The inaugural Burnaby Quantum Leaps conference was big success this spring.
Aimed at inspiring girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the event attracted 18 volunteers and 70 local girls, who took in interactive workshops and listened to inspirational female speakers, like Burnaby South grad Dr. Poh Tan, a stem-cell expert and founder of Innoguidance Consulting.
The conference – a first of its kind for Burnaby – was organized by five local students from five different local schools (Mindy Lin, Jenny Wang, Tina Borcanin, Maya Unadkat and Angela Yu).
Organizers are now searching for others in Grade 11 or 12 interested in joining the executive and helping organize a second conference next year. For more information, email [email protected].
Byrniversary
Byrne Creek Community School celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.
All school alumni and Byrne Creek community members are invited to the school (7777-18th St.) Thursday, May 14 for an open house, with food and performances from 4:30 to 8 p.m.
Come early and take in an alumni basketball game starting at 3:30 p.m.
Skilled students
Burnaby students repaired, baked and networked their way to the podium at the 21st annual Skills Canada provincial competition in Abbotsford last month.
The annual Olympic-style event, which pits students across the province against each other in a contest of trades and technology skills, saw four Burnaby students win medals.
Burnaby South’s Jason Sherle dominated the Automotive Collision Repair competition, winning gold and qualifying for the national competition in Saskatoon this month.
Fellow Burnaby South students Jack Casey and Emilio Flores took silver and bronze respectively in secondary IT Network Systems Administration, and Burnaby North student Kayla Wenzek earned bronze in the secondary baking event.
For complete results, visit skillscanada.bc.ca.
Sleeper of the season
Four Byrne Creek media arts students won top honours at the B.C. Student Film Festival (BCSFF) last month with a video telling youth “Games can wait. Get some sleep.”
Sopithan Rajeswaran, Mansor Ghanizada, Olly Vik and Jan Lontok – all students in Byrne Creek’s Industry Connect Media Arts 10 program – won the junior public service announcement category with a scary, one-minute video on teens and sleep.
The film cites a study that found only 15 per cent of teens get eight and half hours of sleep on school nights.
BCSFF, the province’s only student film festival is organized by B.C. media teachers and is open to elementary, junior secondary, senior secondary and post-secondary students.
For more information, visit www.bcsff.com.
See the Byrne Creek video at https://youtu.be/S0VzH1bwGuU.
School carnivals
Have fun at two Burnaby school carnivals this spring.
Gilmore Community School is gearing up for its giant biannual Country Carnival fundraiser Friday, May 22.
The event will feature activities for the whole family, including a pie-eating contest, barbecue, live cow milking, pony rides, petting zoo, bouncy castle, dunk tank, bungee run, obstacle course and mini golf.
The fun runs from 4 to 9 p.m. at 50 S. Gilmore Ave.
On June 5, Parkcrest Elementary hosts a carnival fundraiser from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 6055 Halifax St., featuring a bouncy castle, dunk tank, bungee joust, face painting, carnival games, raffle prizes and a silent auction.
Admission is free.
