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Communicators of Canada

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Events

The events offered through the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada fall into three broad offerings: Professional Development & Training, Networking & Community Building, and the Annual Conference. Keep scrolling to learn more about these three Event Offerings and how to get involved.

Past and upcoming events are listed below.

Upcoming events

    • 19 Apr 2023
    • 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    SEO 101: Optimizing your Science Writing

    With Theresa Liao 

    Date: April 19

    Time: 2-3 pm PST

    SWCC Chair: Alice Fleerackers (She/Her)

    Event description:

    Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important tactic to maximize the potential of your work being seen. More and more freelance positions now also require writers to have some experiences with SEO. What does this mean, though? And, how can you incorporate SEO practices into your writing?

    If you’re curious about SEO but not sure where to start, this session is for you. Theresa Liao, who recently transitioned from science communication to content marketing, will share how things work behind the scenes when it comes to SEO - especially what companies and organizations are looking for with regard to SEO experiences for writers. She’ll offer tips on best practices to improve SEO in your science content, as well as free resources for building skills in this area. The session will end with an audience Q&A, so bring your questions!



    Speaker bio: 

    Theresa Liao is the Content Marketing Specialist at SciNote, a lab digitalization company, and the Director of YHTL Consulting Ltd. She works with freelance writers, contractors, and media outlets to develop content that will inform and engage intended audiences and to optimize content to improve their visibility in online search.

    She has a research background in experimental medicine and 15 years of experience in science communications outreach. Prior to the transition to her current marketing role, she worked as the Communications Coordinator at UBC Physics & Astronomy (2008-2022) and served in leadership positions with non-profits such as Science Borealis and Curiosity Collider.


    • 03 May 2023
    • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    The ‘Good’ of Good Science Communication: An Ethical Interlude

     

    Date: Wednesday May 3rd, 2023 

    Time: 4-5pm ET

    Cost: $15 Members & $30 Non-Members

     

    Is “good” science communication really that “good”? Please join us on Wednesday, May 3rd at 4pm EST for a SWCC Professional Development event centered on discussing the intricacies of morals in conveying scientific information to the public. Ethics Committee member Dr. Fabien Medvecky will first review some of the lasting moral assumptions about the “goodness” of communicating science. The session will then transition into a discussion regarding the overall efficaciousness of science communication and how to revamp our thinking in considering the ways in which issues of morals impact science coverage.

     

    Speaker Bio:

    Dr Fabien Medvecky

    Dr. Fabien Medvecky is a social epistemologist at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Dr. Medvecky’s work focuses on the connections between knowledge and society in the context of science communication. Author of An Ethics of Science Communication, Dr. Medvecky is a scholar of morals in science communication and formerly served from 2015 to 2018 as President of the Science Communicators’ Association of New Zealand. 

     

    • 23 May 2023
    • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Conference War Stories

    Date: Tuesday May 23, 2023

    Time: 4-5pm ET

    Cost: Free for Members 

    What was the best thing you've gained from a conference? Have you ever planned a conference? What was your most bizarre conference experience? Why do you go to conferences? For learning? For networking? To get away from your desk for a few days? 

    Noelle Chorney and Jane Caulfield —SWCC board members and conference committee members —share their plans for the upcoming SWCC conference; our first in person conference since 2019!! They’ll also be sharing some of their own stories as conference planners and attendees.

Past events

21 Mar 2023 Not Your Average Book Club
07 Feb 2023 February Member Meet Up
23 Jan 2023 Delivering Sci Comm to Younger Audiences
07 Dec 2022 December Member Meet Up
29 Nov 2022 Freelancing FAQs: An Interactive Workshop
16 Nov 2022 November Member Meet Up
26 Oct 2022 Podcasting 101
19 Oct 2022 October Member Meet Up
28 Sep 2022 SWCC Monthly Meet-Up
27 Sep 2022 From Query to Bookshelf: A Q&A with publishers and authors
13 Sep 2022 SWCC Annual General Meeting
15 Jun 2022 Member Meet Up
26 May 2022 Join a SWCC Mission and Vision Focus Group
02 May 2022 Symposium for Science Engagement: Communicating the Urgency of Planetary Health.
05 Oct 2021 Annual General Meeting
17 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference - Day 7
16 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference - Day 6
15 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference - Day 5
14 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference - Day 4
11 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference - Day 3
09 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference - Day 2
07 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference
07 Jun 2021 2021 Virtual Conference - Day 1
03 Jun 2021 Barriers in Science Communications for Black and People of Colour
06 May 2021 Communicating with Children and Museums
12 Apr 2021 Indigenous Communications - Waubgeshig Rice
06 Apr 2021 Indigenous Communications - Dr. Hilding Neilson
28 Jan 2021 Top 10 Non-COVID Science Stories of 2020
15 Dec 2020 SWCC Holiday Social
02 Dec 2020 Science Through A Photographer’s Eye
04 Nov 2020 Disinformation. It’s partly our fault!
30 Jun 2020 2020 Virtual Conference
16 Jun 2020 Pro-D Session: Cognit.ca with Mike Matheson
25 May 2019 Freelance Skill Share Extraordinaire
23 May 2019 Opening Reception - 2019 SWCC Conference
23 May 2019 Heart & Head - 2019 Annual Conference
23 May 2019 Winnipeg Science Tour
22 May 2019 Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) Tour
17 Nov 2018 Building Indigenous Relationships Workshop: Deadline to register Nov 15
14 May 2018 SWCC2018 delegate membership discount
15 Apr 2018 Victoria RBCM Sessions and Tour Day
15 Apr 2018 Snorkel Safari
13 Apr 2018 Beakerhead at SWCC mini-course
12 Apr 2018 SciComm Social, tickets
12 Apr 2018 On The Edge 2018 Annual Conference
20 Feb 2018 SWCC 2018 Acclaimed Slate Vote
22 Sep 2017 Book Award Presentation Event
20 Sep 2017 Youth Book Awards Presentation
25 Jul 2017 SWCC 2017 Acclaimed Slate: Register Your Vote
03 Apr 2017 CSWA Constitution Vote 2017
19 Dec 2016 3rd ANNUAL TORONTO SCIENCE WRITERS/PRODUCERS YEWL
28 Nov 2016 CSWA Runoff Name Vote
14 Oct 2016 CSWA Name Vote
02 Jun 2016 CSWA Conference & Annual Meeting: Guelph 2016
20 Feb 2016 Improv for Science Communicators
25 Jan 2016 data journalism/journalisme des données, 2016
11 Jan 2016 Science Journalism Award Submission, 2016
11 Jan 2016 Science Communication Award Submission, 2016
15 Dec 2015 2016 Herb Lampert Emerging Journalist Award Submission
26 Nov 2015 Pub night Ottawa
20 Nov 2015 Pub night: Vancouver
03 Apr 2015 CSWA 2015 Annual Conference, Saskatoon
19 Jan 2015 Science Journalism Award Submission
19 Jan 2015 Science Communication Award Submission
19 Jan 2015 Herb Lampert Emerging Journalist Award Submission
30 Jul 2014 Science of Beer pub night
26 Jun 2014 CSWA pub night
05 Jun 2014 CSWA 2014 Annual Conference, June 5 - 8
15 Apr 2014 CSWA Board Nominations Open, Deadline April 25
17 Feb 2014 Fast Talker 3 minute thesis competition
01 Feb 2014 Herb Lampert Emerging Journalist Award Submission
01 Feb 2014 Science Communication Award Submission
01 Feb 2014 Science Journalism Award Submission
06 Jun 2013 CSWA 2013 Annual Conference, June 6-9
28 Jan 2013 Understanding Medical Journal Articles & Medical Statistics - Webinar
02 Jun 2012 CSWA 2012 Annual Conference, June 2-5
30 Sep 2011 Coffee with Chris Hadfield
09 Jun 2011 CSWA 2011 Annual Conference, June 9-13

Event Policy

The SWCC organizes events that create value for members by providing opportunities for a) professional development,  b) to exchange ideas, c) network with other members or d) some combination of the above.  

The SWCC reserves the right to charge an entry fee for events in order to a) cover costs associated with organizing events and b) to generate revenue for the organization.  

No shows: Individuals who pay for admission to an SWCC event and who miss the event are not entitled to a refund. 

When technology permits, and with the approval of the event speakers, SWCC reserves the right to record PD events. All registered attendees—including no-shows—will have access to event recordings. 

The SWCC board, on behalf of the members, steward the human and financial resources of the organization wisely. Any speaker fees or honorariums paid to speakers must abide by the SWCC Honorarium policy. 

Address:

P.O. Box 75 Station A

Toronto, ON

M5W 1A2

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