Polygon Created with Sketch. Home | Research

Incorporating Indigenous Cultures and Realities in STEM

When educators use a culturally responsive curriculum—one that bridges Indigenous ways of knowing with Western science—Indigenous students are more engaged and perform better.

In recent years, many organizations across Canada have established programs to help Indigenous learners get ahead in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, the effectiveness of these new initiatives is not well understood. 

The inventory in Incorporating Indigenous Cultures and Realities in STEM lists more than a 100 different programs in Canada that specifically aim to help Indigenous learners succeed in STEM. These programs can be sorted into eight broad strategies for increasing Indigenous representation in STEM. Each strategy falls into one of three periods in the learner’s life course. Within each strategy, there are initiatives that attempt to address cultural difference.

The primer contains links to examples of every type of program.

Child playing with molecule

Related Content

woman looks at a group of people as she speaks to them
Research

Reimagining Career Services

RCS set out to test new models for career and employment services that respond to the needs of workers, employers, and practitioners in a rapidly changing labour market. Rather than a single intervention, RCS operates as a portfolio of innovation projects co-designed with service partners and piloted in real-world settings.
Research

National Survey on Skill Demands and Employment Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Our research draws on first-hand experiences to better understand specific labour-related challenges facing SMEs.
Research

Responsive Career Pathways Project (RCP) Midcareer Transitions

Canada’s rapidly changing labour market is challenging both workers and employers to adapt. Automation, demographic shifts and evolving skill demands mean that many mid-career Canadians will need to retrain or transition into new roles, while small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) struggle to recruit and retain skilled staff.
View all Research