UBCO using federal funding to create opportunities for Indigenous youth

Two University of British Columbia Okanagan programs — Geering Up Engineering Outreach and iSTAND —are getting federal government funding for outreach programs designed for youth in the B.C. Interior.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada launched $12 million in PromoScience grants to support hands-on learning experiences aimed at building the next generation of scientists and research leaders.

The funding will support programs that were developed with local Indigenous communities.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to engage with Indigenous university students in learning hands-on STEM activities and support them to bring science experiences back home to youth in their community,” says Dr. Jakobi, professor in The School of Health and Exercise Sciences.

“One of the things our staff is most looking forward to is connecting with elders and educators to implement land-based programming that incorporates the role of traditional knowledge into STEM education,” said Adam Cornford, coordinator for Geering Up Engineering Outreach.

The School of Engineering wants to boost its Indigenous participation. "Nearly four percent of UBCO engineering students are Indigenous despite the fact that more than five percent of the Canadian population self-identify as Indigenous," said executive associate Dean Rehan Sadiq.