Hosted by SuperNOVA and sponsored by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), the CETC is a series of professional development (PD) conferences, targeting grade 7-8 science teachers across the province. The CETC offers a full day of interactive PD sessions focused on climate change and environmental education, aimed at equipping teachers with the knowledge and tools to deliver impactful climate education in their classrooms.
Cetc Central 2025:
Event Dates: May 9th-10th, 2025
Program Location: Liscombe Lodge, 2884 Nova Scotia Trunk 7, Liscomb, NS B0J 2A0
Eligibility: Grade 7 and 8 teachers at Nova Scotia Regional Centres for Education as well as the Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial
Contents:
Speakers
Mary Louise Bernard – Elder, Author & Water Protector
Mary Louise Bernard is an Elder, Author, and Water Protector. She is a passionate advocate for community and reconnecting with Mother Earth. Mary Louise will open the conference, speaking about what climate action means to her and her journey to becoming a Water Protector.
Alex Cadel – Climate Services Specialist – CLIMAtlantic
Pierina Leon – Program Coordinator – SuperNOVA
Pierina is a Program Coordinator at SuperNOVA at Dalhousie University. She supports the delivery of high school programs, and runs an all-girls math club called Girls Count since 2021. She joined SuperNOVA in 2018 as a co-op student and developed a deep interest in making STEM education more accessible to youth across the province; a Chemical Engineering graduate from Dalhousie University, Pierina supports several programs helping students to find ways to merge engineering principles with real-world scenarios.
Mira MacNeill – Program Coordinator – Supernova
Mira is a program coordinator at SuperNOVA at Dalhousie University. She is SuperNOVA’s computer science programming lead, and runs an all-girls STEM program called ITS (Industry, Technology and Science) For Girls. She has been teaching since 2015 and has provided teacher training to teachers across Nova Scotia. Most recently, she was invited to speak at ISTE Live 2024 in Denver, Colorado about integrating technology education with the natural environment.
Schedule + Session Information
Friday, April 11th
Registration
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Main Lodge
Participants will check into their hotel rooms and register for the conference.
Dinner
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Riverside Dining Room
A private buffet-style dinner for PD participants.
There will be optional time to meet other teachers after dinner at Wadd’s Lounge.
Saturday, April 12th
Breakfast
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Narrows
Breakfast will be held before the event in the Narrows.
Food offerings TBA
Welcome Remarks – SuperNOVA / DEECD
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
Riverside Dining Room
Introduction to the PD day from SuperNOVA and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
KEYNOTE – Mary Louise Bernard
8:45 AM – 10:00 AM
Riverview Room
An opening talk with Elder Mary Louise Bernard, discussing climate action and water protection.
Coffee break and check-out time
10:00 – 10:30
Riverview Foyer
A 30 minute break with refreshments provided. Time will be provided for participants to check out of their hotel rooms.
KEYNOTE – Alex Cadel
10:30 – 11:30 AM
Riverview Room
CLIMAtlantic’s Alex Cadel will discuss climate change trends in Nova Scotia.
Curriculum Strategies – SuperNOVA
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Riverview Room
SuperNOVA will share their experience developing hands-on STEM curriculum, and provide some creative strategies for incorporating climate education in the classroom.
Lunch
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Riverside Dining Room
A lunch buffet will be provided in the conference room.
Food offerings TBA
Activity Development – SuperNOVA [ENGLISH]
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Riverview Room
SuperNOVA will walk participants through two hands-on climate science activities suitable for grade 7 and 8 students. You will leave this session with all of the materials required to run these activities in your own classrooms. NOTE: This session will be run concurrently in French.
Activity Development – SuperNOVA [FRENCH]
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Falls 1
SuperNOVA will walk participants through two hands-on climate science activities suitable for grade 7 and 8 students. You will leave this session with all of the materials required to run these activities in your own classrooms. NOTE: This session will be run concurrently in English.
Coffee Break
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Riverview Foyer
A 15-minute afternoon coffee break.
Closing Remarks and Evaluations – SuperNOVA / DEECD
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Riverview Room
SuperNOVA and the DEECD will provide closing remarks and time for session evaluation. Raffle prizes will be awarded at this time.
Networking [optional]
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Riverview Room
Participants are allotted time to mingle and share thoughts with fellow teachers from across the province. Note: this is optional and unstructured, and participants may leave at any time.
Accommodation Information
Room assignments will be provided upon check-in on May 9th. You will not be able to change your assigned room at registration. Each participant will be in their own room – there will be no shared rooms.
All incidentals (room service, damages) will be charged to individuals. Rooms and meals throughout the event are paid for by SuperNOVA and the DEECD.
Participants may only drink alcohol in their own rooms. PD Day events will not include bar services.
Participants who wish to bring a spouse/partner do not need to pay an extra fee. SuperNOVA and the DEECD will not cover meal expenses for non-registered individuals, and they will not be allowed to join the Friday night dinner or Saturday breakfast and lunch. Liscombe Lodge offers an on-site restaurant. For site-specific information, see Liscombe Lodge’s website.
Cheque requisitions for travel will be provided to participants after the event.
For media inquiries, please contact:
SuperNOVA at Dalhousie University
902-210-6220
supernova@dal.ca