After pressure from the NDP in the Legislature Wednesday, the Sask Party government has decided to reinstate funding cut from a University of Saskatchewan science program that targets northern youth.
The Science Ambassador Program sees university students travel to remote northern communities in an attempt to generate interest amongst young people in pursuing math and science careers.
The government has given $10,000 per year to the program in the past but Advanced Education Minister Kevin Doherty says the university’s funding request must have “gotten lost in the shuffle” when previous minister Rob Norris took over the portfolio last fall.
“I talked to Rob, he doesn’t recall seeing the request for the $10,000,” he says. “I talked to my deputy minister, she does not recall seeing the request for $10,000. So, when speaking with Dr. Bonham-Smith (Peta, vice-dean of science, U of S College of Arts and Science), she just thought the government made the decision not to provide the $10,000 this year.”
Doherty also says the government believes the Science Ambassador Program is a valuable project.
“The types of things that they’re doing are absolutely needed in northern Saskatchewan for these more senior students, if you will, to go up and pair up with teachers in northern Saskatchewan – the K-12 system – to help these young kids to understand the benefits of a science education, if you will, an engineering education.”
The Science Ambassador Program costs about $60,000 per year and includes Cameco Corporation and the Manitoba government as funding partners.
The issue was raised by Athabasca NDP MLA Buckley Belanger.