Virtual Researcher on Call (VROC) is a Canadian educational program administered by

Partners in Research Partners In Research (PIR) is a registered Canadian charitable organization, charity founded in 1988 to advocate the significance of biomedical research in advancing health and medicine. Since its foundation, PIR has broadened its scope to encomp ...

. The program connects students with knowledge partners — researchers and professionals — in

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

and

natural sciences Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatab ...

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and Reproducibility, reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in me ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, and mathematics (

STEM fields Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of ...

) through

video conferencing Videotelephony, also known as videoconferencing and video teleconferencing, is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio signal, audio and video signals by people in different locations for Real-time, real time communication. ...

and

video podcasts Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) systems ...

Video conferencing

Video conferencing technology is used to connect researchers and professionals in the STEM fields with

elementary Elementary may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Elementary'' (Cindy Morgan album), 2001 * ''Elementary'' (The End album), 2007 * ''Elementary'', a Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin album, 1977 Other uses in arts, entertainment, a ...

and secondary school classrooms for real-time, interactive discussion.

Partners

VROC is partnered with over 40 universities, colleges, and institutions as well as school boards across the country.

Funding

VROC began with a "Reaching Higher"

grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom * Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

from the Ontario

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities The Ministry of Colleges and Universities is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for administration of laws relating to post-secondary education. This ministry is one of two education ministries, the other being the Ministry of E ...

in 2006 under the

Dalton McGuinty Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. (born July 19, 1955) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nea ...

government. In 2011, Partners in Research was awarded a nearly million-dollar grant from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario to teach southern Ontarian students about careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Partners in Research hosts a national annual awards reception and ceremony entitled The PIR National Awards to celebrate Canadian research in the STEM fields. Proceeds from this evening support the Virtual Researcher On Call Program.

Recognition

In 2006 VROC was named a "New and Noteworthy Initiative" by the Canadian Education Association. VROC was awarded the ORION Discovery Award of Merit in 2008.

References

External links

VROC web page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vroc Educational organizations based in Canada Science education in Canada