Actua’s 2024 Highlights

In May, the Government of Canada announced that Actua would receive $38.4 million over five years through its Strategic Science Fund (SSF). SSF supports the expertise and resources of organizations like Actua to enhance Canada’s science, technology and innovation excellence. This transformative funding allows Actua to deliver on its mission to build Canada’s talent pipeline by providing inclusive science and technology skill development programs to 1.8 million youth across 600 communities, with a strong focus on girls, Indigenous youth, Black youth, and other equity-deserving groups.

• Read the announcement

In February, Actua proudly welcomed Canadian Space Agency astronauts Jeremy Hansen and Jenni Gibbons to our annual National Conference in Ottawa. During this unforgettable event, Grade 5 and 6 students from Rockcliffe Park Public School engaged with the astronauts in an inspiring session about goal-setting, perseverance and the extraordinary journey to becoming an astronaut. The students also gained insights into the skills and challenges involved in space exploration and preparing to travel to the moon. Jennifer had an opportunity to interview both astronauts as part of our In Conversation With video series. 

• In Conversation with Jeremy Hansen 
• In Conversation with Jenni Gibbons
• Ottawa students meet Canadian astronauts Jeremy Hansen and Jenni Gibbons

In March, Actua hosted an empowering evening celebrating International Women’s Day, highlighting women’s leadership. This event focused on addressing the ongoing barriers women and girls face and featured a panel discussion about women redefining success in their respective fields. The panel showcased remarkable women who have broken new ground in their careers, including Vassy Kapelos, Chief Political Correspondent at CTV, Saadia Muzaffar, Founder and CEO of TGC (Tech Girls Canada) and Brianne Jenner, Olympic hockey champion and Team Captain of the PWHL Ottawa franchise. 

• In Conversation with Brianne Jenner
• Hockey chat with Brianne Jenner and girls hockey team
• Event recap

In November, Actua CEO Jennifer Flanagan was named to the 2024 Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Hall of Fame, recognizing her as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award winners. This prestigious honor, awarded to women who have received the Top 100 Award three times and have been selected a fourth time, celebrates Jennifer’s leadership and profound impact on Canada’s STEM and innovation sectors. As co-founder and CEO of Actua, Jennifer has dedicated more than 25 years to empowering equity-deserving youth, shaping Canada’s STEM landscape, and advocating for gender equity.

• Read the announcement

In November, Actua took part in the Science Up First Together Against Misinformation Campaign, a campaign dedicated to combating misinformation in communities across Canada. Actua joined forces with other collaborators to share tools, resources and strategies for recognizing and debunking misinformation. As part of this campaign, Actua amplified its commitment to digital literacy and online safety by promoting our resources for youth, parents and educators. Actua further solidified its position as a thought leader in the fight against misinformation by participating in this campaign, empowering communities to separate fact from fiction while reinforcing our role as a trusted resource in cyber safety.

• Learn more about the campaign

As part of Actua’s National Black Youth in STEM Program that engaged over 10,000 black youth this year, in February, Actua hosted a Black History Month event at the Door Youth Centre in Ottawa.  The event was designed to help build connections with inspiring role models and featured a mentorship discussion with Raphaelle Jean-Baptiste, an engineering student at the University of Ottawa, and an interactive Q&A session. The event also included a hands-on STEM workshop that mixed coding and music, with youth getting the chance to create their own musical beats.

• Event recap

This summer, Actua expanded its impact with youth in over 40 northern, remote and Indigenous communities by showcasing amazing content from the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada), Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Through our collaborations with these innovative organizations, Actua developed hands-on activities based on real-world challenges relevant to each youth’s community. By connecting science learning to local contexts, youth can envision themselves as future leaders who contribute meaningfully to their communities.

• Read about these collaborations

This year, Actua welcomed Algoma University’s Waawaaskonwe Niigaan ISTEAM program as our newest network member. Through land camps and other STEM outreach programs, they will play a significant role in inspiring the next generation of leaders in Sault Ste. Marie and beyond. The Actua network includes over 40 universities and colleges across Canada, all dedicated to providing youth with barrier-free and transformative STEM experiences.

• Learn more about the Waawaaskonwe Niigaan ISTEAM Program

In November, Actua hosted a roundtable discussion, bringing together thought leaders, educators and innovators to address the persistent and emerging challenges faced by girls and gender-diverse youth in STEM. This discussion focused on critical topics such as building STEM identities, navigating digital risks and AI and supporting girl’s mental health. This roundtable will support Actua as it continues to grow and evolve its programming. 

• Event recap