MINDFUEL’S FUNDING NEEDS:
· Program expansion: youth innovation talent development. Demand for our programming currently exceeds our ability to support.
· Building out our national alumni network, requires a dedicated alumni coordinator to support alumni engagement and ongoing case study development
· Scholarships to support Calgary’s underrepresented youth populations who have an interest in post-secondary STEM pursuits.
· Development and ongoing support for our many online platforms and tools.
Together, we can make a difference by providing critically needed access to quality STEM programs for youth in Calgary, including underrepresented and vulnerable populations, so that we can help drive Alberta’s and Canada’s innovation agenda and prepare youth for the jobs of the future.
OUR REQUESTS – WHAT YOU CAN DO
Become a MindFueler today – and join our mission to inspire youth innovation. Is STEM education, innovation, or entrepreneurialism important to you? Do you want to support students on their journey to becoming the knowledge workers of tomorrow? All donations help to create future STEM leaders who are ready to solve real-world issues.
Your support can help us create more life changing moments. Donate today so you can help inspire a lifelong passion for STEM innovation.
MISSION
MindFuel ignites a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) in youth and inspires them to shape our future by becoming the problem-solvers of tomorrow. Building self-confidence and sparking imagination is critical to helping youth become our future innovators. We inspire youth to take risks, adopt a growth and innovation mindset, build real-world connections, become creative problem-solvers and think critically about the world around them.
OUR STORY – WHY WE EXIST
“Education is a once in a lifetime opportunity to open children’s hearts and minds to the unbelievable wonder of the universe.” – Sir Anthony Seldon
We help build Alberta’s and Canada’s youth innovation pipeline. We believe that immersing youth in the world of STEM innovation is critical to Canada’s overall prosperity. For over 30 years, MindFuel has recognized that investments into the youth innovation segment positively serve Canada’s innovation ecosystem. Therefore, our programs are designed to engage youth at all stages of their development including during K-12 and post-secondary, as this is a critical time where youth develop attitudes, skills & knowledge regarding the world around them and they begin to define the future role they wish to create for themselves.
As a leader in educational technology and STEM innovation programming in Canada, MindFuel is a key partner to many stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem, where we focus on providing skills development for youth as they prepare to become the knowledge workforce of tomorrow. Critically, we focus on supporting under-represented youth which includes females in STEM, Indigenous, economically disadvantaged, rural/remote communities, and newcomers. Our programming distributes to over 1,600 communities in Canada in all provinces and territories each year. In the last fiscal reporting period, we served more than 100,000 Canadian youth.
To date, we have invested over $120M to support and advance Canada’s innovation agenda.
OUR IMPACT
We collaborate with hundreds of stakeholders throughout Canada each year, including school boards, Indigenous communities, universities, industry, community organizations that work with youth, newcomers, at-risk youth, and more. Together, we play a vital role in inspiring and engaging youth in STEM innovation. We appreciate our supporters and partners at https://mindfuel.ca/our-supporters/.
Reach Overview:
· Each year we reach over 100,000 Canadian youth with STEM literacy programming in over 1,600 communities, serving every province and territory. Programming focus: climate change, coding & robotics, innovation & emerging technology, health, STEM knowledge foundations, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, 21st century STEM careers, and space & astronomy.
· Each year we reach 1000+ Canadian youth with immersive in-person innovation and entrepreneurialism training/learning in communities across Canada.
· Our typical programming distribution in an annual cycle is as follows: 50% female, 5% Indigenous, 30% economically disadvantaged/newcomers/rural & remote
· Each year, we engage hundreds of partners, mentors, and subject matter experts in industry and academia and more, who volunteer valuable time and expertise to develop youth innovation talent
Impact of programming:
· 84% of students stated: “By participating in this program and competition, I improved my knowledge, skills, and self-confidence in STEM.”
· 86% of students stated, “I plan to study STEM at a post- secondary institution.”
· 87% of students stated, “I am interested in pursuing a career in STEM.”
· 84% of students stated, “I believe this team project work will support my future career in STEM and/or entrepreneurship.”
· 96% of students stated, “I am finding the design thinking process helpful/valuable in developing real-world project ideas and solutions.”
· 93% of students stated, “My knowledge, skills and confidence in STEM are increasing.”
· 97% of judges stated, “The Project Prototype program and competition increase youth’s engagement and interest in STEM.”
· 94% of judges stated, “Participating in Tech Futures Challenge can inspire students to pursue a post-secondary STEM program.”
· 97% of judges stated, “The resources and support offered through this program and competition provide youth with deep/impactful learning opportunities.”
For more impact highlights, please visit: https://mindfuel.ca/annual-report-and-impact/
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
· Our innovation programming focuses on supporting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to empower under-represented youth. Each year, this is the general distribution of our programming: 50% females, 5% Indigenous, and 30% economically disadvantaged/rural & remote/newcomers
· Empowering and engaging students through STEM topics & entrepreneurialism is critical to building a diversified economy. Our programs have demonstrated high impact in:
o Empowering youth to ignite a passion for science exploration & discovery
o Increasing science literacy & curiosity, and sparking student interest in STEM topics
o Inspiring students to pursue STEM-related entrepreneurial opportunities and post-secondary programs & careers
OUR PROGRAMS – HOW WE DO IT
· The MindFuel Foundation is a registered charitable organization committed to creating young innovators. Since 1990, we have been developing and distributing award winning, captivating, high-quality, 21st century programs that ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) innovation in youth.
· The programs are technology based and technology infused and are developed to serve both in-classroom and extracurricular learning in K-12 and post-secondary aged youth.
· Our STEM-learning programs and resources are delivered through our three main STEM-enrichment programs – Tech Futures Challenge (advanced innovation), Codingville and Wonderville – and provide resources, workshops, and professional learning tools to teachers to enrich their students’ STEM learning in both the classroom and as extracurricular activities. Our core focus is helping students understand STEM through real-world connections.
· Each program is designed to support diverse student learning styles
· Programming is developed to reach diverse communities of interest, including those traditionally underrepresented in STEM – girls, Indigenous youth, rural & remote youth, economically disadvantaged youth and newcomers.
· Our team consists of educators, technologists, scientists, and entrepreneurs, and we leverage expertise in program content development and delivery to ensure a blended learning experience (skills and knowledge learning combined with hands on experience).
PROGRAM SUCCESSES – for more information, please visit:
Building a Nation of Innovators
Recent Youth Innovation Showcase