Super experience with SuperNOVA

SuperNOVA instructor Yasmine Amirkhalkhali recently returned from northern British Columbia. (Photo courtesy Yasmine Amirkhalkhali)

Yasmine Amirkhalkhali is living life on the edge, literally!

As part of her journey this summer, the SuperNOVA instructor made her way through remote parts of British Columbia delivering science and health-related workshops to First Nations youth. The Dalhousie University student was on the road for 27 days, reaching an astounding 1296 youth in 11 communities as part of an initiative with SuperNOVA’s national organization, Actua.

“It was such a great experience! I have never been to that part of Canada, so when the opportunity to deliver workshops came I jumped at it,” says Ms. Amirkhalkhali. “I was able to meet the most incredible people and see a beautiful part of B.C. It was amazing.”

As a student-run organization, SuperNOVA seeks to actively engage all youth with quality programming, workshops and camps both on and off the Dalhousie campus. The 12-year-old organization has steadily grown in size each year, reaching over 7,400 youth in the 2007-2008 season.

The demand for such programming has allowed the staff—all Dalhousie students—to travel around Nova Scotia and throughout Canada spreading their enthusiasm for science, engineering and computer science. SuperNOVA is a member of Actua, which provides training, resources, and support to a national network of local organizations offering science and technology education programs. Actua members reach over 225,000 youth each year in more than 450 communities.

While working towards her Economics degree, Ms. Amirkhalkhali was hired as SuperNOVA’s Boys and Girls Club Coordinator during the 2008-2009 academic year. During this time she developed and organized hands-on workshops and planetarium shows for an additional 398 youth.

She began her SuperNOVA experience four years prior, as a high school participant in the CATALYST Leadership program, which offers training for volunteers with the program. After soaking in a summer of volunteer experience, she returned to SuperNOVA as a junior instructor assisting the undergraduate instructors in camp delivery. Last season, she applied to be an instructor and has been working with SuperNOVA ever since.

She isn’t the only staff member to deliver programming away from SuperNOVA’s home base of Dalhousie’s Sexton Campus. Several staff members have the opportunity to head to remote locations this season in Northern Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton in order to promote science, engineering and technology.

If you are interested in a volunteer or instructor position, or are interested in being a mentor, be sure to checkout SuperNOVA online at www.supernova.dal.ca.