Mining Matters far and wide

Mining and minerals education looks to the future

Mining Matters reach across Canada, in-person and virtually, over the past six years. Virtual programs commenced in 2020.

Does your neighbour know what a critical mineral is? Does your child’s teacher? it would be interesting to know how many people outside the mining and minerals industry are aware that Canada developed a list of 31 minerals considered critical to developing a low-carbon economy, maintaining domestic industry and security, and providing critical minerals to our global partners. Or know how many understand that Canada’s goal to have all new sales of cars and passenger trucks fully electric by 2035 depends on mineral resources. Mining Matters, a national charitable organization dedicated to educating young people about earth sciences, the minerals industry, and their roles in society, spreads the word far and wide.

Founded in 1994 by volunteers who recognized the need to encourage students to explore earth sciences and related careers, Mining Matters looks to the future. since its inception, the organization has built an extensive array of educational resources designed to ignite curiosity, providing current information about rocks, minerals, metals, mining, and the diverse career opportunities available in the minerals industry.

Mining Matters staff present those resources across the country—in person before the pandemic, virtually during its worst period, and a bit of both in the last year— tailoring educational materials to specific populations such as individual provinces or indigenous communities. For example, in 2021, customized professional

STEM role models engage students with hands-on experiences. Photo credit: Bill Braden Photo courtesy of Gold Terra Resource Corp.

Grade 4 students explore the importance of PPE.

development workshops were delivered to teachers in saskatchewan, incorporating resources from the saskatchewan Mining Association and including indigenous perspectives.

Over the past year, Mining Matters has reported notable achievements. staff developed a new workshop for students about critical minerals, emphasizing their importance in building a low-carbon future. A new poster, Critical Connections, is the sixth in the Mining Makes it Happen poster series that conveys the importance of minerals and metals in everyday lives. Rocks!, highlights the uses of robotics in the minerals industry, as well as the different career opportunities it creates. Two new virtual escape room experiences take players on exciting quests, looking for clues and solving puzzles while learning about geology. And students get a chance to shine when they submit creative entries to Mining Matters’ annual WHeRe Challenge contest, demonstrating their understanding of the connections between mineral resources and their own lives.

Mining Matters also distributed 1,100 GeMs (Geology, engineering, Mining, sustainability) kits in the past year to indigenous youth in 45 communities across Canada. The innovative kits, developed at the beginning of the pandemic and now in their third version, come with instructions, hands-on activities, videos, supplies, and rock and mineral samples. Teachers welcome them as valuable resources to address curriculum expectations and engage their students.

During the 2021–2022 academic year, staff delivered more than 150 virtual and in-person workshops, in both official languages, reaching more than 4,700 students and 200 educators. Overall, through GeMs kits, school programs, and public outreach events, 25,000 students, teachers, and members of the public benefitted from Mining Matters mineral resources education. Achievements indeed.

Mining Matters doesn’t do all this alone. The organization partners with numerous associations, communities, companies, government departments, and educational institutions. Recent connections include simon Fraser university, the international Minerals innovation institute, the APGO education Foundation, Ontario Tech university, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Kitikmeot inuit Association, and the Nova scotia Department of Mineral Resources. Also, generous sponsors and donors support their efforts to educate youth and the public about the importance of mineral resources and career opportunities.

For more information about the variety of resources and opportunities available to engage youth in building mineral literacy through sTeM education, visit MiningMatters.ca.