2016/17 Annual Report
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2 Who We Are Actua is Canada’s leading science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education outreach organization. Our 35 network members located at universities and colleges across Canada, coupled with our Outreach Team, annually engage 250,000 youth in 500 communities nationwide. Our for-youth-by-youth program delivery model equips youth with the skills they need to be the future drivers of innovation. It inspires them to fulfil their critical role solving real-world problems and contributing to Canada’s social and economic prosperity. ACTUA 2016/2017 ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL 2016/2017 ACTUA Actua is a national leader in breaking down Canada will not achieve its full innovation the barriers that prevent many of Canada’s potential without the full participation of youth from accessing transformational STEM these groups. experiences and participating in STEM studies Working together, with our network members, and careers. Our national inclusivity programs our corporate partners, government agencies are customized to engage girls and young and other like-minded groups, we are moving women, Indigenous youth, new Canadians, the dial on Canada’s future economic and economically disadvantaged youth, and youth social competitiveness and prosperity. living in remote communities. 3 Message from the Chair This year, Canada’s 150th anniversary, is the perfect time for us to reflect as an organization on Actua’s many contributions to Canada’s innovation ecosystem while we collectively chart how to continue in the path of inclusivity and reconciliation. Actua has been advancing diversity and inclusiveness in STEM for two decades, knowing that this is essential for the economic and social prosperity of the country and will continue to be a necessary priority for all of us. As an organization we recognize that empowering ALL underrepresented populations with skills and knowledge will strengthen our workforce, our institutions and, ultimately, our country. I was reminded of how Actua puts these principles into practice when I was last in Ottawa for our annual meeting of our Board of Directors and had the wonderful privilege of spending an afternoon with this year’s 15 bright young instructors on our Outreach Team. Between March and August, these impressive instructors engage almost 5,000 Indigenous youth in STEM, travelling to 29 communities in Nunavut, Northern Ontario and Quebec. Actua’s ‘for-youth-by-youth’ model offers young Indigenous participants the chance to meet older Indigenous youth role models and mentors who can share first-hand experiences on how they overcame barriers to success. This is empowerment in action. We also continue to be extremely proud to support and represent our 35 network members located at Canada’s leading universities and colleges. We are happy to welcome our newest members at Northwest Community College in Terrace, BC, Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario. As Canada celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary, the Board looks forward to continuing its work in supporting Actua’s role in contributing to reconciliation and to working toward creating a truly inclusive 21st century workforce. Paul Ledwell Chair, Actua Board of Directors 4 Board of Directors Paul Ledwell (Chair) Trevor Cuddy (Director) Deputy Minister, Policy & Director, Continuing Professional Priorities, Executive Council Development, Faculty of Office, Government of P.E.I. Medicine, University of Toronto Susan Holt (Vice-Chair) Kris Smith (Director) Chief, Business Relationships Executive Vice President, (Executive Council Office) Refining and Marketing, Province of New Brunswick Suncor Energy Jennifer Flanagan (Secretary) Karen Kabloona (Director) CEO, Actua Associate Deputy Minister, Quality of Life, Government of Nunavut Kim Warburton (Director) Jan O’Donnell (Director) Vice-President, Communications Independent Contract (CFO) and Public Affairs, GE Canada ACTUA 2016/2017 ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL 2016/2017 ACTUA 5 Message from the CEO As we celebrate Canada’s milestone This represents nearly anniversary of 150 years of confederation, 2 million face-to-face there is a lot to be excited about. At Actua, hours of programming or we’re thrilled to play a role in Canada’s 150th an average of 7.5 hours per child! celebration through a signature initiative grant 2017 also marked the third year of our from Canadian Heritage called Innovation150. national Codemakers program supported by This initiative includes Actua’s Maker Mobile — Google Canada. So far we’ve engaged over a maker space on wheels travelling from coast 80,000 youth in hands-on opportunities to to coast to coast throughout 2017 delivering innovate with technology and we are hearing inspiring hands-on workshops that connect from parents and teachers how important this youth with Canada’s innovation history while work is. Moving forward, our reach and impact inspiring future innovation. will continue to grow while we continue to act We also had a successful year advocating as a strong voice for the critical importance of the federal government to support access digital literacy for youth. for Canada’s most underserved and Finally, our ongoing focus on underrepresented youth to experiential underrepresented youth continues to be learning in STEM. In March 2017 the federal incredibly relevant and important. In the government announced a $50 million spirit of reconciliation, we are making huge CanCode fund and recognized Actua in the advancements in the work we do with Minister of Finance’s federal budget speech of Indigenous communities. We are extremely the exemplary work we do in engaging youth grateful to all of our partners and the many in STEM and digital skills. We look forward community organizations who work with us to to applying to this competitive fund and deliver locally and culturally relevant STEM- increasing access to STEM programming for based learning experiences for Indigenous all Canadian youth. youth. We are also proud to build on our Over the past year we continued to work with models of successful engagement of girls, and our university and college-based network other youth facing significant socio-economic members, our leading corporate funders, all challenges in STEM. levels of government, as well as other leading Jennifer Flanagan science and youth-serving organizations to Actua President and CEO engage and inspire 263,000 youth in 520 Follow my blog http://actua.ca/en/blog communities nationwide. Twitter @ActuaCEO 6 Network Members Actua supports 35 university and college based network members. These network members share Actua’s commitment to engaging all young Canadians in hands-on STEM and to breaking barriers to youth participation in STEM studies and careers. Network members offer a wide variety of on and off campus programming including significant outreach work within their local communities and beyond. This outreach is what contributes to Actua’s collective impact of reaching 500 communities covering every province and territory each year. British Columbia Manitoba Carleton University, Ottawa, Thompson Rivers University, University of Winnipeg, ON – Virtual Ventures Kamloops, BC – EUReKA! Winnipeg, MB – Adventure Western University, London, Science Program Kids ON – Western Engineering University of British Brandon University, Brandon, Outreach Programs Columbia, Vancouver, BC – MB – Mini University Quebec Geering Up University of Manitoba, Simon Fraser University, Winnipeg, MB – WISE Kid- École Polytechnique de Burnaby, BC – Science AL!VE Netic Energy Montréal, Montréal, QC – Folie Technique Northwest Community College, Prince Rupert, BC – Nunavut Université du Quebec à Science Innovators Program Nunavut Research Institute, Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC – Génitrucs University of Victoria, Iqaluit, NU – Simply Science Victoria, BC – Science Centre d’interprétation des Venture Ontario Biosciences, Laval, QC – Musée Armand Frappier University of Ottawa, Yukon Ottawa, ON – Adventures in New Brunswick Yukon College, Whitehorse, Engineering and Science YK – Science Adventures Queen’s University, Kingston, University of New Brunswick, ON – ASUS Summer Camps Fredericton, NB – Worlds UNBound Alberta University of Guelph, Guelph, University of Lethbridge, ON – Creative Encounters Nova Scotia Lethbridge, AB – Destination University of Toronto, Exploration Dalhousie University, Halifax, Toronto, ON – Engineering NS – SuperNOVA University of Alberta, Outreach Edmonton, AB – DiscoverE St. Francis Xavier University, University of Waterloo, Antigonish, NS – X-Chem University of Calgary, Waterloo, ON – Engineering Outreach Program Calgary, AB – Minds in Science Quest Motion REPORT ANNUAL 2016/2017 ACTUA Nipissing University, Newfoundland and Labrador Red Deer College, Red Deer, North Bay, ON – NUScience Memorial University, St AB – Red Hot Science at Explorations John’s, NL - Memorial RDC Queen’s University, Kingston, Engineering Outreach ON – Queen’s Engineering Saskatchewan Outreach University of Regina, Regina, York University, Toronto, ON – SK – EYES Science Engagement First Nations University of Lakehead University, Canada, Regina, SK – FNU Thunder Bay, ON – Superior Health and Science camp Science University of Saskatchewan, McMaster University, Saskatoon, SK – SCI-FI Hamilton, ON – Venture Science Camps Engineering and Science 7 Martin Lipman What’s new at Actua Actua’s Youth Advisory “Being a member of Actua’s Youth Council Council has been such a nourishing Actua’s Youth Advisory Council