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 18,646 students and 4523 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.
New Date Added to CHOICES 2023!
A third day will be added to CHOICES 2023! 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.
In-Person Event Details
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!
Dates: February 22 & 23 (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
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 24th
Time: 9:00 am- 12:00 pm
Location: At your school, through a virtual platform (Zoom)
Participation: Your school can register up to 2 groups of 4 grade 6 girls or gender-diverse students (If your school is divided into cohorts, the groups should be within these cohorts).
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.
Important Dates
Registration opens on November 8, 2022. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Spaces will be held for rural and underserved schools
Payment and forms deadline: December 2, 2022.
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.
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.
VIEW THE IN PERSON REGISTRATION CHECKLIST
IN PERSON EVENT SCHOOL REGISTRATION
N PERSON EVENT SCHOOL REGISTRATION IN PERSON STUDENT & SCHOOL FORMS
VIEW THE VIRTUAL REGISTRATION CHECKLIST
VIRTUAL EVENT SCHOOL REGISTRATION
VIRTUAL STUDENT & SCHOOL FORMS
Registration Process
Reserve your students' seats for the In-Person Conference on Feb. 22 or 23 by completing our online CHOICES Conference School Registration (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. 24th by completing the online CHOICES Conference School Registration (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 the deadline, along with your online payment. Please note that you may email the form to the office at wisest.events@ualberta.ca. We do not accept faxed forms.
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 December 2, 2022.
If you are required by your school administration to make payment by cheque, then payment can be sent to the WISEST office by the December 2 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.