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Schoolshake: Inspiring the Next Generation, Increasing Community Resilience and Conducting Research Through a School-based Seismograph Network

Description: 

In 2021 the Geological Survey of Canada and University of Victoria launched SchoolShake, a program offering modern, hands-on earthquake science education to students on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The goals of SchoolShake are to: 1) Engage youth in STEM, 2) Highlight geoscience-related fields as a career option, 3) Increase earthquake education, preparedness, and community resilience, and 4) Improve understanding of local seismic hazard by increasing seismic monitoring. The program deploys Raspberry Shake seismographs in schools, allowing students to explore real-time seismic data from their classroom. Since 2021, the SchoolShake network has grown to nineteen school and two community stations spanning Victoria to Haida Gwaii. In addition to setting up seismographs at no cost to schools, we have collaborated with a local educator to develop BC curriculum-aligned materials that leverage the Raspberry Shake seismograph and associated web tools. The program also offers educator workshops, classroom visits and school tours of NRCan research facilities.

SchoolShake stations are complimentary to the Canadian National Seismograph Network (CN) and the Geological Survey of Canda Research Network (PQ), effectively lowering earthquake detection capabilities, potentially resulting in increased knowledge of local crustal faults, and providing opportunities for seismic hazard research. In May 2023, a swarm of microseismicity near Victoria, which was not possible to locate using CN stations alone, was detected and many events were successfully located with the addition of the PQ and SchoolShake stations. The SchoolShake seismographs also allow for rudimentary ground motion studies following locally significant earthquakes, such as two widely felt earthquakes near Victoria in the fall of 2024. Students being able to access seismic data recorded at their school that is used for earthquake research has fostered enthusiasm for earthquake science in schools and contributed to the growth and success of SchoolShake in its first three years.

Session: Adventures in Social Seismology: Ethical Engagement, Earthquake Early Warnings, Operational Forecasts, and Beyond [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/15/2025

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Camille

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Poster Number: 120

Authors