Prince Edward Island showcased more projects on the Vancouver 2010 website than any other province in Canada except for host province British Columbia says Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Doug Currie.
“Teachers and students are being very creative in the way they are connecting the Olympic Games with what they are learning in the classroom,” said Minister Doug Currie. “I commend them for their tremendous spirit and enthusiastic participation in Project Showcase on the Olympic website.”
Project Showcase was created to increase student interest and excitement for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to encourage and support teachers to use Vancouver 2010 as a timely theme for teaching and learning.
Schools and classrooms across Canada were encouraged to create special projects related to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games or the pillars of sport, culture and sustainability for the future and then post them to Project Showcase on the website.
Out of the 150 showcase projects posted to the Vancouver 2010 website, 43 of them were from Island schools. Quebec and Ontario followed with 33 and 21 posts respectively. Many of the Island students participating in Project Showcase were eligible to receive a pair of the popular red mittens which was a great motivator for participating.
Showcase projects ranged from developing a slide show to demonstrate cultural diversity of the student body to creating an Inukshuk or bobsledding in the school corridors.
Students at LM Montgomery showcased Olympic Newsstand which captivated their interest in the individual Olympic sports and encouraged them to collect articles about the events and post them to a special mural in a high-traffic area of the school. “Students have been watching their mural grow as the numbers of stories increase with the approach of the Olympic Games,” says Ashley Pickard, one of the LM teachers who initiated the activity. “It has been a terrific learning opportunity for the students and a great way to increase interest in Vancouver 2010.”
Projects were submitted from schools across every grade level, from all across PEI and in both English and French. To look at some of the fun activities students and teachers posted to the website, visit www.vancouver2010.com/education-programs/