National Advocacy
Actua is a nationally recognized voice for STEM education and learning. For over twenty years, we’ve advocated for, and have moved the dial on, equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM education. Early engagement of youth in STEM is critical for our country’s social and economic prosperity. So, we’ve compelled key players in the innovation ecosystem and STEM industries to identify and address underlying drivers of inequalities while continually investing in youth programs.
Actua is uniquely positioned to do this work. We have decades of on-the-ground experience and the data, research and policy work to bring about meaningful change at a community and systems level. Our team is frequently called upon to speak on our vast program experience and policy expertise through conference presentations, media interviews, community events and social media. We actively share our research findings and experiences with a broad community to advance understanding and innovation in youth STEM engagement.
See Actua in the NewsYouth Engagement
The Actua network inspires over 500,000 youth each year through summer camps, classroom workshops, clubs, teacher training and community outreach activities.
Network Members
Actua supports a network of 43 universities and colleges to deliver hands-on STEM programs that break down barriers to youth participation in STEM studies and careers. Network members deliver on and off-campus programming in and around their local communities. This outreach contributes to the network’s collective impact of delivering programs in 500 communities in every province and territory each year.
Get to Know our Network MembersOur Outreach Team
Recognizing our network alone can’t reach all communities, we created Actua’s Outreach Team. Our Outreach Team is a group of dynamic STEM instructors who engage youth in Canada’s hardest-to-reach communities. This includes youth in the Canadian Arctic and other remote and underserved regions, such as Indigenous communities.
Our outreach instructors are mainly university students. This “for youth by youth” model helps build self-confidence by connecting program participants with relatable role models who create safe and inclusive spaces to explore STEM. Programs are also designed in partnership with representatives from local communities, such as Indigenous Elders, to reflect each community’s unique Traditional Knowledge and cultural perspectives.
Programs include school workshops, week-long summer camps, and community science events.
Learn About Outreach Instructors
