This month, we challenge you to become a Scientists in School ambassador by spreading the word about our COVID-19 crowdfunding campaign. Keep reading to find out how you can help.
After 31 years of inspiring millions of children across Canada through hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education experiences, Scientists in School has made the incredibly difficult decision to temporarily shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spring is usually our busiest time when over 300,000 children experience the formative childhood STEM education enrichment experiences that our charity provides. This year, instead of being in the classroom and community seeing all your smiling faces, we have laid off staff and are predicting $1.2 million in lost operating revenues due to the extended school and community closures and lost donor funding.
In response, we have launched our Stand Up For Future Scientists campaign with a goal of raising $100,000 in funds to offset the loss and help us recover, but we need your help.
While our charity is not one of those on the frontlines of the crisis, our programs will be critical once schools and communities re-open. Each year, over 700,000 children in Canada have Scientists in School opportunities that help them to understand the importance and relevance of science in everyday life, to build confidence in their STEM skills, and empower them to follow a path to become the next frontline health workers, researchers, technologists and scientists – just a few of the positions that are essential in challenging times like those we are facing today.
Due to the pandemic, we will lose half of our annual revenue this year – but we aren’t giving up.
Our goal is to raise $100,000 as a key start to helping us recover financially and ready Scientists in School to reach as many students as possible when schools reopen, with a special focus on those in vulnerable communities. We must continue to provide children with life-shaping opportunities to see science as engaging, fun and accessible, which is why we’ve launched our #StandUpForFutureScientists crowdfunding campaign.
Fifty per cent of funds raised will be used for recovery and 50% will provide complimentary workshops to schools serving low-income communities. The year 2020 has presented unprecedented challenges for so many Canadians. The school year has been fractured due to school and community closures and many students in low-income communities, especially those where language is a barrier, will experience a big educational setback.
We are staying focused on the future and are taking proactive steps in order to start the upcoming school year in a strong position. The benefits of your support would be two-fold: 1) By providing our STEM enrichment programming early in the 2020-21 school year, we can help both teachers and students in low-income communities rebound from educational gaps suffered through the disruption of school service this year; and 2) Our organization and staff will have the opportunity to get back to work and begin to recover from the deficit incurred from this most challenging time.
We understand if you can’t donate to Scientists in School at this time, but we still need your help and networks to reach our $100,000 goal. Here are some ideas of how you can become an ambassador for the next generation of scientists:
- Use the hashtag #StandUpForFutureScientists on social media and share the link to our crowdfunding campaign:
https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/covid-19-stand-up-for-future-scientists
- Print our #StandUpForFutureScientists sign, take a selfie with it and share your reasons for taking a stand. Make sure to use the hashtag #StandUpForFutureScientists!
[Download Colour Version] [Download Black and White Version]
- Update your Facebook profile photo by adding our #StandUpForFutureScientists frame:
[Download Instructions] - Update your profile photo on Facebook and Twitter:
[Download Option #1] [Download Option #2] - Add the link to our crowdfunding campaign to your Instagram bio: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/covid-19-stand-up-for-future-scientists
We truly appreciate any and all support you provide to Scientists in School during this incredibly difficult time. The actions that we take today will determine what tomorrow looks like, in more ways than we can possibly imagine. From all of us at Scientists in School, thank you for coming together to stand up for our children and youth.
