WIMNspiration

About the Project

This educational outreach pilot project engages with elementary and high school girls and young women to educate, debunk stereotypes and raise awareness around STEM-related career opportunities in the mining and mineral industry for women. With the support of innovative approaches and tools, the project connects classrooms with the diverse female mining and minerals workforce as applied examples of the learning outcomes in the public school curriculum. The ultimate ambition is to feed this key underrepresented group of the mining sector talent pipeline through inspirational interactions.

Creating a Closer Community

The pilot project engages with a diverse cross-section of classrooms in Saskatoon, including academically gifted, inner city, community and Indigenous schools across grades 4 to 12. Just as the classrooms are diverse, the industry women that classrooms will be uniquely connected to will represent wide-ranging careers in the Saskatchewan mining sector, with a focus on in-demand careers identified in the Saskatchewan Mining Industry Hiring Requirements and Available Talent Forecast.

Gathering Top Talent

Women that embody the essence of being a role model will be selected by the project team to participate as mining industry representatives. See the “Women in Mining” tab for profiles of the fantastic women we have included so far. She will share her education, experiences (both positive and the hurdles she had to overcome), contributions and leadership in her company and community. The representative and her lesson plan materials and activities will link to outcomes and indicators of the school curriculum, as created with the teacher and the Girls In The Classroom team. The proposal team will make teacher-representative pairs that represent each of the 4 Mining Cycle stages (see the “Mining Cycle” tab).

Exploring the Industry

Girls who are interested in more intently exploring the various careers presented can enter an essay competition to win a sponsorship package to a mining-relate educational camp of her choosing within the Saskatoon area or a one-day job shadow opportunity with the industry representatives and her company. One girl from each pilot project classroom will be selected.

 

 

 

Mine_Cycle_Diagram

MINING CYCLE


The Mining Cycle Diagram is central to the Girls In The Classroom project and its objectives. Each of the 4 stages of the mining cycle are essential to a successful mining operation and will be the main focus for meaningful classroom interactions. Each classroom discussion will focus on one or more of the mining stages introducing students to the magnificent and wide-ranging minerals industry. For example, a geoscientist speaking to the classroom about the exciting discovery of a new mineral resource and making connections to the curriculum would fall within the Discover Mine Cycle stage