Her training is in music, but her speciality is in sparking curiosity, which is why it makes perfect sense that Richmond music teacher Jeanette Dyck would launch a free online science lab for kids.
Aimed at student aged five to 12, Dyck said some parents have already told her that the weekly half-hour-long science sessions have become their children's favourite class.
"I want to spark curiosity for kids because that's what science is. So it's about arousing curiosity and learning how to answer the questions," said Dyck, who has drawn content from both science books and online resources to create her program.
The idea for the lab was born from a “random phone call” in the spring of 2020.
"My sister asked me to do a science lab on Zoom with my niece. I was like, 'sure. I can do that.' But I thought one person was kind of boring, so I asked my nephew in Edmonton if he wanted to participate," said Dyck.
Dyck now has students in her Wednesday science lab from not only all over B.C. but also Ontario and Alberta.
“I feel happy to see kids finding something interesting to occupy themselves,” said Dyck, who has been teaching for more than 40 years.
As seen in one of the labs shared by Dyck, children use paper to make a bridge or use specific ingredients to make yeast.
Meanwhile, Dyck noted that she tries to create a comfortable learning environment for everyone, including children with anxiety, dyslexia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
"I will try to break things down as much as I can and there is no pressure for everyone to show their faces," added Dyck.
