The Bondar Challenge
Dr. Roberta Bondar is a Canadian icon most widely known for her journey aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as the world’s first neurologist and Canada’s first woman in space. Her achievements are outstanding in her varied careers as a scientist, medical doctor, astronaut, author, environmental educator and professional landscape and nature photographer.
The Roberta Bondar Foundation has partnered with the Canadian Camping Association to launch the Summer Camp Bondar Challenge. Modelled after the successful school-based Bondar Challenge, it is focused on campers using a camera as a tool and gateway to learning about the environment. Campers are challenged to capture an image in their environment that relates to an aspect of biodiversity and then write a statement to accompany their photo. The program fuses the art of photography with a knowledge of science and promotes a lifelong love of nature, protection of our environment and global citizenship. The winning images and statements may travel with The Foundation’s Travelling Exhibition.
For more information and to register your camp, visit the Foundation’s website. Applications open on February 28, 2018, and must be received by May 1, 2018, at 8:00 pm EST to be considered.
Role of the Foundation
The registration fee of $130 includes:
- Unlimited use of the program for summer by trained staff counsellors/leaders
- Start-up camp kits of detailed information about program regulations, judging criteria, competition deadlines, submission guidelines, etc
- Training materials for staff counsellors/leaders delivering the program including certificates signed by Dr. Bondar certifying completion of the training program
- Password protected on-line access to all learning tools, program materials, lesson plans, and instructions for submitting entries to the competition, regulations
- Digital Certificate for trained staff counsellors/leaders completing the evaluation of the program experience at the end of summer
- Acknowledgment on The Roberta Bondar Foundation’s website as a participating camp
- Winning entries will be posted on The Foundation’s website and social media sites
- Opportunity to apply for loan cameras
Role of the Camp
Camps agree that:
- All staff delivering the program have completed the training provided on-line through The Foundation’s website
- The program may be run in any number of sessions during the summer but each session must ensure campers have allocated a minimum of 6 hours over at least 2 days for each camper/group who participates (any combination is acceptable to achieve the 6 hour commitment)
- Access will be provided to necessary electronic support for campers /staff to view images, complete artist’s statements and make submissions online
- An online evaluation questionnaire on the program experience will be completed
How and When To Register
Individual CCA member camps can apply on-line through The Roberta Bondar Foundation website