June is National Indigenous History Month - a time to celebrate the unique cultures, traditions, and histories of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island.

3M Canada is committed to cultivating partnerships with exceptional organizations like Actua who have been developing meaningful relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities for more than 30 years.

Actua helps deliver culturally relevant STEM to Indigenous Youth. 3M has been a proud sponsor of Actua since 2021 to help deliver the InSTEM programming (Indigenous youth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Actua’s national Indigenous Youth in STEM program (InSTEM) is a customized community-based approach to engage First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth in locally and culturally relevant STEM education experiences.

Actua facilitates the connections between aspects of culture, Traditional Knowledge, and modern science, thereby opening the pathway for youth to explore their potential as future innovators in STEM. The program has recently grown to include land-based forcredit programming for Indigenous high school students to improve high school graduation rates among Indigenous youth.

In May 2024, the Government of Canada announced that Actua will receive $38.4 million over five years through its newly launched Strategic Science Fund (SSF) to support the expertise and resources of organizations like Actua.

Actua partners with community leaders, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers in 200 Indigenous communities to help Indigenous youth recognize and celebrate their cultural knowledge and strengthen their confidence and sense of belonging in STEM.

To date, 3M has contributed $165,000 to Actua to support STEM learning.

“Actua and its members have also played a crucial role in contributing to 3M Canada’s STEMtalk program – advocating to STEM diversity and inclusion,” said Marie-Claude Brandys, Managing Director, 3M Canada. “We are thrilled to learn about the additional funding from the Government of Canada to help continue to deliver culturally relevant STEM experiences for Indigenous youth.”

"3M’s partnership has been instrumental in supporting Actua to deliver culturally inclusive STEM experiences to Indigenous youth through our national Indigenous Youth in STEM program. Through our shared commitment to STEM equity, our partnership with 3M supports Indigenous youth to build the skills and confidence to thrive and lead in Canada's innovation economy."  - Valeria Iannitti, Actua's VP, Development and Partnerships.