Minds in Motion - University of Calgary

Minds in Motion is a non-profit organization co-hosted by the University of Calgary Faculty of Kinesiology, Active Living and Schulich School of Engineering. Minds in Motion began in 1998 and is a member organization of Actua. Actua provides training, resources and support to a national network of local organizations offering science and technology education programs. Actua Members reach over 200,000 youth per year. Please visit Actua on the web at www.actua.ca.

Minds in Motion is a unique program initiative dedicated to encouraging youth to explore science, engineering, and technology through hands-on, inquiry-based projects. Minds in Motion's mission is to inspire all youth to achieve their full potential and fulfill their critical role in the world through life-changing science, engineering and technology experiences.

Minds in Motion continues its part in developing the academic skills and social conscience of youth in the Calgary area by offering high-quality interactive virtual and in-person classroom workshops, summer day camps, STEM clubs, professional development sessions and various community events.

Programs For Schools:

Is your school or organization looking for curricular connecting STEM workshops for your students? Minds in Motion is offering free-of-cost STEM workshops virtually for kindergarten to grade 9 classrooms with options for grade 10 - 12 upon request. Book your free classroom virtual workshops here.

AI in Action:
Is artificial intelligence going to take over the world? In this workshop students will learn how the field of artificial intelligence is growing everyday! Discover how computers are able to learn in similar ways humans do to sort through images and progressively identify new objects. Students will have the opportunity to learn how AI impacts a variety of different workforces such as, agriculture, retail, healthcare and entertainment. But is there a downside to artificial intelligence? Book our “AI in Action” workshop to find out!

Building Blocks:

No hard hats or steel-toe boots required at this construction site! Your class will become civil engineers, as they learn about different shapes and their respective strengths. Examples from current and historical buildings will be demonstrated. Students will design their own tower or bridge using their knowledge of strengthening components such as trusses and bases. How strong will your students designs be?

Encryption:

Your students will begin to unravel the mystery of encryptions through current and historical examples. They will learn not only how computers protect vital information, but they'll create their own secret message that only people with the correct key can unlock!

Programming With Scratch: 

Students will receive an introduction to coding in this workshop. Through a drag-and-drop interactive format, students will put their problem-solving and creativity skills to the test. Working through challenges, students will develop the skills needed to build their very own online games!

Foundations For 3D Printing:
Bring your imagination to life as you build 3D printable objects in this interactive workshop! Students will learn how designers, engineers and architects utilize computer assisted drafting to generate their 3D designs through the online platform TinkerCAD ®. 3D printing empowers and inspires solutions and designs to real world problems. This includes anything from large scale buildings to the inner workings of car parts to prosthetic arms and so much more. Join us and learn to design, build and create your very own 3D models in this workshop.

Coding Minds-Minecraft:  

Are your students or children looking to optimize their performance in coding? If you are new to Minecraft, this three part online workshop will be perfect to get you into this wonderful open world. Kids will have the opportunity to become innovative coders and explore the foundations of digital literacy, coding and programming in an inclusive environment. They will learn to develop their understanding of logic, computational thinking and universal coding languages in Minecraft. We will focus on everything from modding the game to learning about redstone circuits and beyond. Join us this winter to dive deeper into the world of Minecraft!
Please note: Please note: your group is required to have a Minecraft Java Edition account(s) set-up and ready to go prior to your booked workshop. Upon booking, we will send a document on what is required and how to set this up if needed.
Minecraft® is a registered trademark and does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this program.

Programs For Teachers:

Looking for exciting STEM-based Professional Development sessions? Minds in motion is pleased to offer several free virtual PD sessions over the next several months! Click here to register.

STEM Unplugged:

Let us show you how to make STEM fun and engaging without the use of technology! In our STEM Unplugged professional development session we give teachers and pre-service teachers insight as to how they can integrate unplugged activities into their classrooms. Give your students the building blocks to coding, robotics, and programming without the use of technology!

AI in the Classroom:

Innovation in the world of artificial intelligence is growing rapidly everyday but how does it fit into the classroom? Our AI in the classroom professional development online session will provide teachers with real world examples of how AI is impacting their students lives everyday. During this workshop, educators will have the chance to see many innovations of AI and how to integrate it into your classroom curriculum. Join us online to dive into the world of AI!

Digital Literacy in the Classroom:

Teach your students to become thoughtful consumers and producers of technology and why it is important to be digitally literate! Digital literacy spans far further than coding and programming concepts. This workshop will help teachers and pre-service teachers understand the importance of digital literacy and provide the tools to help students become thoughtful users of technology.

Design Thinking:  

Innovation meets design thinking to solve some of the classrooms greatest problems! This Design thinking professional development workshop will help teachers and pre-service teachers create a new mindset towards problem solving. We will offer interactive activities to help stimulate the idea of design thinking in your classroom using technology for any curriculum. 

For any inquiries about our programs, please email workshops@mindsucalgary.ca.