This year’s Chemical Institute of Canada Beaumier Award for excellence in teaching chemistry at the high school or CÉGEP level in Canada is Jailson Lima. Jailson completed his teaching certificate, BS, MS and PhD in chemistry from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. After teaching in Brazilian high schools and universities for ten years, he joined Vanier College in 2000 and started the Université de Sherbrooke’s Master Teacher Program eight years later. Lima explores the use of creativity and imagination within the constraints of Quebec’s CÉGEP curriculum.
In 2009, Lima started the Art & Science Project, which uses a cross-disciplinary integration between visual arts and the natural sciences to promote a deeper understanding of the role of models in chemistry by enhancing student engagement, sparking curiosity and conveying an emotional significance to the material. His pedagogical approach has been presented at both local and international conferences, in journal articles and on the website of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Lima’s work has caught the attention of universities in both Canada and Germany and continues to evolve through fruitful partnerships and collaborations.
Jailson has written an article describing his inspiration and philosophy behind integrating art and chemistry. "Chemistry boldly goes to the edge".
Read about Popcasso (front cover) - a product of this course.
