Actua’s National Aboriginal Outreach Program: Breaking Barriers to STEM Education
A leader in educational outreach, Actua has a twenty-year track record of providing hands-on, confidence-building programming in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to ALL youth, regardless of their location, socio-economic situation, gender or ability. Through our member-based organization, we are committed to engaging young Canadians (ages six to sixteen) who are typically underrepresented and underserved in STEM, and we have invested heavily in the development and delivery of customized programming for target youth audiences with little or no access to education outreach programming.
As such, in 2000, in response to growing grassroots programming by our members across Canada, we developed a national program to support community-based, culturally relevant STEM programming specifically for Aboriginal youth. This initiative, called the National Aboriginal Outreach Program (NAOP), has grown exponentially over the past decade due to the strong demand among our Aboriginal community partners and the rising consensus among national Aboriginal organizations of the urgent need to develop concrete strategies that address current challenges relating to education of Aboriginal youth.
Skills in STEM are very important to helping underrepresented groups establish their economic independence and a strong voice in society. Through our Aboriginal outreach program, Actua saw an opportunity to build a culture of hope, inspire a first-generation of post-secondary students, increase enthusiasm about STEM careers, encourage economic independence and, importantly, provide a much-needed diverse perspective to our Canadian economy.
Through our community-based approach, we deliver STEM programming that is locally and culturally relevant. Through week-long camps and school workshops, we introduce youth to Aboriginal role models and other energetic mentors in a variety of science fields. In this way, we facilitate the sharing of traditional knowledge and demonstrate how it plays a significant role in the study of science. Our goal is to instill newfound confidence in the youth we reach and encourage them to achieve their potential.
Actua’s strength is the scope of our national reach and geographic footprint. Since the launch of the National Aboriginal Outreach Program, over 138,000 Aboriginal youth have been inspired in over 225 communities, making Actua a national leader in the development and delivery of customized programming specifically for Aboriginal youth across the country. We have now surpassed our goal of annually engaging 10 percent of the Canadian Aboriginal youth population in our target age range. The demand for Actua’s Aboriginal Outreach programming grows each year as communities proactively request more workshops and weeks of camp
Actua’s impact is demonstrated through extensive independent evidence-based research that clearly demonstrates that we are creating positive and significant changes in the attitudes and behaviours of Aboriginal youth toward STEM and increasing the likelihood that they will continue on in STEM studies and careers. This is reinforced by the positive feedback we receive from program participants, teachers, parents, and community leaders.
About You
About You
First Name
Jennifer
Last Name
Flanagan
Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry
Jennifer Flanagan
About You, Your Group, or Your Organization
Name
Actua
Website
Country
Canada, ON
Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples
Yes
Twitter URL
https://twitter.com/#!/ActuaCanada
Facebook URL
What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
What best describes your group or organization
Non-profit organization.
How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Innovation
Name Your Entry
Actua’s National Aboriginal Outreach Program: Breaking Barriers to STEM Education
Tell us the story of your idea or project
A leader in educational outreach, Actua has a twenty-year track record of providing hands-on, confidence-building programming in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to ALL youth, regardless of their location, socio-economic situation, gender or ability. Through our member-based organization, we are committed to engaging young Canadians (ages six to sixteen) who are typically underrepresented and underserved in STEM, and we have invested heavily in the development and delivery of customized programming for target youth audiences with little or no access to education outreach programming.
As such, in 2000, in response to growing grassroots programming by our members across Canada, we developed a national program to support community-based, culturally relevant STEM programming specifically for Aboriginal youth. This initiative, called the National Aboriginal Outreach Program (NAOP), has grown exponentially over the past decade due to the strong demand among our Aboriginal community partners and the rising consensus among national Aboriginal organizations of the urgent need to develop concrete strategies that address current challenges relating to education of Aboriginal youth.
Skills in STEM are very important to helping underrepresented groups establish their economic independence and a strong voice in society. Through our Aboriginal outreach program, Actua saw an opportunity to build a culture of hope, inspire a first-generation of post-secondary students, increase enthusiasm about STEM careers, encourage economic independence and, importantly, provide a much-needed diverse perspective to our Canadian economy.
Through our community-based approach, we deliver STEM programming that is locally and culturally relevant. Through week-long camps and school workshops, we introduce youth to Aboriginal role models and other energetic mentors in a variety of science fields. In this way, we facilitate the sharing of traditional knowledge and demonstrate how it plays a significant role in the study of science. Our goal is to instill newfound confidence in the youth we reach and encourage them to achieve their potential.
Actua’s strength is the scope of our national reach and geographic footprint. Since the launch of the National Aboriginal Outreach Program, over 138,000 Aboriginal youth have been inspired in over 225 communities, making Actua a national leader in the development and delivery of customized programming specifically for Aboriginal youth across the country. We have now surpassed our goal of annually engaging 10 percent of the Canadian Aboriginal youth population in our target age range. The demand for Actua’s Aboriginal Outreach programming grows each year as communities proactively request more workshops and weeks of camp
Actua’s impact is demonstrated through extensive independent evidence-based research that clearly demonstrates that we are creating positive and significant changes in the attitudes and behaviours of Aboriginal youth toward STEM and increasing the likelihood that they will continue on in STEM studies and careers. This is reinforced by the positive feedback we receive from program participants, teachers, parents, and community leaders.
Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences
Actua’s National Aboriginal Outreach Program inspires over 25,000 Aboriginal youth annually through locally and culturally relevant STEM programming.
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Expanding (it has been running for a while, has grown, you know it is making a difference and now you want to expand)
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect
Actua’s Aboriginal Program delivers confidence-building, real-life experiences that spark an interest among Aboriginal youth for a variety of science fields. By sharing facilities once reserved for post-secondary students, professors, and researchers, Actua introduces the university or college experience to youth who otherwise would not likely imagine access to post-secondary education. Youth also benefit from the on-site mentorship provided by older Aboriginal youth and other community role models who have gone on to STEM studies and careers. This approach is critical to encouraging youth to set and achieve their academic and career goals. It also helps Actua ensure the future prosperity within Aboriginal communities and to contribute to the creation of a diverse Canadian workforce.
Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year
Actua is working toward refining, documenting and sharing our delivery model to increase its impact and effectiveness.
In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?
As a result of Actua’s National Aboriginal Outreach Program, in five years:
- An additional one hundred thousand Aboriginal youth will have been empowered through Actua’s programming.
- There will be increased Canadian awareness of the critical importance of engaging Aboriginal youth through educational outreach programming.
- More Aboriginal youth will be in a position to choose to study science and engineering at university.
- Over 3,000 young professionals (Actua’s instructors over the years) will enter the workforce as scientists, teachers, engineers and future politicians with a deeper understanding of the importance of Aboriginal engagement and perspective.
Sustainability
Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.
Actua’s National Aboriginal Outreach Program is built on partnerships with Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal organizations across Canada. Our network of members has long-standing relationships with Aboriginal communities in their areas. Actua and our members also work directly with Aboriginal community organizations such as friendship centres, hamlet offices, cultural associations and schools, and Elders, parents and local volunteers. These partnerships are critical to ensuring our programming meets the needs and interests of Aboriginal youth. We also partner with leading corporations, such as GE Canada, Suncor, Shell and Vale that invest in our capacity to deliver and grow these programs.
If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.
Over the next three years, Actua’s plan is to deepen our partnerships with National Inuit, Metis and First Nations organizations, specifically to ensure that our programming continues to be reflective of the education strategies being developed by each of the organizations. We will also broaden relationships with regional Aboriginal associations to help identify communities in need and new potential partners. We are deeply committed to these ongoing relationships and view them as key to ensuring our impact is strong and appropriate.
Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)
Actua’s community and cultural partners provide essential in-kind support including access to classrooms, recreation centres, laboratories, and research facilities. As well, these partners play a key role in promoting our programming locally, and assisting with logistics of program delivery. Each year, Actua also receives assistance from over 500 volunteers including high school students, corporate employees, STEM academics and professionals, and local residents.
Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?
Yes (answer the next two questions)
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| playdough_circuits.jpg | 1.42 MB |
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| elder_and_youth.jpg | 792.07 KB |
 | 17 weeks agoJennifer Flanagan updated this Competition Entry. |
| 17 weeks agoJennifer Flanagan submitted this idea. |
