Choices Conference
Science, Engineering & Technology are open doorways to the wonders of our world. The CHOICES Conference invites you to step through those doorways and experience this first-hand.
Each year, 600 Grade Six girls and gender-diverse students along with their teachers come to this event. WISEST has impacted over 19,304 students and 4525 teachers since beginning in 1991. Teams of up to four students from each school plus their teacher or principal spend the day at the University of Alberta.
Additional Date Available!
A third day will be again be added to CHOICES 2024! This day will be a half-day virtual event for rural schools outside of the Edmonton area.
Science, Engineering & Technology are open doorways to the wonders of our world. The CHOICES Conference invites you to step through those doorways and experience this first-hand.
Event Details
In-Person Event
Dates: February 21 & 22 (Your school will participate on one of the two days)
Time: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Location: University of Alberta
Cost: $40 per student
Participation: Up to four grade 6 girls and/or gender-diverse students per school and their teacher/principal from eligible school districts are able to attend.
Grade 6 girls and gender-diverse students will participate in a brief introduction, exciting demonstrations, and hands-on activities led by amazing role models, and be involved in a design challenge!
Virtual Event Details
Date: February 23rd
Time: 9:00 am- 12:00 pm
Location: At your school, through a virtual platform (Zoom)
Cost: The cost of this event covers an activity kit containing materials for the hands-on activity and group challenge for 4 students. The cost of the kit is $55 and includes shipping and handling.
Participation: Your school can register up to two groups of four grade 6 girls or gender-diverse students.
*Note for CHOICES 2025. Due to the current economic climate, we are faced with the challenging decision to maintain an accessible but also sustainable conference. Thus, we are anticipating an increase in the cost per participant for next year's conference.
Important Dates
Expression of Interest Forms open on December 6, 2023. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Spaces will be held for rural and underserved schools.
Once space is confirmed, schools will be sent the payment link and forms. Form must be uploaded to the confirmation Google Form.
Payment and forms deadline: January 12, 2024
Due to the high demand for spots, after the deadline, any schools/students with incomplete registrations will forfeit their spots which will be offered to schools on our lengthy waitlist. This includes student waivers, administrative agreement and registration form. We can NOT accept forms on the day of the conference.
What Teachers are saying about the Choices Conference
"I loved the use of materials [in the Cryogenics Lab] we just wouldn't have access to at school." (École Father Jan School)
"[The Oil Spill Lab was] very well done, and something I can take back to the classroom." (École Beau Meadow School)
"The girls actually brought back the activity [they learned in the Prosthetics Limbs Lab] and taught it to the rest of the class." (St. Benedict School)
Each fall, invitations (email) are sent to all elementary schools in Northern Alberta that fall within one of the following participating school districts:
- Edmonton Public School District
- Edmonton Catholic Separate School District
- Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division
- Elk Island Catholic Separate Regional Division
- St. Albert Public School District
- Greater St. Albert Catholic Regional Division
- Greater North Central Francophone
- Parkland School Division
- Evergreen Catholic Separate Regional Division
- Blackgold School Division
- Sturgeon School Division
- St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic School Division
- Private Charter and Reserve Schools
Please note that there are a limited number of positions available to each school district, so register early!
Registration
Registration for the CHOICES Conference is done by schools (teachers or administrators) and not by individuals (parents or students). If you are a parent, the school administrators throughout the Greater Edmonton Area will be emailed to inform them when registration for the CHOICES Conference will open, but feel free to encourage them or your child's grade 6 teacher to apply to come.
There are a limited number of spots available to each school district so register early as registration is based on "first come-first served". Registration is not considered complete until all forms and payment have been received by the WISEST office.
(PDFs are not updated for CHOICES 2024)
VIEW THE IN PERSON REGISTRATION CHECKLIST
IN PERSON EVENT SCHOOL EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
N PERSON EVENT SCHOOL REGISTRATION IN PERSON STUDENT & SCHOOL FORMS
VIEW THE VIRTUAL REGISTRATION CHECKLIST
VIRTUAL EVENT SCHOOL EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
VIRTUAL STUDENT & SCHOOL FORMS
Registration Process
Reserve your students' seats for the In-Person Conference on Feb. 21 or 22 by completing our online CHOICES Conference School Expression of Interest (In-Person).
Please remember which date you select as your preference. Once we receive this portion of your registration, WISEST will strive to be in contact within 5 business days to confirm if you have received "reserved spots" (which is based on the availability of spaces) or if you have been placed on the "waitlist". We will also confirm your selected date and provide a payment link. If you receive the "reserved spots" email confirmation, you will need to complete STEP 2.
Reserve your school’s kit(s) and sign up for the virtual conference on Feb. 23rd by completing the online CHOICES Conference School Expression of Interest (Virtual).
To participate in CHOICES, download and complete the IN-Person School Administration Form or the Virtual School Administration Form (including the attached Informed Consent Agreement Form, and Authorization to Reproduce Physical Likeness/Voice and Name Form). For each student attending, a parent/guardian must sign the Informed Consent Agreement, and the Authorization to Reproduce Physical Likeness/Voice and Name forms.
Return all original forms to WISEST by January 12, 204, along with your online payment. You will be provided a Google Form to upload forms to in your confirmation email.
With your "reserved spots" email confirmation, you will receive a link to the online payment system (which is our preferred method of payment). Follow the email link to make the payment for the students before January 12, 2024.
If you are required by your school administration to make payment by cheque, then payment can be sent to the WISEST office by the January 12 deadline, and please ensure cheques are made out to the University of Alberta. Note that the time to process these payments will be delayed. If you are sending a cheque please notify us by email that you plan to do so.
Receipts: If you paid online, Shopify will produce a receipt for you. If you require more information or paid by cheque, the last page of the 'Step 2-Agreement Forms' includes a '2024 CHOICES Payment Information Form' that can provide more information for your administrators.