Owlkids and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Partner for the 5th Annual National Science Reading Day!

National contest for classrooms and youth ages 3 to 17

Toronto, September 14, 2021

After four successful years, Owlkids, publisher of Chirp, Chickadee, and OWL magazines, is partnering again with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to celebrate the fifth annual National Science Reading Day on Sept. 22, 2021, as part of Science Literacy Week.

Young Canadians ages 3 to 17 and their classrooms are invited to devote a period of the day between Sept. 21 and 23 to science readings — either fiction or non-fiction — as well as to enter a Canada-wide contest. There are over $3,500 in prizes to be won, including five classroom prizes and five individual prizes consisting of magazines and books from Owlkids, 4Canoes, Nimbus Publishing, Adventure Press, Common Deer Press, Groundwood, Annick Press, Usborne, and Harper Collins Canada.

By celebrating National Science Reading Day, Owlkids and NSERC aim to promote the benefits of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) to children, families, and schools.

“We are so excited to be participating in the fifth National Science Reading Day,” says Angela Keenlyside, Owlkids publisher. “The significance of this day continues to grow for Canadians of all ages. Reading science articles and publications plays a crucial role for all of us in explaining and demystifying our world. And exploring the world of science fiction can open our minds to envision a new, exciting, and more equitable future.”

“Science Literacy Week is about helping us all appreciate the science, discoveries and ingenuity shaping our lives. By fostering a culture of scientific literacy, Canadians will be better equipped to challenge disinformation, think critically, and ultimately better understand the complicated world in which we live,” says Alejandro Adem, NSERC President.

For full contest information, please visit www.owlkids.com/sciencereadingday
For the French-language contest, visit www.jelislascience.com

About Owlkids:
Owlkids has been publishing award-winning magazines and books for children ages 2 to 14 since 1976. Chirp (ages 3-6), Chickadee (ages 6-9), and OWL (ages 9-13) delight and engage hundreds of thousands of readers every year.

About Science Literacy Week:
Powered by the NSERC, Science Literacy Week is a nationwide back-to-school celebration of books, organizations, and activities that explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics. From September 20 to 26, Science Literacy Week 2021 exposes Canadians to a wide range of science literature available in libraries, stores, museums, and science centres.

For more information:
Susan Zuzinjak
[email protected]
416-782-2300