Leacross Foundation Donates $60,000 to Support Women Studying in STEM Programs Through Algonquin College We Saved You a Seat Program 

Posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2021

OTTAWA (February 11, 2021) – Today as we celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Algonquin College is pleased to announce that the Leacross Foundation has donated $60,000 to support women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs at Algonquin College. 

“We are thrilled by the ongoing generosity and support from the Leacross Foundation,” said Claude Brulé, President and CEO of Algonquin College. “Their ongoing commitment to ensuring women are supported in STEM fields is a great help to our learners. Their contributions help remove barriers for female students to participate in STEM programs, connect with female mentors and have gender inclusive classrooms.” 

The donation will provide $2,000 bursaries to 20 women in the We Saved You a Seat program who are in financial need. It will also go towards purchasing take-home kits for female learners to support remote learning.  

The kits reduce the reliance of hands-on lab activities traditionally performed on campus and complement remote learning activities. Each kit includes essential tools for our learners to conduct their electrical experiments from home: a PC-based oscilloscope, a multi-meter, electronic parts, tools, a power supply, and circuit prototyping supplies. 

“Covid has hit women particularly hard,” said Roslyn Bern, President of the Leacross Foundation. “It is absolutely necessary to identify, and contribute to areas that need more attention.  It is time that we specifically allot seats to women, and or identifying as women individuals. This most recent support of Algonquin College follows our Women into Electrical Engineering Technology (WEET) Program from 2013-2015 designed to fast track 21 women into careers as Electrical Engineer Technicians. We are happy to continue our work with Algonquin.”

We Saved You a Seat is a program at Algonquin College that actively recruits and supports women pursuing education in STEM. The program aims to create an environment where women feel a sense of true belonging. It achieves this through active and intentional recruiting, building awareness with women about the value of STEM programs, connecting students to female mentors, and equipping instructors to teach in gender inclusive classrooms. 

The program serves to allocate 30 percent of available seats in Algonquin’s Electrical Engineering Technician, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician, Computer Systems Technician, and Powerline Technician programs for women who meet admission standards. 

About Algonquin College: 

The mission of Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 185 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario. 

About Leacross Foundation: 

The mission of the Leacross Foundation is to educate women and children in society. The Foundation focuses on opportunities for training in the STEM fields to promote healthy economic independence as well as opportunities for creative and artistic endeavours. The Leacross Foundation believes that each individual can succeed with a little help along the way. Their hope is that women and girls can participate in whatever career they choose without discrimination or bias. 

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