UWinnipeg’s Faculty of Science and the Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre are gearing up to host STEM Days, an annual two-day showcase of STEM learning and career options that is celebrating its fifth year.
Over 1,000 Grade 4–8 students from nine schools in will participate in STEM Days, which takes place May 6 and 7 at UWinnipeg’s accessible downtown campus.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the fifth anniversary of STEM Days,” said Angeline Nelson, Wii Chiiwaakanak’s Director of Community Learning and Engagement. “Its growth reflects the strong level of community interest in STEM learning among children and youth.”
Many scientists talk about how an inspiring teacher or a fascinating demonstration early in life sparked an interest in pursuing science as a career.
Dr. Tabitha Wood
Students will enjoy more than two dozen indoor and outdoor interactive workshops, including a chemistry magic show, fish filleting, robotics, ‘just a byte’ coding, dry ice physics experiments, engineering challenges, and stop-motion animation, plus 3D design and printing and tree-ring dating. They’ll also investigate aquatic life and learn about heat transfer with fireproof balloons.
“We also have a new Indigenous food science session focusing on wild rice where kids will get to try popped wild rice, which is such a fun way to bring back traditional foods,” Nelson said.
Many of the workshop sessions incorporate Indigenous knowledges, languages, and practices. Volunteer ambassadors tour each classroom group around campus. Funds are raised to provide lunch, offset busing costs, and provide access to most of campus.
New faculty members are participating this year, including Prof. Karen Froman, Assistant Professor in the Department of History, who will leading a workshop on the science and technology behind leather and fur production. Many UWinnipeg Collegiate, undergraduate, and graduate students also volunteer at STEM Days, making it a truly intergenerational event.
Partnerships are key to the success of STEM Days. For the second time, RRC Polytech will stage their well-received robotics and CO2 cars workshop in the Duckworth Centre. Another returning partner, Ubisoft, will lead workshops on video game development.
STEM Days is also UWinnipeg’s contribution to Science Rendezvous, a free, family-oriented STEM outreach festival with nation-wide events. Winnipeg’s 2026 Science Rendezvous event will take place Saturday, May 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Manitoba.
Dr. Tabitha Wood, Acting Dean of Science and Associate Professor in UWinnipeg’s Department of Chemistry, who has volunteered with Science Rendezvous for over 10 years, said public outreach events are an important way to kindle excitement for STEM learning in people of all ages and backgrounds.
“Anecdotally, many scientists talk about how an inspiring teacher or a fascinating demonstration early in life sparked curiosity and an interest in pursuing science as a career,” Dr. Wood said. “We hope to be that spark for the children arriving for STEM Days.”
Five years and counting
Established in 2022, STEM Days began as a one-day event designed to ignite the imaginations of the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) leaders, and inspire their curiosity, culture, and confidence through hands-on learning.
About 150 students took part that first year. By 2023, that number had grown to over 550 students. In 2024 and 2025, STEM Days expanded to two days to accommodate over 1,000 students from nine Winnipeg schools and two First Nation schools.
STEM Days prioritizes inner-city, North End, and First Nation schools as part of UWinnipeg’s commitment to create pathways for underrepresented youth and provide local communities with access to campus.
STEM Days are supported by three years of NSERC PromoScience funding totaling over $202,000. This federal funding also supports Wii Chiiwaakanak’s Indigenous STEAM Summer Camp, as well as STEM Explorers, an after-school program with Spence Neighbourhood Association that brings kids to campus to participate in coding or other STEM activities.
Visit the STEM Days website for more information and to sign up to volunteer.
