OFF Limits
Go behind-the-scenes to exciting locations and meet amazing STEM role models in our latest YouTube video series!
OFF Limits: Going Electric
Here it is! Our latest OFF Limits video takes you for a ride on the first electric ferry in Canada!
In this episode of OFF Limits, Dr. Larissa brings you behind the scenes at Ports Toronto with architectural engineer, Jelena Ognjanovic. Learn how this STEM role model is making a big impact by cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 530 tonnes a year.
OFF Limits: Riding Roller Coasters
This month, we went off limits at Canada’s Wonderland to learn about roller coaster engineering!
Join our host, Dr. Larissa, and mechanical engineer, Joelle Javier, for a thrilling ride on the Yukon Striker, the fastest, longest, and tallest dive roller coaster in the world.
This OFF Limits STEM Challenge is now closed. Check back soon to find out who the winners are.
Your challenge: to make a marble rollercoaster with the biggest loop!
The specs: you can be creative and use any materials you like to design and build your marble roller coaster. The only exceptions are pre-designed marble roller coaster kits, which cannot be used. Like our roller coaster engineer, Joelle Javier, please keep safety in mind! Parent/guardian supervision is recommended.
Submit your work: Complete a two-part form and submit a short video showing your marble roller coaster in action (maximum 1 minute). The video must include a measurement of the height of the loop, from top to bottom, and a demonstration of a marble going through the loop, in the same take. Note: The form will ask you a roller coaster question. You can find the answer to this question in the OFF Limits: Riding Roller Coasters video.
Judging: Mechanical engineer, Joelle Javier, from the OFF Limits: Riding Roller Coasters video, will be judging the videos! She will be looking for the entry with the largest functioning marble roller coaster loop. If more than one entry has a loop of the same size, she will be looking for other design features, like hills, banks, and more, to break the tie.
Deadline: Entries must be submitted by 11:59 PT on August 6, 2022.
Eligibility: this STEM challenge is for girls, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming youth aged 7-17 (as of August 6, 2022), residing in Canada.
Winners: Joelle Javier will select two winners: one aged 7-11 and another aged 12-17.
Prizes: Winners will each receive a prize pack valued at $55, generously donated by Canada’s Wonderland! Winners will also be featured on the CAGIS website, social media, and other communication channels.
This project is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
