Actua

This article is about the Canadian non-profit. For the American venture capital firm, see Actua Corporation. For the series of computer games, see Actua Sports.

Actua is a Canadian charitable organization that delivers science, engineering and technology educational programs to young people in Canada.

Actua's stated mission is "to provide young Canadians with life-changing science, engineering and technology experiences that inspire youth to achieve their potential and fulfill their critical role in the world."

The organization is a member of the Science and Technology Awareness Network (S.T.A.N.). Actua's president and CEO is Jennifer E. Flanagan.

Structure and programs

Actua operates on a membership structure, consisting of member organizations located at 31 university and college institutions across Canada. Actua’s member programs are delivered by undergraduate and high school students through science camps and workshops, which are customized to the needs of local communities.

The programs use hands-on activities in fields such as health, mining, biology and ecology. The majority of member organizations also travel outside the urban centers where they are located to deliver camps and workshops in rural and remote communities.

The programs include:

• National Mentorship Program
• National Aboriginal Outreach Program
• National Girls Program
• Go Where Kids Are Program

National members

The program has 33 members throughout the various provinces and territories of Canada.

British Columbia

• Kamloops: EUReKA! Science Program at Thompson Rivers University
• Vancouver: GEERing Up! at the University of British Columbia
• Burnaby: Science AL!VE at Simon Fraser University
• Victoria: Science Venture at the University of Victoria

Yukon

• Whitehorse: Science Adventures at Yukon College

Alberta

• Lethbridge: Destination Exploration at the University of Lethbridge
• Edmonton: DiscoverE at the University of Alberta
• Calgary: Minds in Motion at the University of Calgary
• Red Deer: Science Promotion at Red Deer College

Saskatchewan

• Regina: EYES (Educating Youth in Engineering & Science) at the University of Regina and FNU Health and Science Camp at First Nations University of Canada
• Saskatoon: SCI-FI Science Camps at the University of Saskatchewan

Manitoba

• Brandon: Mini University at Brandon University
• Winnipeg: Eco-Kids at the University of Winnipeg and WISE Kid-Netic Energy at the University of Manitoba

Nunavut

• Iqaluit: Simply Science at the Nunavut Research Institute

Ontario

• Ottawa: Adventures in Engineering and Science at the University of Ottawa and Virtual Ventures at Carleton University
• Guelph: Creative Encounters at the University of Guelph
• London: Discovery Western at the University of Western Ontario
• Toronto: Engineering Outreach at the University of Toronto and Science Explorations at York University
• Waterloo: ESQ at the University of Waterloo
• Kingston: Science Discovery and Science Quest at Queen's University
• Thunder Bay: Superior Science at Lakehead University
• Hamilton: Venture Engineering and Science at McMaster University

Quebec

• Montreal: Folie Technique at École Polytechnique de Montréal
• Trois-Rivières: Génitrucs at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
• Laval: Musée Armand Frappier at Centre d'interprétation des Biosciences

New Brunswick

• Fredericton: Worlds UNBound at the University of New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

• Halifax: SuperNOVA at Dalhousie University
• Antigonish: X-Chem Outreach Program at St. Francis Xavier University

Awards

In 2009, the Ontario Trillium Foundation named Actua and its 11 Ontario members the winner of the Minister's Award recognizing not-for-profit organizations that have had "an exceptional impact in their communities." In 2000, Actua was awarded the Michael Smith Award by the National Science and Engineering Research Council. In 2000, Actua was awarded the Michael Smith Award by the National Science and Engineering Research Council.

In 2000, Actua submitted its programs to an independent evaluation process to measure their programs' effectiveness. The three-year research initiative surveyed student participants who revealed that, as a result of their experience with Actua programs:

• 83% felt that they were more confident in their ability to do technology and science;
• 84% stated that their enjoyment of technology and science had increased;
• 81% stated that their knowledge of engineering had increased;
• 84% felt that they would do better in technology and science at school;
• 75% stated that they were more likely to take optional science in high school; and
• 74% stated that they were more likely to study science in university

External links

• Official website