The questions may not give them trouble, but the answers might. Students do some mental activities as they write their exams in the Physical Activities Complex. The examination period continues until Saturday, August 17.

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Viewing education's future from the Summit

Visionaries and innovators alike will converge in Waterloo from September 29 to October 3 for the Equinox Summit: Learning 2030, where they will draft a blueprint for the School of the 21st Century.

The Summit is presented by Waterloo Global Science Initiative (WGSI), a partnership between Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the University of Waterloo. Applications are open to join Equinox Summit Learning 2030’s Forum of young leaders.

“It's absolutely vital that we have the voice of the younger generation in this conversation - they are the ones with the recent experience of how the system is working, and where it is falling short,” says Equinox Summit: Learning 2030 curator Dr. Michael Brooks, quantum physicist, journalist and, author of 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense and Free Radicals: The Secret Anarchy of Science. “That's why we want a global group of young people who have big, positive, creative ideas about education. We want the innovators, the disruptors, those who are able to ask difficult questions. Most of all we are looking for those with a passion for and an appreciation of just how empowering and fulfilling learning can be.”

Through three days of workshops and discussions, participants will develop new education strategies based on the most promising learning models, communities, technologies, and emerging resources from around the world.  “This Summit is about making sure that, by the time the children born this year graduate high school in 2030, things are different,” says Dr. Brooks. “We want to give them the tools they'll need to thrive in a world that may be very different from ours. We want to foster their creativity and ingenuity, and allow them to put it to use in any sphere they choose.”

This event will bring together a multinational, multidisciplinary and multigenerational group of experts to explore best practices and promising initiatives in education aimed at empowering students in their creativity and potential.

The end result will be a framework for the Equinox Blueprint – a document that will provide clear recommendations on building a learning environment that fosters critical thinking, problem solving, and innovation.

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St. Paul's joins Regional Carbon Initiative

a news release from St. Paul's University College

As part of an ongoing commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, St. Paul's is pleased to announce that we have joined Sustainable Waterloo Region's Regional Carbon Initiative as an observing organization.

The Regional Carbon Initiative facilitates voluntary target-setting and reductions of carbon emissions while providing members with the networks, resources and support necessary to do so.

Initially, St. Paul's will undertake an audit of where our emissions come from and begin tracking those greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of making a reduction commitment. We are joining a community of over 60 organizations throughout the region who are working together to improve environmental sustainability.

Sustainability initiatives already under way at St. Paul's include implementing water and energy reduction practices in the kitchen, purchasing compostable and biodegradable items, using LED bulbs where feasible, and other initiatives in responsible water, energy, and waste management.

Sustainable Waterloo Region is a not-for-profit organization that promotes environmental sustainability across Waterloo Region through collaboration.

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Innovator Challenge, prosilience, and other notes

The Conrad Centre is inviting the campus community to take part in the Innovator Challenge, a thought exercise for its incoming class of Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) students. Questions appear the week of July 8, July 29, and August 19. The first question's answer has already been posted, but there is still time to send answers in to the second question: "What will be the most important technology to address the issue of access to clean water?" Answers can be tweeted to @conraduwaterloo using the hashtag #ConradIC. Responses will be entered into a draw, with the winner receiving a Conrad prize pack. Answers to the second questions will be accepted until Wednesday, August 14.

In other news:

Killam Prize Winner and professor in the Philosophy department Paul Thagard talks about the concept of "prosilience" on Psychology Today's "Hot Thought" blog.

Co-operative Education and Career Action is hosting a pre-departure information session for students taking work terms outside North America today from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in TC 1112.

Human Resources reports that Anna Pankratenko died on July 25. Pankratenko began working at the university in June of 1974 and was "Housemother" in Housing and Residences in Village 1. She retired August 1, 1981.

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