Science World’s latest exhibit celebrates the life of the Canadian copper
For the past few weeks, SFU Master of Business Administration (MBA) students have engaged youth and community members alike at their “Penny Tributes” exhibit, now on display at Science World, or Telus World of Science.
The exhibit, which focuses on the penny and its demise, was created after Beedie School of Business’s Management of Technology students were challenged to create a promotional campaign as part of a projectmanagement course. The team — made up of Patrick Altejos, Alex Popov, Scott Brundrett, and James Cameron — felt that the decision to work with Science World was a natural extension of their venture.
“It just clicked,” said Cameron. “The phaseout is an important time for the penny and the idea happened to be going through both our minds and the minds of the executive team at Science World. When we did speak, there was a good fit and it was easy for us to go forward with them.”
Canada’s phasing out of the penny began this year after the federal government announced its decision to remove the coin due to its excessive cost of its production relative to face value. It is estimated that taxpayers will save up to $11 million a year with the penny gone. The environmental implications of the continued production of the coin also prompted the government to make the decision.
Pennies are three per cent copper, 97 per cent zinc, and are primarily made from virgin ore. Because they are made from materials that can only be obtained through mining, penny minting results in heavy-metal and lead rich mining tailings, which pollute the environment.
Even after the metals are mined, the environmental impact does not stop. The process of refining zinc and copper can release toxins like sulfur dioxide, lead and zinc into the environment.
All of this information can be found at the Penny Tributes exhibit at Science World, placed just inside the entrance. The MBA students’ display takes the attendee on a journey that follows the penny’s life from creation, to circulation, to eventual phase-out.
“We have an open pit mine display, penny collections, penny games, and experiments and demonstrations designed by SFU science instructors and 4D Labs that are orchestrated by Science World,” said Cameron.
The exhibit is meant to engage and educate the visitors of Science World, while encouraging them to donate their nowobsolete pennies. Such a partnership was perfect for Science World, which as a non-profit organization needs the community’s support to continue its operations.
“When you donate to Science World, you invest in BC’s future,” reads the Science World website. “By making science fun, we spark curiosity and open the doors to the wonders and possibilities of science and technology.”
The vice president of development at Science World, Jennifer Ingham, has been working with the SFU students since the beginning of their project two months ago. Ingham spoke to the importance of this project for Science World.
“Not everyone knows that Science World is a charity,” said Ingham. “We need support from the public so that we can continue to educate the community and encourage students to pursue the sciences, a field which some students tend to avoid.”
Although the penny will soon be gone from circulation, the SFU MBA students are making sure that its history will not be forgotten. “We’re working on a model of Science World to be used as a legacy piece, where coins would activate the lights in the dome making it fun for people to donate,” said Cameron. “Our other coin depository will stay on the site for some time to come.”
When asked how she enjoyed working the SFU students, Ingham smiled and responded warmly. The SFU team is in discussion on Science World’s behalf about possible future projects with Greentech Exchange, CoinMart, and SFU’s own 4D LABS and Faculty of Science, so though this is the first collaboration with a university program, it may not be the last.
