TRACKS Youth Program at Trent University Receives $89,500 to Support Youth STEM Programming
Funding from youth outreach organization Actua supports programming to encourage youth to explore a future in science and technology
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.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
About TRACKS Youth Program
TRACKS (TRent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Science) is a land-centric education program based on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg territory and hosted by Trent University. TRACKS facilitates dynamic, land-based youth programming that braids multiple scientific approaches by centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. TRACKS works with First Nations, urban Indigenous community partners, schools, and other organizations in an effort to make science accessible to all. TRACKS also works with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders to curate educational content in a culturally responsible and meaningful way.
About Actua
Actua is a leading Canadian science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) youth outreach organization. Each year, the Actua network engages over 375,000 youth in 600 communities across Canada in transformative STEM learning experiences that build critical skills and confidence. Actua focuses on engaging equity-deserving youth through specialized programs for Indigenous youth, girls and young women, Black youth, youth facing economic barriers and youth living in Northern and remote communities. Its major funding partners include the Government of Canada, RBC Foundation, Suncor Energy Foundation, TD Bank Group, Google.org, Toyota Canada Foundation, Enbridge, Cenovus, CIBC Foundation, Coveo, Scotiabank, Mastercard and Imperial. For more information, visit actua.ca.
For more information contact:
Justin Beaudoin, Senior Communications & Media Relations Officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6180 or
Madison Laurin, Interim Director at TRACKS Youth Program, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6381
