CIM donates $3,700 to local science and tech students

Students at Algonquin Road Public School, Lively District Secondary School and Espanola High School will share more than $3,700 in funding from the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Sudbury Branch. Funding will be used to purchase equipment and textbooks to benefit students in science and technology programs.

“We are grateful for this funding that will enable some of our schools to enhance the hands-on learning opportunities that we offer,” Rainbow District School Board chair Tyler Campbell said, in a press release.

“Students will expand their knowledge in this important area with these new tools and resources.”

The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) facilitates learning and professional development in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries.

“We provide funding at the elementary and secondary levels for material, equipment, and special training for mining and metallurgy programs,” CIM Sudbury Branch education committee chair Ed Toivonen said.

“In addition, CIM provides bursaries to Grade 12 students and funding for community events including the Regional Science Fair, Mining Week, the Secondary School Head Frame Competition and Laurentian University Mining Games.”

Algonquin Road Public School received $1,450 from CIM to purchase safety switches for stationary and bench top tools. Ten new safety switches will allow Grade 7 and 8 students to operate more equipment at once. Students have been working on a number of projects in science and technology.

They have been making ergonomic step stools, insulated lunch containers and laptop cooling stands.

At Lively District Secondary School, Grade 9 and 10 students will benefit from new single cylinder engines. Students will disassemble the engines to measure, inspect and learn about the internal parts. A CIM donation of $1,520 will enable the school to purchase six to eight cylinders.

The Espanola High School library will gain $773 of new textbooks on geology and mining in Ontario. The resources will be used to enhance the Specialist High Skills Major in Mining program offered at the school.