About Actua > 
History

Actua has been helping young Canadians develop awareness, interest and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for two decades. It all started in 1988, in Kingston, when the first student-run engineering and science camp for children was delivered at Queen’s University. Word of the ground-breaking initiative's success spread, and other Canadian universities quickly followed suit, delivering similar programs based on the original model. The leaders of the programs - engineering undergraduate students - began collaborating, sharing ideas and best practices. Through these discussions, they envisioned a national coordinating body to foster the growth and stretch the reach of their programs. The idea caught the attention of Industry Canada in the early nineties and with its original financial backing, Actua was established in 1993.

Today, Actua is a national organization, reaching youth in every province and territory. Our goal - to build science literacy and confidence in all youth - remains the same. What has changed is the national reach of our programs and the breadth of our initiatives. Actua now annually engages 225,000 youth from coast to coast to coast, no matter their geographic location, socio-economic situation, ability or gender. Armed with more knowledge, research and resources, we continue to increase our ability to break down barriers to youth engagement in STEM.

We continue to work with other leaders in the field as we strive to develop new, dynamic curriculum that resonates with youth. Over the years, Actua has become a recognized and celebrated leader – locally, nationally, and internationally – in the delivery of science, technology, engineering and mathematics programming for youth.