Saluting young science achievers

Students across Quebec honoured with new McGill Science Award

Getting students excited about science is a critical concern for McGill. That’s why the University has created a new McGill Science Award, as a way of boosting the number of scientists-in-the-making who actually pursue higher education in the discipline.

At graduation ceremonies across Quebec this spring, 83 high school students will be honoured with a McGill Science Award, regardless of where they eventually choose to pursue their studies. The award, a handsome transparent paperweight bearing a McGill crest, also comes with a $300 book credit that’s redeemable at the McGill Bookstore, should recipients subsequently register at McGill after completing CEGEP.

“The McGill Science Award will reinforce what the University is already doing to promote science education through a wide range of outreach activities, including the Redpath Museum’s bilingual exhibitions and workshops for the public, the McGill Office for Chemistry and Society and the many efforts by our Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on our Macdonald Campus in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue,” says McGill Principal Bernard Shapiro. “We hope to continue to broaden our support for science education, which will bolster science knowledge in Quebec and society at large.”

To be eligible for a McGill Science Award, a student must show exceptional promise in either science or math. High school officials determine which student will receive the McGill Science Award, as well as the criteria used to establish a student’s outstanding qualifications. The McGill Science Award is a four-year pilot project. McGill also hopes to develop similar awards for high school students who show promise in humanities or social sciences.

Any media wishing to interview recipients of the McGill Science Award, or high school officials who can comment on the impact of such prizes, should contact Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins at 514-398-6752.