Calgary-based MindFuel, a national organization that offers STEM-related workshops and resources to students and teachers, has received $2 million in funding from the federal government’s CanCode program.
MindFuel said it has reached 150 million students globally since its launch in 1990
With this funding, the government said MindFuel will offer coding and digital skills training to over 124,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 12. The government added that MindFuel will also give over 4,600 teachers the opportunity to gain skills in teaching coding in their classrooms.
“For 30 years, MindFuel has delivered engaging STEM-learning resources that spark curiosity and help students learn valuable skills in areas such as design thinking, nanotechnology, entrepreneurialism, robotics, synthetic biology, energy and the environment, and more,” said Cassy Weber, CEO of MindFuel. “The confirmation of CanCode funding means that we can continue our efforts to engage and inspire future leaders from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields.”
MindFuel aims to foster curiosity and education in STEM innovation, design thinking, entrepreneurialism, computational thinking, nanotechnology, robotics to students in K-12. The organization says it has reached 150 million students globally since its launch in 1990.
The organization runs several programs and initiatives to fulfill its mandate, including Wonderville, an online portal containing resources that allow students to dive deeper into STEM topics. The program’s games and activities ask students to think critically and develop innovative solutions to problems that are being faced globally.
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The geekStarter program gets middle school, high school, and post-secondary students to find and solve real-world challenges through emerging STEM. The project-based learning initiative aims to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and includes hands-on workshops and skill-building events.
CanCode is a two-year, $110 million federal program, created to support opportunities for K-12 students to learn digital skills like coding, data analytics, and digital content development. Earlier this week, Canada Learning Code received $9.4 million from CanCode, and two weeks ago, First Robotics received a $1.4 million investment from the program.
“Technology impacts our everyday lives. Learning digital skills and coding, as well as how technology serves us, will open so many doors to our young people,” said Kent Hehr, member of parliament for Calgary Centre. “Giving all children the opportunity to become tech-savvy and learn coding will further strengthen our success as a country.”
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