Toyota Canada Foundation Announces $1 Million Re-Investment in Actua

(Ottawa, Ontario, April 19, 2022) — Today, the Toyota Canada Foundation announced continued support of Actua through an additional $1 million dollar investment over four years.

Toyota Canada Foundation’s donation will support the engagement of youth from underserved communities across Canada and the launch of Actua’s new National Black Youth in STEM program.

“Toyota Canada Foundation is thrilled to announce an additional investment of $1 million dollars to support Actua programs engaging more girls and young women, Indigenous and Black youth, and youth living with disabilities in STEM,” says Leslie Miller, Treasurer, Toyota Canada Foundation. “Since 2017, we’ve been proud to help Actua reach segments of the Canadian population underrepresented in STEM, and we’re looking forward to extending our funding to support their important work over the next several years.”

“We are incredibly grateful for Toyota Canada Foundation’s significant re-investment,” says Jennifer Flanagan, CEO, Actua. "The pandemic has exposed and amplified a magnitude of pre-existing inequalities preventing youth from accessing and pursuing STEM education and skill-development opportunities here in Canada. Toyota Canada Foundation's four-year investment will help Actua make substantive progress towards addressing these inequalities and raising the bar on equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM."

Toyota Canada Foundation's continued support contributes to the long-term sustainability of Actua's national STEM outreach programs, which engage thousands of youth each year,  including 35,000 Indigenous youth, 15,000 girls and young women and 35,000 at-risk youth. These programs create safe and inclusive learning environments that ensure all youth can benefit from and feel a sense of belonging in STEM regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, gender, ability, geography, and socioeconomic status. The funding will also support Actua's programs focused on inclusion and access for youth living with disabilities and the development of a new program designed to pave the way for Black youth in STEM. These initiatives will create relevant and engaging learning spaces that reflect youths' lived experiences and connect them with role models and peers.

About Actua: Actua is Canada’s largest  science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) youth outreach network representing over 40 university and college based members. Each year, Actua’s growing network of member organizations reach over 350,000 young Canadians in 500 communities nationwide. Actua focuses on engaging underrepresented youth through specialized programs for Indigenous youth, girls and young women, at-risk youth and youth living in Northern and remote communities. Actua’s major funding partners include: Government of Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, RBC Foundation, Suncor Energy Foundation, Protein Industries Canada, TD Bank Group, Microsoft Canada, Finning Canada, Toyota Canada Foundation, Enbridge, NCR Foundation, Cargill, Imperial and Lockheed Martin Canada. For more information about Actua, visit actua.ca.

About Toyota Canada Foundation: The Toyota Canada Foundation is a private charitable foundation focused on supporting registered charitable organizations dedicated to national science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education outreach programs, and is focused on encouraging more youth from segments of the population currently underrepresented in STEM to pursue an education and career in this area.

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