Indigenous populations in Canada continue to be underrepresented in not only post-secondary institutions, but more specifically in the STEM related disciplines. Indigenous students who want to access post-secondary education are also experiencing lower rates of success in both elementary and secondary education contributing to low numbers pursuing STEM related studies.

Building on the proven strengths, history and core elements of Actua’s educational framework and STEM outreach delivery model,  Actua’s Indigenous Youth in STEM (InSTEM) is guided by a national need to engage and involve more Indigenous youth in STEM related careers. The InSTEM model has evolved over time, and incorporates current thinking and practices related to the most effective ways to successfully increase the involvement of Indigenous youth and communities, to meet this growing demand. 

The InSTEM model focuses on the current understanding, attitudes and skills of youth, instructors and directors first, and knowledge building second. By aligning current approaches to STEM learning, and demonstrating to Indigenous youth and communities that there are real STEM applications of their own current knowledge of self and community (Traditional Knowledge), Indigenous youth see themselves as active participants in STEM related areas of study and careers. By encouraging and supporting Indigenous youth’s current knowledge of self, and their communities, our strength/place-based model allows for youth to recognize and celebrate the cultural knowledge that they already have as Indigenous peoples. This knowledge is a valuable starting point for aligning, and introducing youth to the Actua experience.

The InSTEM model incorporates current research and commonly accepted practices in educational pedagogy and Indigenous approaches to education and community engagement. It provides a framework for all of Actua’s network members to apply successful practices in the engagement of Indigenous youth in STEM while recognizing that these practices have evolved over time and will continue to evolve as new discoveries are made and new approaches are tried and tested. 

It is important to note that Actua recognizes and respects the great diversity amongst Indigenous cultures and Nations. Therefore, we have created this model with the knowledge that it may not be fully representative of the specific cultural practices and processes that are unique to individual First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities. The responsibility lies within each network member to ensure local cultural relevance of all Indigenous outreach programming. 

Actua’s Indigenous Youth in STEM model consists of four key components:

• Community Engagement - program delivery with meaningful partnership with Indigenous communities.
• Program Content/Actua Experience - the application of Actua’s experiential approach to engaging youth in STEM while also connecting modern science to Indigenous culture and Traditional Knowledge.
• Indigenous Instructors and Role Models - the effective engagement and recruitment of Indigenous instructors
• Training and Information Sharing - ongoing training on Indigenous history, cultural awareness, and importance of Indigenous perspectives in STEM.