F.A.Q.

What is the Let's Talk Science Partnership Program?
When Did Let's Talk Science Start?
What do Graduate / Senior Undergraduate Students Bring to the Classroom?
How does the Partnership Program Differ from other Outreach Programs?
What Kinds of Things Do the Partners Do?
What do Graduate/ Senior Undergraduate Students gain from the Partnership Program?
How is the UBC Let's Talk Science Partnership Program funded?
How Do I Contact the LTS Partnership Program at UBC?

What is the Let's Talk Science Partnership Program?
The Let's Talk Science (LTS) Partnership Program is a volunteer program that creates partnerships between elementary/secondary school teachers and graduate/senior undergraduate students in the sciences. The aim is to enrich Science education and provide young people with a better understanding of the goals and methods of scientific research.

When Did Let's Talk Science Start?
LTS originated at the University of Western Ontario in 1991, the brainchild of (then) graduate student Bonnie Schmidt. Information about the many programs currently offered by LTS can be found at the National LTS website . The LTS Partnership Program has been in operation at the University of British Columbia since 1997.

What do Graduate / Senior Undergraduate Students Bring to the Classroom?
Graduate students bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. First and foremost, they have extensive knowledge about their field of study.  They also have a wide-ranging knowledge of general science. They can share their enthusiasm for science, and their understanding of scientific methods. They can act as liaisons to help open up the resources of the university to the community.

How does the Partnership Program Differ from other Outreach Programs?
The uniqueness of the Partnership Program is the ongoing, one-to-one partnership between the university student and the teacher. The university student and the teacher discuss ideas once a month and the university student visits the classroom 2-3 times each year. This allows the partners to share ideas and work together on long-term projects, each having an opportunity to learn from the other.

What Kinds of Things Do the Partners Do?
Graduate / Senior undergraduate student volunteers can provide a context for the integrated resource package (IRP) concepts being taught. They can keep teachers abreast of community science activities, demonstrate experiments, present materials from their labs, discuss their research, arrange science-related field trips, and introduce career opportunities.  The possibilities are endless – anything that the teacher-university student pair are interested in doing can be tried.

What do Graduate / Senior Undergraduate Students gain from the Partnership Program?
University students have the opportunity to share their delight in science with elementary/secondary school students, teachers, and the wider community. They are able to further develop their communication and teaching skills and receive immediate feedback from the enthusiasm of the students and teachers.

How is the UBC Let's Talk Science Partnership Program Funded?
The LTS Partnership Program at UBC operates through the work of volunteers and three coordinators. Check out our
Sponsors & Friends page to see who has generously provided us with financial and/or in-kind support.

How Do I Contact the LTS Partnership Program at UBC?
UBC Let's Talk Science Partnership Program
University of British Columbia
2357B-1874 East Mall (in Brock Hall Annex)
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

lts (at) ubctls.com

Phone: (604) 822-9166
Fax: (604) 822-5945

Please see Contact Us for information on how you can get involved with the UBC LTS Partnership Program.