STEM Education for Indigenous Youth in Canada
Panellists explore the potential of STEM and the need for greater diversity
What: A webinar discussing the importance of STEM education for Indigenous youth in Canada
Who: Elder Wilfred Barnes, Dr. Jane Philpott and Dr. Jason Pennington; moderated by Dr. Ian Foulds
When: Thursday, April 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Venue: Zoom Webinar
With students around the world increasingly looking to education in science, technology, engineering and math — the STEM fields — as a means of creating opportunity, UBC’s Okanagan campus will host a webinar discussing the potential for STEM among Canada’s Indigenous youth, as well as the challenges they face.
Elder Wilfred Barnes from Westbank First Nation will share opening remarks, followed by an interactive discussion with Dr. Jane Philpott, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and director of the School of Medicine at Queen’s University and Dr. Jason Pennington, assistant professor of general surgery at the University of Toronto.
They will share both Indigenous and academic perspectives on the barriers that prevent Indigenous youth from participating in STEM programs and will propose a path forward that calls for action at both the individual and institutional levels.
Dr. Philpott was recently appointed as the Ministers’ Special Advisor for the Ontario Health Data Platform. She is a former member of Parliament and previously served as federal minister of health, minister of Indigenous services, president of the treasury board and minister of digital government.
Dr. Pennington is a community general surgeon at the Scarborough Health Network and an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He is a proud member of the Huron-Wendat Nation and an advocate for education and Indigenous Health. He is currently the regional Indigenous Cancer Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by Dr. Ian Foulds, associate professor at the School of Engineering and UBC Okanagan Principal’s Research Chair in Indigenous Reconciliation in Engineering.
This is a free public event. Advance registration is required at: events.ok.ubc.ca/event/stem-education-for-indigenous-youth-in-canada
