Alberta Interscience Association

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Alberta Interscience Association is Canadian nonprofit organization based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 2009. Alberta Interscience Association runs different programs for adults, youth, and children.

Contents

Youth projects

Russian Education Centre. Accredited Russian School in Edmonton

The Russian Educational Centre was founded in July 2010. The Centre is maintained by professional teachers and dedicated community members. One of its goals is to preserve Russian language and culture in the Russian community and to promote it in the multicultural Canadian society. In the Centre students learn not only Russian language but also Russian literature and history. [1] The Russian School of the Centre is officially accredited for teaching Russian language. [2] Some of the students continue their studies after grade 12 in the summer courses in Russian language, culture and technology of the University of Washington, [3] where they study the writings of Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, Anton Chekhov, Korney Chukovsky, Alexander Vampilov, etc. [4]

Duke of Edinburgh Award

Alberta Interscience Association coordinates a group of young people (14 – 25 years) who are registered participants in Duke of Edinburgh's Award Program. It is based within schools, colleges, universities, youth clubs, churches, Air, Army and Sea cadets, Scouts, Girl Guides and Hockey clubs. Many young members of Alberta Interscience Association were awarded the Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels of the Duke of Edinburgh's awards. [3] [5]

Johann Strauss Ball

Since 2007 Alberta Interscience members have participated in the annual Johann Strauss Ball, which is organized in Edmonton by the Johann Strauss Foundation in support of Edmonton musicians and their endeavors to further their musical study in Austria. Each year, Johann Strauss Ball brings an evening of ballroom dancing, delectable food and fine music. The Alberta Interscience Association is delighted to support such a worthwhile foundation to enrich Edmonton's community! [6]

Volunteering

Members of Alberta Interscience regularly volunteer in Accredited Russian School of Edmonton and take part in many activities of Alberta Interscience Association such as Family Camps or special celebrations. Besides that, they are volunteering at University of Alberta, Royal Alberta Museum, TIMMS CENTRE for the ARTS, Citadel Theater, Fringe Festival in Edmonton, etc. The Alberta Interscience Association is looking for outstanding people who want to share their talents and skills to help other people to reach to their full potential in our society.

Ecology

Native plants of Alberta

Together with Lillian Osborne High School (LOHS) Alberta Interscience maintains a garden of native Alberta plants. [7] The LOHS Native Plant Garden was opened on June 9, 2010 to promote knowledge of Alberta's native plants through education, to support the protection of them, to prepare the research and conservation projects. [8] As of 2012, the Osborne Native Plant Garden has about 1000 different species of plants. There are owls, rabbits and other animals attracted to the garden, and those are helpful for the students in many subjects. [7] Alberta Interscience also published on its website basic instructions for those who would like to start native plants garden of their own. [9] In order to provide students with basic knowledge about native plants, and why it is important to keep them alive, the Alberta Interscience Association organized the Interscience Summer Camp at Bed Rock Seed Bank Farm and later participated in a landscaping project which took place in one of the Edmonton communities. [10]

Museum and library

Sport museum

The Sport section of Alberta Interscience museum is dedicated to the legendary 1972 Canada-USSR hockey series and was opened in 2012 to commemorate its 40th anniversary.

Virtual Museum of Nikolay Zelinsky

The virtual museum of the famous Russian chemist, the inventor of the gas mask Nikolay Zelinsky was started in June 2014, [11] on the eve of the centennial of the World War I. The collection includes books, photos and videos, related to N.D. Zelinsky and his family, as well as web links to Zelinsky museums in Moscow and Tiraspol. The virtual museum is created and developed in collaboration with the Zelinsky foundation.

National costumes

Alberta Interscience maintains also a permanent exhibition of Russian [12] and Armenian [13] national costumes.

Library

Alberta Interscience Library contains over 20000 items, most part of them in digital form, in 12 languages - English, French, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, etc. Among those are books in history, culture and religion, teaching tutorials, fiction literature for adults and children.

International projects

"Between Alex and Sasha"

In 2010 Shohei Miyajima from Keio University (Japan) came to Edmonton to make a documentary on the Russian community in Edmonton. [14] He was hosted and helped by members of Alberta Interscience, and among participants in the documentary there were many members of the Association. The film, "Between Alex and Sasha", was successfully presented in both Canada [15] and Japan. [16] According to the filmmaker, his goal was "to change (...) prejudice against immigrants by filming a healthy, culturally rich and highly educated community." [16]

International Mother Language Day

As a member of International and Heritage Languages Association the Russian Educational Centre is among the organizers and participants of the annual celebrations of the International Mother Language Day in Edmonton. [1] In 2015 celebration the International Mother Language Day in Edmonton was officially proclaimed by the city Mayor Don Iveson and city Councillor Amarjeet Sohi. [17]

Universal day of culture

Since 2013 Alberta Interscience Association organizes the celebration of the Universal Day of Culture (April 15 - anniversary of the Roerich Pact) in Edmonton. The celebration in 2014 was organized together with Edmonton Theosophical Society. [18] In 2015 the Association participated in the International Week of the University of Alberta with a documentary about Nicholas Roerich and the Roerich Pact. [19]

Adult education

Another goal of the Alberta Interscience Association is to help newcomers to Canada to adapt faster in their new life. The Alberta Interscience Association offers English and computer classes for adults. [20] These programs are funded by Edmonton Community Adult Learning Association (ECALA) [21] and they are free for landed immigrants and Canadian citizens. [1]

The teachers and members of Alberta Interscience Association believe that the ability to understand different languages contribute to the linguistic diversity of the society, personal enjoyment, better understanding of people belonging to different cultures, and global citizenship.

Related Research Articles

Alberta Province of Canada

Alberta is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories (NWT) to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. It is one of the only two landlocked provinces in Canada. The eastern part of the province is occupied by the Great Plains, while the western part borders the Rocky Mountains. The province has a predominantly continental climate but experiences quick temperature changes due to air aridity. Seasonal temperature swings are less pronounced in western Alberta due to occasional chinook winds.

Edmonton City in Alberta, Canada

Edmonton is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchors the north end of what Statistics Canada defines as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor".

Red Deer, Alberta City in Alberta, Canada

Red Deer is a city in central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. With a recorded population of 100,418 in the Canada 2016 census, Red Deer became the third Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills that is home to oil, grain, and cattle production. It is a centre for oil and agriculture distribution, and the surrounding region is a major centre for petrochemical production.

Nicholas Roerich Russian painter, writer, archaeologist and philosopher (1874–1947)

Nicholas Roerich, also known also as Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh, was a Russian painter, writer, archaeologist, theosophist, philosopher, and public figure. In his youth was influenced by Russian Symbolism, a movement in Russian society centered on the spiritual. He was interested in hypnosis and other spiritual practices and his paintings are said to have hypnotic expression.

University of Alberta Public research university in Alberta, Canada

The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, the university's first president. It was enabled through the Post-secondary Learning Act.

Sherwood Park Urban service area in Alberta, Canada

Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is located adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary, generally south of Highway 16, west of Highway 21 and north of Highway 630. Other portions of Sherwood Park extend beyond Yellowhead Trail and Wye Road, while Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) separates Refinery Row to the west from the balance of the hamlet to the east.

Wetaskiwin City in Alberta, Canada

Wetaskiwin is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskiwinihk, meaning "the hills where peace was made".

Douglas Cardinal Canadian architect

Douglas Joseph Cardinal is a Canadian architect based in Ottawa, Ontario. His flowing architecture marked with smooth curvilinear forms is influenced by his Aboriginal heritage as well as European Expressionist architecture. His passion for unconventional forms and appreciation of nature and landscape were present in his life from a very young age, and consequently developed into the unique architectural style he has employed throughout his career. Cardinal is perhaps best known for his designs of the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec (1989) and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. (1998). He is considered one of Canada's most influential contemporary Indigenous architects.

Ukrainian Canadians Canadian citizens of Ukrainian descent

Ukrainian Canadians are Canadian citizens of Ukrainian descent or Ukrainian-born people who immigrated to Canada. In 2016, there were an estimated 1,359,655 persons of full or partial Ukrainian origin residing in Canada, making them Canada's eleventh largest ethnic group and giving Canada the world's third-largest Ukrainian population behind Ukraine itself and Russia. Self-identified Ukrainians are the plurality in several rural areas of Western Canada. According to the 2011 census, of the 1,251,170 who identified as Ukrainian, only 144,260 could speak the Ukrainian language.

Helena Roerich Russian philosopher (1879–1955)

Helena Ivanovna Roerich was a Russian theosophist, writer, and public figure. In the early 20th century, she created, in cooperation with the Teachers of the East, a philosophic teaching of Living Ethics. She was an organizer and participant of cultural activity in the U.S., conducted under the guidance of her husband, Nicholas Roerich. Along with her husband, she took part in expeditions of hard-to-reach and little-investigated regions of Central Asia. She was an Honorary President-Founder of the Institute of Himalayan Studies "Urusvati" in India and co-author of the idea of the International Treaty for Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments. She translated two volumes of the Secret Doctrine of H. P. Blavatsky, and also selected Mahatma's Letters, from English to Russian.

Franco-Albertans

Franco-Albertans are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Alberta. Franco-Albertans may also refer to residents of Alberta with French Canadian ancestry, although publications from the government of Alberta use the term Franco-Albertan to refer to its francophone residents. In the 2016 Canadian Census, there were 86,705 Albertans that stated their mother tongue was French. In the same census, there were 411,315 Albertans that claim partial or full French ancestry.

Harcourt House, Edmonton

Harcourt House Artist Run Centre is one of four artist-run centres in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The centre delivers a host of services to both artists and the community, and acts as an alternative site for the presentation, distribution and promotion of contemporary art.

Edmonton Public Schools public school division in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Edmonton Public Schools is the largest public school division in Edmonton, the second largest in Alberta, and the sixth largest in Canada. The division offers a variety of alternative and special needs programs, and many are offered in multiple locations to improve accessibility for students. As a public system, Edmonton Public Schools accepts all students who meet age and residency requirements.

Muttart Conservatory

The Muttart Conservatory is a botanical garden located in the North Saskatchewan river valley, across from the downtown core in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. One of the best-known landmarks of Edmonton, the conservatory consists of three city-operated greenhouses, public gardens, as well as four feature pyramids for display of plant species found across three biomes, with the fourth pyramid hosting a seasonal display. A fifth minor skylight pyramid lights up the central foyer.

The Meadows, Edmonton Area in Alberta, Canada

The Meadows is a residential district in the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Located in southeast Edmonton, The Meadows is bounded by Whitemud Drive to the north, 34 Street to the west, and Anthony Henday Drive to the east and south. The residential district of Mill Woods is immediately west of The Meadows across 34 Street, while Strathcona County is located to the east across Anthony Henday Drive.

David B. Williams is a noted Canadian Ojibway aboriginal artist.

Universal Day of Culture

The Universal Day of Culture under the Banner of Peace, known also as the World Day of Culture, is an observance held annually on April 15 in many countries around the World to promote the protection of culture, the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace.

Lyndal Osborne Canadian artist

Lyndal Osborne is a Canadian artist based in Edmonton, Alberta. She was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Her works include BioArt, Sculpture, Video art, and multimedia. Osborne's' installation work speaks of the forces of transformation within nature and provides a commentary on issues relating to the environment. In her more recent works, Osborne has also examined the issues of genetically modified organisms as subject matter.

Annora Brown Canadian artist (1899–1987)

Mary Annora Brown (1899–1987), known as Annora Brown, was a Canadian visual artist whose work encompassed painting and graphic design. She was best known for her depictions of natural landscapes, wildflowers, and First Nations communities in Canada. Much of her work thematically explored Albertan identity, though she remains relatively obscure in discussions of Canadian art.

Jenny Margetts, born Jane Maria Shirt, was an Indigenous woman who advocated for women and children. She was born to Felix and Louisa Doghead Shirt on the Saddle Lake Reserve in Alberta, Canada. Growing up in a family of ten, she attended Blue Quills Indian Residential School for nine years. Following graduation from Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton, Alberta. she decided to enter the Dominican Order. Jenny traveled with Bishop Lussier by train and arrived in Quebec City, Quebec on April 22, 1954. After six months as a postulant she became a novice and chose the name Louisa in honor of her mother. Sister Louisa spent the next two years in religious formation, learning French. Shortly after taking her First Vows returned to Saddle Lake to work in a newly established mission. She told of having a dream of a man crying, and her phoning home to Saddle Lake, and being told, “Come back. You do not belong there. We need you here.” During this period, she decided the religious life was not for her, and left the Order in June 1957. She remembered taking a social justice course from a priest who told her that even one person who is concerned can make changes. Three years later she married, started a family, and became an activist for Indigenous women and children.

References

  1. 1 2 3 12th Annual Mother Language Book. Edmonton: IHLA, 2015. P. 219
  2. Alberta Education Private Schools Archived 2012-04-20 at the Wayback Machine . EIS1007P. February 15, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Koleso (Alberta bi-weekly Russian newspaper) Archived 2015-02-23 at the Wayback Machine . March 22nd, 2012.
  4. The InterScience Cup
  5. Amoryn Engel. Golden moments in Alberta. National Post. Saturday, April 21, 2012.
  6. Johann Strauss Ball 2011. The Interscience Cup, February 13th, 2011.
  7. 1 2 Lillian Osborne High School School Council Meeting Minutes Archived 2015-05-18 at the Wayback Machine . December 6th, 2012.
  8. The perfect day for planting. The Interscience Cup, June 9th, 2010.
  9. Have fun with growing native plants. The Interscience Cup, June 2nd, 2010
  10. Interscience Summer Camp. The Interscience Cup, August 2nd, 2008.
  11. Virtual Museum of Nikolay Zelinsky. The InterScience Cup. June 16, 2014.
  12. Russian Folk Costume. The Interscience Cup, May 20th, 2012.
  13. Armenian National Costumes. The Interscience Cup, April 27th, 2012.
  14. Mosaic. Canadian Russian News. October 2010
  15. Thanks Shohei for great movie!!! The InterScience Cup, June 2010.
  16. 1 2 "Between Alex and Sasha" - official site of the documentary.
  17. Claire Theobald. International Mother Language Day declared in Edmonton. Edmonton Sun, February 21, 2015.
  18. Отбелязване на Световния ден на културата в гр. Едмънтън, Канада (Celebration of the Universal Day of Culture in Edmonton, Canada) Palitra, IV-2012/I-2013 (48-49). ISSN 1314-5002.
  19. International Week for a Better World Archived 2015-02-23 at the Wayback Machine . University of Alberta Global Education Program, 2015.
  20. ESL and Computer Literacy in the West End of Edmonton
  21. "ECALA members". Archived from the original on 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-02-23.