Ampere and Women Changemakers Fund of Kawartha Lakes celebrate successful first inSTEAM event

Jamie Steel, Senior Lead of Community Relations, AMP

KAWARTHA LAKES: Surrounded by leaders in science, technology, engineering, art and math, as well as their peers, community supporters and educators, participants of the first-ever inSTEAM event on March 25th spent the day connecting, learning, sharing and exploring what life in STEAM could look and feel like.

The event, a partnership between the Women Changemakers Fund of Kawartha Lakes, Ampere Canada, and community partners, invited youth to see themselves in industries where women and gender-diverse individuals are traditionally underrepresented.

Nearly 100 students, educators and leaders in STEAM gathered at the Kawartha Lakes Makerspace & Skills Hub for the first event centred around girls and gender-diverse high school students considering careers in science, technology, engineering, art and math.

“From opening remarks, the keynote speaker and the panel of women leading in STEAM fields, to the artist leading in a collaborative mural and humanitarian groups offering insight into opportunities many students may feel drawn towards, the supportive energy in the Makerspace yesterday was palpable,” said Vanessa Doucet-Roche, Senior Director of Operations and Impact for Ampere.

“This was a day where insight, knowledge and wisdom were freely and graciously shared, from one generation to the next as well as from leader to leader, student to student. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made this experience what it was and hope the students hold onto the feeling that they can create a path for themselves in STEAM, knowing they have a community rooting for them.”

Prior to the event, Marlene Morrison Nicholls, founder of Women Changemakers Fund of Kawartha Lakes, noted, without intentional, accessible, interactive programming, we risk losing a significant portion of our future workforce to outdated stereotypes.

“It was my hope to inspire young women to consider building their education and careers around areas which they may not have thought of or felt they could achieve,” she said.

Looking back on the success of the day, Morrison Nicholls said, “This day was even more than I hoped for.”

“They say, 'you can't be what you can't see.' Well, today, 100 young women and gender-diverse students saw exactly who they can become. And that is because of every single person who worked to bring this event to fruition," she added.

Along with the strong demonstration of support for youth in Kawartha Lakes, the day also underlined the importance of collaboration. It was through the support of several partners that this vision became possible.

This supportive team of organizations includes PVNCCDSB, TLDSB, Make Stuff Move, Launch Kawartha, Organize with Lee Anna, Kawartha Community Foundation, Kawartha Lakes, Baker Tilly, DiBello Group Real Estate, Rural Youth Leadership Fund, VCCS, IG Private Wealth Management, McInroy & Associates, Mackey Funeral Home Inc., BGC Kawarthas, and Human Services & Justice Coordinating Committee.

For over a decade, Ampere (formerly the Pinnguaq Association) has partnered with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to provide access to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education and opportunities. Founded in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Ampere applies a Lifecycle approach to ensure that it supports learners at every age and stage of life. Ampere offers programming directly through Makerspaces in Iqaluit, Nunavut; Bathurst, New Brunswick; and the Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, and works directly with community partners, social organizations, governmental funders, and educational institutions from coast to coast to coast.

About the Women Changemakers Fund of Kawartha Lakes:

The Women Changemakers Fund of Kawartha Lakes grew from the successes and challenges of two generations of entrepreneurial women. Business leader Marlene Morrison Nicholls has spent a lifetime challenging the status quo, creating equitable opportunities for women in her company and advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in the business community. Marlene knew she wanted the legacy fund to empower women, reduce barriers and grow opportunity, and her vision came into focus as she watched her daughter, Jacquelyn Nicholls, open her own business.

While Marlene was in a position to offer Jacquelyn support, many women who want to start a business face barriers, including a lack of funding and mentorship. The Women Changemakers Fund aims to change that, providing resources to empower entrepreneurial women.