Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre’s annual Indigenous STEAM Summer Camp has concluded at The University of Winnipeg, where the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers, artists, and mathematicians got a chance to try their future career on for size.
A total of 258 Grades 1-8 students attended the weekly day camps, which ran from July 8 to August 2. Some of the younger participants got to experiment in a lab for the first time, while older children got a better sense of what they may want to study in university.
Some of the youth who attend may be first-generation university students in the years to come and that makes our collective efforts worthwhile.
Angeline Nelson
Workshop sessions included tie-dye shirts, Indigenous games, a worm lab, brick stitch beading, digital photography, robotics, coding, digital art, stop-motion animation, and chemistry experiments, plus off-campus activities like a planetarium show, boat rides, and a visit to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada.
The camps give children an opportunity to participate in a wide range of STEAM activities, while also incorporating Indigenous knowledge, languages, and culture thanks to the participation of Indigenous teachers and language speakers.
“Every year, parents and youth who attend, share about the belonging children feel with the camp and on campus,” said Angeline Nelson, Director of Community Learning and Engagement for Wii Chiiwaakanak. “Belonging is important to us, as some of the youth who attend may be first-generation university students in the years to come and that makes our collective efforts worthwhile.”
The goal of the camps is to widen the pathway for more Indigenous youth to access UWinnipeg and pursue post-secondary education. The camps help Indigenous and inner-city youth to feel a sense of belonging on campus from a young age, and see themselves represented among students, staff, and faculty.
Keeping the camps low-barrier and accessible is also important. Campers receive a light breakfast, snacks, and lunch, plus bus transportation.
Wii Chiiwaakanak relies mostly on external funding and donors to support its STEAM camps and other community programs. This year’s camps were the first supported by a new four-year funding commitment from Boeing.
The camps have grown every year since 2019. Last year, over 230 kids registered. New specific summer camp funding through the Winnipeg Foundation allows Wii Chiiwaakanak to sustain the growth for this year, while a vital collaboration with the Community Education Development Association (CEDA) staffs about half the summer camps.
If you would like to support Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Center programming, donations can be made through the University of Winnipeg Foundation.
