Fletcher Foundation $15,000 Donation Leads Support for STEM Role Model Video Series
Posted on Friday, December 3rd, 2021
OTTAWA (Dec. 3, 2021) — Thanks to generous grants from the Fletcher, MATT, and Leacross foundations, Algonquin College will be producing a series of marketing videos and establishing a new mentorship program to help recruit more women into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs.
The College is actively seeking role models in STEM fields to come forward and lend their voices to the video series, which will feature them working in their area of expertise and encouraging students to follow their career dreams. Algonquin will consult with The Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) and the broader technical community to attract the role models and produce the video series.
“Algonquin College is grateful to the Fletcher Foundation, the Leacross Foundation, and The MATT Foundation for providing these donations, as they will help with our goal of reserving up to 30 per cent of program seats for women applicants in STEM programs,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin College President and CEO. “STEM-related employment continues to see rapid growth, and these videos will serve as an inspiration for more women to develop the skills they need to meet this rising market demand and pursue rewarding professions.”
The Fletcher Foundation donated the initial $15,000 toward creating the video series; this was the catalyst for $10,000 donations from the MATT and Leacross foundations.
Algonquin has been pursuing its goal of increasing women’s enrolment in STEM programs through the We Saved You a Seat (WSYAS) program. Since 2019, 363 women have been enrolled through the College’s initiative. The We Saved You a Seat mandate aligns with the Fletcher Foundation’s ongoing support of innovative initiatives designed to enhance the education experience for students in OACETT-eligible programs in Ontario’s colleges.
The role model videos will also assist in the development of a unique network of alumni who graduate through the WSYAS program and become future mentors for female students. The mentors will enhance the student experience, provide much-needed support, and help student retention. Algonquin College will work with local OACETT chapters to help build the mentoring program.
“The Fletcher Foundation is thrilled to support Algonquin College’s We Saved You a Seat program and play a significant role in breaking barriers for women in STEM careers,” said Bob Jameson, C.E.T., Fellow OACETT, chair of the Fletcher Foundation. “Women have a place in the engineering technology profession, and this program gives them access to advisory support, mentorship and networking opportunities they need to help them reach their full potential.”
Leacross Foundation President Roslyn Bern says she and the foundation have supported women and girls in STEM and trade fields by providing tools that ease transitions and allow them to participate in careers which were discouraged.
“Women are bombarded by images from social media which do not promote female role models in STEM and, as such, few women attempt to break the boundaries of doing the extraordinary,” she said. “By providing funds to Algonquin, we allowed for women to enter into the underrepresented professions of engineering technology. As more women continue to succeed, they set up the new parameters of what is accepted and encouraged.”
Anyone who is interested in being a mentor or featured as a role model in one of Algonquin’s videos should contact Kathryn Reilander at reilank@algonquincollege.com
For more information:
Bruce Hickey
Acting Communications Manager
Algonquin College
hickeyb@algonquincollege.com
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 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario.
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