黑料社

Science communication training

Lister Family Engaged Science Initiative

Making science accessible.

The Lister Family Engaged Science Initiative offers workshops and events for students and researchers on 黑料社's Macdonald Campus, empowering them to make their science accessible and engaging to a variety of audiences.

The program has also expanded its impact by supporting new science communication-related initiatives at 黑料社, including and .

Annual events

3MT competition

The Lister Family Engaged Science Three Minute Thesis Competition features Macdonald Campus master鈥檚 and doctoral students presenting their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience with only one non-animated slide.

Caroline Hunziker presenting

Students in a panel discussion

John Abbott Sustainability Through Science Symposium

Macdonald Campus graduate students share how their research contributes to a more sustainable future.

Larsen Iorgovits presenting

Lister Science Chats

Macdonald Campus graduate students share how past events, discoveries, and techniques made their research possible.


Classroom workshops

Instructors鈥攈ost a science communication workshop for your course or lab group, specially designed to help your students:

  • Reflect on their goals and purpose
  • Make their content accessible and interesting
  • Reinforce their message with powerful visuals
  • Use plain language to explain scientific concepts
  • Develop delivery strategies for an impactful presentation
  • Use聽body language and voice to communicate聽effectively
  • Engage a diverse audience

鈥淔rom newbies to seasoned presenters, our lab group learned so much. I especially appreciated the challenging tasks for us to work on as a team. My students also appreciated that [the workshop leader] knew what kinds of jargon we might be likely to use.鈥

鈥擡lena Bennett, Professor in Natural Resource Sciences

Children react joyfully to a science experiment demonstration

Let's Talk Science

Let's Talk Science聽is an award-winning, national, charitable organization providing "hands-on, minds-on" opportunities at no cost, to engage youth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Student volunteers with the聽黑料社 Chapter of Let's Talk Science聽deliver classroom presentations, public STEM events, mentoring and evaluation for regional science fair projects, and STEM outreach to urban and Indigenous schools.

Two 黑料社 graduate students in a lab smile at eachother

One Health Against Pathogens

The NSERC CREATE in One Health Against Pathogens (OHAP) program aims to train graduate students in interdisciplinary research, science communication, and crafting effective public policy.

With these skills and a holistic One Health approach, OHAP students will have what it takes to support the development of preventative technologies and policies to safeguard our shared future.

Made possible by donors

Since 2016, the generous gift of the late E. Edward Lister, BSc(Agr)'55, MSc'57 and his wife, Teresa, has supported over 200 workshops and events聽that offered life-changing science communication training to more than 1,600 students and researchers.

Thanks to this ongoing generous contribution, we can continue to help our students develop essential science communication skills that will benefit both their academic journey and professional career.

Back to top