The Trent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Science (TRACKS) Youth Program at Trent University has received $89,500 in funding from one of Canada's leading science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) youth outreach organizations, Actua, to support programming that engages youth, especially Indigenous youth, through STEM workshops, camps, clubs and special events in the community.
"With this new support, TRACKS is continuing to play a big role in helping to create pathways to education, employment and community engagement that empower the next generation of Indigenous youth in the Nogojiwanong region. We wouldn't be able to do this work without the expertise, support and funding made available through Actua," said Madison Laurin, interim director of TRACKS Youth Program.
Benefitting from this investment is TRACKS "InSTEM" programming, school workshops, youth initiatives like the Oshkwazin Trailblazer Program, and seasonal camp offerings, all designed to inspire and empower young minds across Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities,
"We greatly appreciate the continued partnership and support provided through our membership in the Actua network," said Dr. Chris Furgal, a faculty advisor from Trent University's School of Indigenous Studies and Trent School of the Environment, and a co-founder of TRACKS. "This relationship, and all that it brings, has been critical in our work to help facilitate Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth engagement in environmental reconciliation and foster the development of innovative and creative environmental leaders of the future."
Actua deeply values its esteemed partners, including the Government of Canada as well as industry partners, whose long-term investment has been and continues to be essential in our collective mission to equip and inspire youth to lead Canada's future science and innovation economy. Part of this funding comes from a recent investment in the Actua network through the Government of Canada's Strategic Science Fund, totaling $38.4 million over five years.
"Each year, the Actua network engages 375,000 youth in 600 communities across the country. TRACKS Youth Program at Trent University is an integral part of this national impact and together, we will continue to relentlessly remove barriers so that all youth can be engaged in STEM," said Jennifer Flanagan, CEO of Actua.
The TRACKS Youth Program was founded in 2010 and has been a member of the Actua network since 2017. Offering diverse educational programs and workshops for youth, TRACKS emphasizes hands-on learning, the integration of Indigenous ecological knowledge with scientific principles, and fostering a sense of interconnectedness and curiosity. TRACKS encourages youth to pursue education and careers in the sciences by demonstrating that engaging multiple worldviews in scientific inquiry, including Indigenous traditional knowledges, can address the complex environmental issues of today.
