Youth Volunteers as STEM Leaders
Youth Volunteers as STEM Leaders, Community Change Champions, and Policy Advocates
The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) is excited to launch a new Canada-wide initiative that opens doors for girls, women, and gender-diverse youth to grow as leaders in STEM: the “Youth Volunteers as STEM Leaders, Community Change Champions, and Policy Advocates” (YVSL) initiative.
Funded in part by the Canada Service Corps, YVSL invites youth aged 14-30 to participate in volunteer placements that involve community engagement, policy development, networking opportunities at national events, and career preparedness specifically built towards growing and emerging STEM fields. By demonstrating how STEM can create meaningful impact in their own communities and across the country, the volunteer placements are designed to provide participants with hands-on experiences that reflect their lived realities and to show the ripple effect of locally cultivated innovation. Along the way, participants will have the opportunity to connect with peers and mentors, building support systems that can sustain their STEM journeys.
Committed to amplifying the work of community-based organizations and working with youth to shape systems change in STEM education and policy, SCWIST is proud to deliver the YVSL initiative in partnership with national and community-based partners across Canada. Together, we’re ensuring participant experiences are grounded in local needs and knowledge, and shaping opportunities that reflect the strengths and aspirations of youth from diverse communities.
Initiative Details
Over the course of two years, YVSL will engage two cohorts of over 320 youth. Participants will spend approximately 120 hours participating in:
- STEM policy development and civic engagement
- Mentorship and professional networking
- Career preparedness and pathway development directed towards emerging and growing STEM fields
- Skill-building experiences and leadership at the community and national levels
- Connecting with a vibrant peer network grounded in shared values of curiosity and collaboration
- Attending a national Youth Summit in Toronto in February 2026
With a strong focus on equity, inclusion, and access, the initiative prioritizes opportunities for youth who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQISA+, newcomers, persons living with disabilities, or facing systemic barriers to participation in STEM.
The YVSL initiative is not currently accepting applications. To learn more about how you can connect with SCWIST and participate in our events and programs, subscribe to our newsletter. If you’re in high school or university and want to learn more about youth engagement opportunities, check out our Quantum Leaps program.
Partnerships
YVSL is grounded in collaboration with national and community-based organizations across Canada who are deeply committed to equity, education, and innovation in STEM. SCWIST is honoured to work alongside partners who bring community expertise and visionary leadership that’s rooted in lived experience.
- Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS)
- Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN)
- Canadian Council of Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)
- Civic Action
- First Nations Education Administrators Association (FNEAA)
- Gender at Work
- IDEA-STEM
- IndigeSTEAM
- Jensen Group
- Tech Girls Canada (TGC)
- Visions of Science
- Voices Amplified
- Yukon First Nations Education Directorate (YFNED)
Grounded in reciprocity, co-creation, and shared accountability, our partnership model prioritizes relationships, trust, and community knowledge over transactions, and honours the leadership of youth and community partners. Grounded in an ongoing commitment to decolonization, this approach prioritizes an equitable distribution of power, resources, and decision-making, creating space for a collective of voices to shape both the work and its impact.
With shared commitment to systems change in STEM education and policy, we’re collaborating towards a national strategy for equity in STEM that centres the voices and perspectives of youth and dismantles systemic barriers.
STEM Youth Summit
Through the YVSL initiative, 160 youth leaders from every province and territory are attending the inaugural 2026 STEM Youth Summit and Expo.
Over three days, the Summit and Expo will unite youth and community-based organizations with key actors in the STEM ecosystem to explore the future of STEM. It will create opportunities for meaningful engagement with policymakers, industry leaders, and academic institutions, while centring youth voices in discussions on policy, systems change, and innovation.
Head here to learn more about the 2026 STEM Expo.
Empowering Youth Volunteers as STEM Leaders, Community Change Champions and Policy Advocates is funded in part by Canada Service Corps, a national program that empowers youth aged 12-30 to make an impact.
