Celebrating 15 years of partnership with Suncor Energy Foundation

March 18, 2021

Actua has been incredibly fortunate to have some of Canada’s top companies among our funders. Our industry partners provide value far beyond their financial contributions – they are true partners in every sense of the word. They work with us to co-create solutions that address the interconnected challenges between youth skill development and the career opportunities awaiting them. They are also among the most dedicated supporters to Actua’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Suncor Energy Foundation (SEF) is one of Actua’s longest-standing partners and has been at the heart of InSTEM – Actua’s National Indigenous Youth in STEM program. For over 15 years, SEF has helped Actua improve high school graduation rates among Indigenous students and create opportunities for Indigenous youth in the future workforce. With SEF’s support we’ve reached over 450,000 Indigenous youth in 600 communities nationwide.

SEF continues to invest in strengthening the impact of InSTEM. They have most recently supported:

  • the recruitment of our Indigenous leadership team;
  • capacity-building among our network members for deep impact programming with Indigenous communities;
  • annual, Indigenous-led cultural training for the 1,000 undergraduate students who deliver hands-on STEM programs;
  • the development and delivery of our for-credit, Indigenous land-based STEM education pilot programs; and
  • the engagement of Suncor employees as mentors at Actua InSTEM camps and events across Canada.

SEF has  also helped us engage hundreds of Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit leaders and educators to establish a vision for the classroom of the future, rooted in Indigenous land-based learning.

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We are proud of our strong partnership with Actua. We have witnessed the impact that Actua’s unique, innovative and culturally relevant programs are having on youth as they build skills and explore new ways of thinking. We’re learning together about what it means to support youth to develop to their full potential.

- Lori Hewson, Suncor, Director of Community Investment and Social Innovation

We are incredibly grateful to SEF for their support and commitment to Indigenous education. Their on-going guidance and resources have helped and will continue to help us grow our reach, deepen our impact and drive the systemic social and economic change we all hope to achieve.

Thank you, Suncor Energy Foundation, for 15 years of partnership!

Watch the partnership highlights