In May 2016 Anand Mahadevan received the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.  Firefly nominated Anand for this well deserved recognition based on our experience working with him over the last five years on our summer camp, Bright Lights in the Lab. We asked Anand to tell us about what Bright Lights has come to mean to him.

Firefly Foundation was thrilled to collaborate with the Rotman Photography Association to host a silent auction celebrating memories through photography.  The funds raised at this event - combined with the support offered by the Rotman Graduate Business Council and our own fundraising efforts - enabled Firefly to offer a total of 18 students scholarships and financial aid to attend our Bright Lights in the Lab camp in 2016.

The 18th Annual Toronto Brain Bee was held at the University of Toronto on April 1st.  This year the event was hosted by Professor Amy Ramsey and the contest was emceed by Sofia Raitsin and Petri Takkala.

We were delighted to be able to expand our scholarship program this year, thanks to the generous support of two sponsors.  

Bright Lights in the Lab was hosted at  University of Toronto Schools, from July 6-17. This year more than 60 high school students ranging from Grade 7 through 12 worked with teachers, PhDs and graduate students from U of T to perform science experiments on behavior, learning and memory.

In 2015, 14 high schools, with 48 students competed and following three rounds of competition the winners were:  Shannon Eagan (first place), Laura Newcombe (second place) and Ruby Zhang (third place).  Both Shannon and Ruby were from University of Toronto Schools, while Laura was representing North Toronto Collegiate Institute.  The Top Ranking Novice Participant Award went to Justin Lu (Upper Canada College).

Bright Lights in the Lab is back for a second year with an expanded program for students who love science.  Once again the camp was hosted at  University of Toronto Schools, from July 7-18. This year more than 50 high school students ranging from Grade 7 through 12 worked with teachers, PhDs and graduate students from U of T to perform science experiments on behavior, learning and memory.

On June 25th we gathered in the art studios at University of Toronto Schools to work with students and learn what they think young people would like to know about the brain... and how they'd like to receive & use this information.

On April 10th, 2014, aspiring students of all grades, teachers, and staff of the University of Toronto Schools attended the Alzheimer Society of Canada and Firefly Symposium on the Brain. The symposium, which featured several accomplished guest speakers, focused on the discussion of Alzheimer’s disease, a common form of dementia, innovative methods of treatment for the condition, and inspiring the younger generation to think about the brain.

The Firefly Foundation was a proud sponsor of the 16th Annual Toronto Brain Bee.  The competition took place at the Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories at the University of Toronto on March 28, 2014. 55 students from 15 high schools in the Toronto area participated in the competition.