steven's Lab are required to wear long pants and enclosed footwear for safety reasons. Volunteers will wear a Steven's Lab-branded lab coat while working in the space. When working with chemicals, it is essential to tie long hair back. Any required PPE (gloves, respirators, safety glasses etc.) will be provided.

The Current Experiment: Fossil Casting 

Mix, pour and set! Create your very own cast of a fossil and take your million-year-old friend home. Ages 7 and up. 

Under 7's may do the experiment with one on one guardian support. 

Health and Safety:

This lab is messy! Aprons and gloves will be provided, but please bring clothing that you don't mind getting dirty. 

Shellfish allergy: If you have a reaction or allergy to shellfish, please consider another volunteer opportunity.

Dust inhalation: This lab will be a dusty environment. Dust masks will be provided.

Times:
Sunday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Reporting Manager: Maddie Bemrose and Liz McCracken
Location: 2nd Floor in Open Studio

Come learn and play in Creative Kids Museum (C.K.M)

Do you love working with kids? Do you have a desire for Early Childhood Education? The Creative Kids Museum (CKM) is the perfect place for you to build your skills and learn about brain development in our young guests from ages 0-8!

This exhibit space allows our younger guests to explore, craft, and play at a pace that suits them and in an environment designed specifically for their learning needs!  While volunteering in CKM, you will have the opportunity to assist with the following:

Tidying and resetting unused play areas Staffed activation times at the LEGO lab Engaging and playing with guests in the space If you feel confident, you will also have the opportunity facilitate mini-activations with guests!  

Training will be provided.

*Please wear closed toed shoes*  

Reporting Managers: Acacia McClay/ Maddie Bemrose

Exhibit Location: Main Floor behind the front desk, down the hall.

                                                                                                              

Welcome to our BLUprint construction zone!  

BLUprint highlights STEAM within the skilled trades, and this area focuses on providing guests with the opportunity to explore basic wood working, carpentry, and hand building through the use of real tools! In this opportunity, you will assist guests in our building spaces and areas and help to ensure they are using the tools safely. Develop your skills, as you feel comfortable, and help guests to feel confident with basic hand tools such as hammers and hand saws. 

Volunteering here, you will provide the following services:

Ensure guests receive proper PPE as they enter the construction area and wear it throughout the space.Sanitize PPE after use.Help guide guests through the different areas (building zone, carpentry corner) and assist with signing up for the carpentry corner.Have the opportunity to be trained on proper tool use yourself and assist with special construction opportunities as they are available throughout the summer.Ensure guests are using tools safely and are acting safely throughout their time in the construction zone.Important Information about this Opportunity
Closed-toe shoes and long pants are required.
You will be outside and standing for the entire opportunity. Please bring/ wear sunscreen, a hat, and a water bottle (there will be a cooler to help keep water bottles cold). Please take your break during this opportunity and let staff know if you need more breaks.If weather becomes inclement or air quality is poor opportunity will be moved inside. You only have to participate in construction opportunities as you are comfortable. Training and PPE will be provided. Hazard assessments are available for review. 

Reporting Managers: Maddie Bemrose / Seb Pon

Exhibit Location: In the brainasium outdoor area.