What do winter squash, rare birds, fossils, Mount Royal, medical specimens and science communication have in common? They are all invitations to get curious during Science Literacy Week at McGill!
This October, McGill Libraries and campus partners invite the McGill community and the public to explore science from new perspectives through a diverse lineup of activities, tours, workshops, displays, and special events.
Presented nationally by the Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC), Science Literacy Week celebrates curiosity, discovery, and the science that surrounds us. The 2026 theme, Curiosity Unleashed, encourages us to explore, play, ask questions, and notice the world in new ways.
Whether you want to be come a better science communicator, explore McGill’s collections, discover the science of food, or introduce a young scientist to fossils, there’s something to spark your curiosity.
Explore, Discover, Get Curious
October 4-10 | Celebrating Queer Scientists: Discovery and Diversity
Celebrate both Science Literacy Week and Queer History Month at the Schulich Library. Drop by throughout the week to discover queer scientists and learn about their contributions to science.
October 6, 10-11 a.m. | How to communicate science more effectively
How do you explain complex research to people outside your field? This 50-minute online webinar will introduce strategies for communicating specialized scientific and engineering research clearly and compellingly, whether you are giving a talk, writing a short text, or creating a social media post. Registration is required.
October 6, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Birds on the Bridge! Blacker-Wood Pop-up Exhibition
Take a closer look at some of the treasures of the Blacker-Wood Collection of natural history. Rare Books and Special Collections will bring a selection of its finest birds and other natural-history wonders to the Redpath bridge for a special Science Literacy Week pop-up.
October 6, 1-2 p.m. | The Chemistry of Climate Change
How do tiny molecules contribute to a warming planet? This interactive workshop explores climate change from the molecular level up, revealing how greenhouse gases heat the atmosphere and affect Earth’s interconnected systems. Participants will build their understanding of the science behind our changing climate while considering both individual and collective solutions. The session also acknowledges the climate anxiety these issues can create, pairing scientific understanding with opportunities for meaningful action.
October 7, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | The Delicious World of Winter Squash at the Macdonald Campus
Science can be delicious! Visit Macdonald Campus to learn about squashes native to Quebec and varieties grown on campus at the Mac Market. Test your knowledge with games, sample a new squash recipe created by human nutrition students, pick up cooking tips, and more. This bilingual event brings together the Office of Experiential Learning and Community Outreach, Macdonald Campus Library, Let’s Talk Science at McGill University, Mac Market, and the School of Human Nutrition.
Can’t make it to Mac? The squash celebration comes downtown the following day. Learn about Quebec’s native squashes and those grown at the Mac Market, play games, sample a recipe created by human nutrition students, and discover some new cooking tips. The event is bilingual.
October 8, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Tour: Maude Abbott Medical Museum
Step into the history of medicine at the Maude Abbott Medical Museum in the Strathcona Anatomy & Dentistry Building. Visitors will encounter anatomical specimens and stories of medical innovation while exploring how our understanding of medicine and the human body has evolved over time. Registration is required.
Take science literacy outdoors on a 90-minute guided walk through Mount Royal. McGill librarian Giovanna Badia will explore the scientific origins of Montreal’s mountain while weaving in poetry by Mary Oliver, showing how science and poetry can both help us observe and understand the natural world more deeply. The walk begins in the lobby of the McLennan-Redpath Library Building, and registration is required.
October 8, 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. | Virtual Tour of Schulich Library
Discover the Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering without leaving your desk. McGill librarian April Colosimo will lead this online tour of the restored 130-year-old library, highlighting its historic character, modern facilities, and role in scientific learning and research at McGill. Registration is required.
Science for the Whole Family
Science Literacy Week wraps up on Saturday with activities designed especially for McGill’s youngest curious minds.
October 10, 10-11 a.m. | Storytime and Creative Workshop: Discovering Fossils
The afternoon English-language session invites children and families to begin with a curiosity-sparking storytime before setting off on a fossil discovery adventure with a Redpath Museum guide. Participants can handle real specimens, learn about paleontology, and make a fossil-inspired keepsake to bring home. The free workshop is for children ages 4–10 and their families, and registration is required.
*Please note that the French version of this event will take place from 10-11 a.m. More information here.
Come Curious!
Science literacy is about more than knowing scientific facts. It begins with curiosity: asking questions, making connections, examining evidence, and looking at the familiar from a new perspective.
This Science Literacy Week, we invite you to unleash your curiosity. Explore a collection, taste something new, take a walk, investigate the history of medicine, improve how you communicate your research, or bring a young scientist along for their first encounter with a fossil.
Join us October 4–10 and discover where your curiosity will take you.
