About “Soil 4 Youth”
Important social, economic, political and environmental issues such as hunger, poverty, political stability and environmental quality are connected to the most basic of all resources – soil. In the long run, the solution to many of the challenges that face our world can be traced back to our stewardship of the soil and the restoration of soil quality.
Yet, how many of Canadians are aware of soil and impact that it has on our daily lives? Most Canadian elementary and high school students complete their education without learning about soil and the importance of healthy soil because soil science is often not included into the curriculum. This website aims to rectify that!
The goal of this open-access website is to promote learning among Canadian high school students about soil and its importance and to provide teachers with the resources necessary to incorporate soil science into their classroom.
This project was initiated in 2010 by a collaboration of scientists, graduate students, and educators from 6 Canadian universities and the Canadian Society of Soil Science. This website showcases:
- Research Projects related to soil and land use across a variety of ecosystems found in Canada;
- Profiles of Career Paths in Soil Science which illustrates the range of career paths open to soil scientists and professionals;
- Resources for teachers and soil-related educational activities for both students and high-school science teachers; and
- Examples of how to get involved with initiatives that protect or improve soil in our own neighbourhoods.
This project is an example of educational innovation carried out by the Virtual Soil Science Learning Resources group.