FUTURE FORWARD
Jennifer Flanagan is a thought leader and advocate for inclusive STEM education and skills development in Canada. As the co-founder, president and CEO of Actua, Flanagan leads a national network of 43 organizations that annually engages over 300,000 youth in 500 communities across the country in high-impact STEM learning experiences.
Actua works extensively with girls and young women, Indigenous youth, youth from racialized communities, youth in rural and Arctic communities, and youth facing socio-economic challenges. The organization’s largest program, Indigenous Youth in STEM, works in partnership annually with 200 First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities and 35,000 Indigenous youth.
The inspiration behind Actua’s focus on inclusion came when Flanagan saw firsthand that youth, especially girls and Indigenous youth, did not perceive STEM learning and careers as relevant or available to them. “I wanted to show them that STEM matters in their lives and their voices are important,” she says. Since that time, the national charity has grown from a single employee to more than 30 but its focus has remained the same — remove the barriers to access and bring greater opportunity to those who have been left behind.
Advancing under-represented groups in STEM brings multiple benefits. “Science and technology are key industries for our country in terms of prosperity yet an area where extreme skill shortages are expected. Broader youth engagement will help mitigate these shortages,” says Flanagan. “STEM has some of the most plentiful and highest-paid jobs in the country. We want to ensure that women and youth have the opportunity to participate in STEM fields where they can thrive, enjoy a rewarding career, and gain the benefits that come with increased prosperity.”
Actua’s National Girls Program, which launched in 1999, is the only national initiative of its kind. It is designed to address disparities in female engagement in STEM fields. Today, the program engages over 150,000 girls annually. “A continued focus in this area highlights the fact that as a country, we have not advanced to the level we should in terms of gender equality in science and technology, especially now that technology is a basic literacy. We need to ensure we are building a workforce where more women can participate in designing the products, systems and services we are all so dependent upon. Digital equity may be a fairly new concept, but it simply does not make sense to leave half the population out of the equation.”
A powerful alliance builder, Flanagan has attracted multi-national private and public sector partners to the table to help advance her mandate. These include Google, Microsoft, GE, Suncor, Toyota, the governments of Canada and Nunavut, and many others. An economic
impact study on Actua’s work determined that for every $1 million invested in its programming, $3.5 million of economic benefit is accrued.
In addition to her achievements with Actua, Flanagan has volunteered her time, energy and expertise to women’s issues in communities at home and abroad. She
was a founding board member and treasurer for the Girls Action Foundation, which delivers social justice education across all regions of Canada, and a board member of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, the country’s largest foundation working to eliminate violence against women and build their economic independence.
For her continuing commitment to advancing STEM opportunities for women and under-served youth, Jennifer Flanagan has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women for the third time.
Flanagan gives a great deal of credit to her team for the success both she and Actua have achieved. “I do this work with a lot of incredible people across the country who are actively removing barriers for women and Indigenous youth. I consider myself very fortunate to lead such a group, and I am inspired by them every day.”
Her advice for today’s young females looking to make their mark in STEM? “Take every opportunity that comes your way, even if it is not necessarily related to the field. Non-linear experiences often have the greatest impact and can open up more diverse avenues; seek out and surround yourself with people you can learn and gain support from; and know that at some point in your life and career you will encounter barriers. It’s not you. It’s the system that needs to change.”