Actua

10/23/2026

When we develop advanced STEM skills in a society, we're fueling innovation and economic prosperity, and preparing the next generation for a rapidly evolving world.

Actua was happy to contribute our Canadian experience of widening participation and access in youth STEM engagement throughout the OECD Mutual Learning Group (MLG) process. Working alongside the OECD Education and Skills and the European Commission, we supported the development of the framework and policy recommendations featured in this new report.

Throughout the initiative, we championed the importance of enabling learners with the interest and potential to succeed in entering high-quality STEM higher education. Drawing on Actua’s experience working with its national network and deep experience engaging equity-deserving youth, our VP of Network Membership, Tracy Ross contributed valuable perspectives throughout the process, helping policy leaders consider Actua’s approach for the European context.

Addressing STEM talent shortages starts early, with intentional investment in the pathways that help every learner succeed.

We’re proud to be a part of this important international conversation. We encourage you to read the report and explore its recommendations for building stronger, more equitable pathways into STEM.

Advanced STEM skills are essential for discovery, responsible innovation and solving complex problems.

Yet countries may not develop or use the full range of available talent.

A new OECD report looks at five bottlenecks that appear:

▶️ entering STEM higher education
▶️ completing a STEM programme
▶️ progressing to advanced study
▶️ moving into work and effective skills use
▶️ keeping skills up to date throughout working life

At each bottleneck, the pool able to progress gets smaller.

The new report launched today with support from European Commission at the Ireland2026.eu , helps policymakers to identify where action is needed in education and employment.

Thanks to An Roinn Oideachais agus Óige - Department of Education and Youth in Ireland for the great launch!

Read here: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/policies-for-developing-advanced-stem-skills-in-higher-education_257230ec-en.html

10/09/2026

We’re so grateful for the incredible partners who help us unleash curiosity through hands-on science, technology and innovation at our camps! 💡

To wrap up , we’re celebrating how creativity and collaboration make complex physics accessible to young learners.

This summer, Actua partnered with the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo to bring youth campers the Invisible Messages, Visible Art activity. Using polarized light filters, youth explored how light behaves and how its wave orientation can be measured and controlled. They used polarized light to create artwork and encode hidden binary messages, using many of the same techniques used to build quantum computers and other technologies.

Who knew exploring the physics of light could be this creative?
This is STEM in action: connecting technology, curiosity, and creative experimentation. ✨

10/08/2026

For Science Literacy Week, we’re calling out one myth that totally bugs us: the idea that the STEM gender gap is a thing of the past. 💡

It’s easy to look at fields where women are thriving and assume progress is happening everywhere. But the data tells a different story. In Canada, while 35% of undergrad physics students identify as women, that number steadily declines as you look higher up the academic ladder. Similar gaps exist in areas like engineering and computer science. 

Celebrating progress in one field shouldn’t mean ignoring the gaps in another. When we assume the work is done, we risk leaving brilliant minds behind in fields where they are needed most.

Let’s keep pushing for equity in all scientific fields! 🔬✨

 

10/08/2026

🔬✨ Jusqu'au 11 octobre, célébrons la Semaine de la culture scientifique 2026!

Nous avons donné le coup d’envoi de la Semaine de la culture scientifique avec le lancement de notre tout nouveau Club Génitrucs. De plus, tout au long de la semaine, nos éducatrices visiteront des écoles de la région afin d'éveiller la curiosité, stimuler la passion des sciences et faire découvrir le plaisir d’explorer, d’expérimenter et de comprendre le monde qui nous entoure.

🌟 Cette semaine, célébrons ensemble la curiosité, l'innovation et le plaisir de découvrir!

Actua

10/08/2026

We’re so grateful for the incredible partners who help us unleash curiosity through hands-on science, technology and innovation at our camps!  🧠✨💡

For , we’re celebrating how curiosity and collaboration inspire young minds to explore the human body and health science.

This summer, Actua partnered with health researchers at St. Francis Xavier University to bring youth campers the Maintaining Brains activity. Stepping into the shoes of healthcare providers, youth worked through interactive scenarios to examine how lifestyle choices, environmental factors and medical care shape brain health—culminating in their own holistic wellness prescriptions. 

By connecting research with everyday life, campers discovered how curiosity in STEM can lead to future careers that directly impact lives. Hands-on activities like this show youth that STEM can lead to future careers that directly impact lives. 

YouthInSTEM Healthybrains STEMOutreach

09/30/2026

What does Reconciliation through partnership look like?

Meaningful partnership means creating space for Indigenous leadership, Knowledge and priorities to guide our work.

By collaborating with Elders, Cultural Practitioners and Knowledge Keepers we ensure land-based and Traditional Knowledge shape our InSTEM program and influence how we approach many aspects of our STEM engagement experiences.

Reconciliation cannot be confined to a single day. It is an ongoing practice. One that asks us to consider how we build relationships, how we listen and how we act on what we learn.

Read our CEO statement: https://actua.ca/news-views/ndtr2026