National foundation salutes science teacher Jim Galway helped organize local science fair By Henry Bury The Intelligencer Jim Galway's efforts to turn staff and students onto science has paid personal dividends. The Sir Mackenzie Bowell School teacher is the recipient of the Youth Science Foundation's distinguished service award for 1994. Each year, the foundation chooses five people from across Canada to receive the distin- guished service award; those se- lected must have demonstrated commitment to science fairs and have made a real difference in science education for students. Galway, a 25-year teacher with the Hastings County Board of Education, has been instru- mental in organizing the annual Quinte Regional Science Fair. Since 1980, he's been its chief judge. "There are a lot of people across Canada who are working strongly for students in science and to be recognized as one of them is a privilege," the 45-year- old Galway said Friday. Galway is a firm believer that students need to study science. "Students want to know how things work or see a situation that they would like to know more about...students are inter- ested in discovery." He said more students need to get involved in science if Canada is to maintain its position in the world economy. And one of the best ways of integrating various students' skills is through sci- ence fairs. "Students have to re- search the subject, manage numbers, put it all together in a pleasing format and present it orally to people. That's a good example of bringing all those •skills together." Elizabeth Churcher, Quinte Regional Science Fair chairman, said Galway is "genuinely de- serving" of the award. "He has done a great deal to encourage both colleagues and students in science and has faithfully played a major role in school science fairs and the Quinte regional science fair." Throughout his career, Gal- way has taken a leadership role in science education beyond his own school, including participat- ing in curriculum writing and frequently being a workshop leader for curriculum and sci- ence fair workshops. Galway's teaching career be- gan in 1969, teaching science and home room subjects to Grades 7-8 students at the for- mer King George School. In 1975, he moved to the board's out-of-school learning depart- ment where he introduced stu- dents and staff to the world of nature in his roles as field stud- ies instructor and then co-ordi- nator. In 1980, he joined Susanna Moodie School, teach- ing Grades 7-8 science. For the past four years, Galway has taught at Sir Mackenzie Bowell. «