COMMUNITY
Patching the STEM Pipeline
Five organizations across Canada are creating opportunities for girls and women in science, technology, engineering and math.
By Claire Sibboney | Photography courtesy of CAGIS
A CAGIS member, Shifa, paints her dreams of pursuing STEM in the future.
IMAGINE A PIPELINE stretching across the country, carrying girls and young women from the early education stage on to thriving careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). But there’s a problem. The pipeline is leaking.
The oft-used term “leaky STEM pipeline” illustrates the systemic barriers women continue to face in these disciplines, which emphasize innovation, problem solving and critical thinking. Girls begin their STEM journeys full of passion and potential, but stereotypes and biases steer many of them away from advanced-level classes in high school. In university, the lack of mentorship leaves many young women without support and networks; then, after graduation, few women are hired for STEM jobs. And the gender-based pay gap persists. Finally, a mere trickle of talent moves into STEM positions, of which less than 25 percent in Canada are held by women, with an even lower percentage held by women who are Black or Indigenous, women of colour and women living in remote areas.
Across Canada, mindful of the need to patch these leaks, organizations big and small keep their focus on challenging biases, fostering mentorships and building more inclusive programs, ensuring that the STEM pipeline will carry the full potential of talent for future generations of girls and young women.
“Across Canada, mindful of the need to patch these leaks, organizations big and small keep their focus on challenging biases, fostering mentorships and building more inclusive programs.”
A portrait of a female scientist in a lab. | BACKGROUND VIDEO: DC_STUDIO/ENVATO
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR GIRLS IN SCIENCE
In 1992, fourth-grader Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko’s passion for science hit a roadblock. After she volunteered to set up a classroom experiment, her teacher told her they needed a boy to do the job. Recognizing her teacher’s gender bias, Vingilis-Jaremko, whose parents are scientists, founded, at the age of nine, the Canadian Association for Girls in Science. Today CAGIS is one of Canada’s largest and longest-running STEM clubs for girls and gender-diverse youth aged 7 to 17. The non-profit, which is based in Mississauga, Ont., hosts virtual and in-person events for members to visit labs and field sites, participate in workshops, meet mentors and engage in wide-ranging hands-on activities, from building model neurons to welding beams. Now a cognitive scientist and president of CAGIS, Vingilis-Jaremko attributes part of the organization’s success to its numerous alumni who have discovered their career paths at CAGIS events. “There’s nothing,” she notes, “like seeing a kid’s eyes light up with that aha moment.”
STEM BY STEPH
Niagara resident Stephanie Thompson’s STEM journey began in Grade 11, when her chemistry teacher selected her for a three-day career study at a nuclear research facility. Immersed in experiments and shadowing scientists, she recalls thinking at the time, Maybe this is what I’m supposed to do. Now an engineering manager at General Motors in Niagara and a long-time volunteer mentor at FIRST Robotics Canada, she knows that not every girl receives that level of early encouragement. In 2018, Thompson founded STEM by Steph, offering fun hands-on workshops on STEM subjects — such as electrical soldering, 3D printing and chemistry — to reignite the participants’ passion for science and technology. A three-time recipient of the Women’s Executive Network’s Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards, Thompson also makes herself available for coaching, mentorships and chats over coffee. “It’s [just] 20 or 30 minutes of my time to [give young women] confidence,” she says.
A CAGIS member, Mayim (right), collects insect samples with a biologist during a CAGIS event at a research field site.
GIRLS STEM UP
A non-profit collective based at the University of New Brunswick, Girls STEM Up organizes an annual conference that celebrates and supports women and girls in STEM. This year’s iteration, held in February, was its biggest conference yet, with 300 delegates from across the Atlantic provinces, as well as Quebec and Ontario, sharing their research, getting inspired by keynote speakers, participating in simulation labs and tackling topics like advancing accessibility in STEM. “The event aims to inspire young women…helping them see that becoming leaders and innovators in STEM is not only achievable, but [also] well within their reach,” says Allyson Murray, a biochemistry major who co-chaired the conference this year with fellow BSc candidate Nazila Ahmadi. For those unable to attend in person, Girls STEM Up hosts virtual events and offers a year-round online community connecting students with resources, job and volunteer opportunities and information on scholarships and bursaries. “We’re excited to continue expanding our virtual offerings to reach more students and support the growth of the STEM community across Atlantic Canada,” Ahmadi says.
GIRLS SySTEM
Founded in 2018 by physician Kathryn Hong while pursuing a master’s in medical sciences at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., Girls SySTEM pairs professional mentors from STEM fields with girls from grades 7 to 12 across Canada, to “catch” them at a stage when many begin to veer away from STEM subjects. Natasha Kunchur — a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering and the regional director for Girls SySTEM in Ottawa — knows the impact of mentorship first-hand. She recalls one of her mentees, a Grade 12 student who, like Kunchur’s parents, had immigrated from Southeast Asia and needed support to navigate the Canadian university system. With Kunchur’s support, the mentee was eventually accepted into her top-choice school with an impressive scholarship. These girls have the knowledge and enthusiasm to start, Kunchur points out. “We want to provide them with the tools to be successful in what they choose to do and not [be held back by] anything that dims their light in the process.”
SOCIETY FOR CANADIAN WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
For over 40 years, the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology has been championing gender equity in STEM. SCWIST supports young women in the early stages of their STEM journeys, but, as neuroscientist and interim president Melanie Ratnam points out, it’s crucial to continue that support into the career space. Otherwise, barriers don’t disappear, she notes. “They shape-shift and persist in other ways.”
SCWIST provides career development resources and addresses systemic issues through policy and advocacy work, including running workshops for STEM executives and HR personnel on how to build more inclusive workplace cultures. And this year, the non-profit is taking its annual networking event, Ignite, on a cross-country tour — from the Pacific to Atlantic Canada to the Northwest Territories — fulfilling a long-held dream to foster community and connect women in STEM nationwide.
“To be able to champion the type of systems change we’ve been advocating for,” Ratnam reflects, “to take this flagship event across the country… It’s very special.” CAA
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PHOTO: DC_STUDIO/ENVATO