Welcome to the OSS | Program details | Volunteer | Information for partners
Welcome to the OSS
The McGill Office for Science & Society (OSS) is a unique venture dedicated to the promotion of critical thinking and the presentation of scientific information to the public, educators and students in an accurate and responsible fashion. The Office answers queries from the public, as well as from the media, on scientific matters with a view towards separating facts from myths. OSS staffers offer a variety of educational and entertaining presentations on scientific topics, appear often on radio and television, produce books and newspaper columns, organize the annual Trottier Symposium and oversee a number of courses designed to provide a scientific basis for the evaluation of controversial issues. The McGill Office for Science & Society also undertakes the investigation of potentially fraudulent products and therapies.
Program details
- Host Faculty/Dept/Student Group: Department of Chemistry
- Main contact: emily.shore [at] mcgill.ca (Emily Shore)
- Outreach website: Office for Science and Society Outreach
- Languages offered: Primarily English
- Year established: 1999
- Location and timeline: On campus, all year long.
- Collaborative partners: Sometimes other outreach programs.
- Links to media about outreach program: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/press
Volunteer
Volunteer positions: Always looking for good writers!
Time commitment: Depends on what volunteers want to get involved in.
Why volunteer?: Volunteers will be able to learn how to think critically, improve their communication skills, and understand the importance of separating sense from nonsense.
To get involved: Visit the OSS website or OSS Facebook page, or knock on our office doors, located in the Otto Maass lobby.
Information for partners
How the program impacts teaching and learning:
- We encourage learning (of all kinds), promote science education and emphasize the importance of critical thinking and factual evidence-based information. These are skills that, when learnt at a young age, will be employed throughout one's lifetime.
- Our program helps students realize the practical side of science by demonstrating how much of what we deal with in our everyday lives is based upon scientific principles. Through our talks and demonstrations, we help to develop their interest and curiosity in the field, which we then hope will continue on in their future studies.
To access the program: Visit the OSS website or call/email emily.shore [at] mcgill.ca (Emily Shore) (514 398-2852).