The exponential boom in innovation and technological advancement has not only caused the world economy to accelerate and skyrocket but as seen in today’s day and age, it has also ignited a high demand in the corporate world for individuals who have a deep footing in the STEM field. Currently, employees with STEM abilities are needed for 75% of positions in the industries with the fastest growth rate.

In today’s faltering economy where there is a huge deficit in the demand and supply of skilled workforce, enabling children to participate in STEM programs from an early age is like killing two birds with one stone where it allows them to develop foundational skills from the scratch but also prepare and transform them into highly qualified candidates to fill that expanding gap in the Canadian workforce.

The way children study, engage and interact daily is changing because of ongoing technological advancements. However, having access to technology and even basic equipment is not a luxury to an astounding number of children worldwide let alone being able to attend costly STEM programs.

“Adjusting to a different country is much harder on children than we realize. They go through language, financial and cultural disparities which may cause them to lag. This is unfair since everyone should have the chance to compete on an equal footing” said Emmanuel Animodi, the Director of Afro-Canadian Development.

Feeling the need and understanding the lack of opportunities that a shockingly enormous number of children face, Afro Canadian Development Inc. has initiated a STEM project in collaboration with MakerKids and funded by CIBC Foundation for underprivileged children and youths (6 to 18 years) with the intention to open new doors of opportunities and the hope to bring about even the slightest difference in their upcoming futures and lives as a whole.

“Helping build a world without limits to ambition is a key focus of CIBC Foundation, and we are proud to partner with Afro Canadian Development Inc. providing children and youth access to STEM programs,” said Ronan Ryan, Executive Director, CIBC Foundation.  “Connecting children to these resources today may pave the way to future opportunities in the technology industry.”

This is a six-month project starting in January 2023 and ending in June 2023.  Under this project, children will be given FREE hands-on learning opportunities and skill development sessions on Coding, Robotics and Minecraft

Sessions Information

Sessions Date
Coding Beginners Jan 14 (Age 6 – 10 years)

Jan 28 (Age 11- 18 years)

Coding Intermediate Feb 11 (Age 6 – 10 years)

Feb 25 (Age 11- 18 years)

Robotics Beginners March 11 (Age 6 – 10 years)

March 25 (Age 11- 18 years)

Robotics Intermediate April 15 (Age 6 – 10 years)

April 29 (Age 11- 18 years)

Minecraft Beginners May 13 (Age 6 – 10 years)

May 27 (Age 11- 18 years)

Minecraft Intermediate June 10 (Age 6 – 10 years)

June 24 (Age 11- 18 years)

** All the sessions are free & registration will open starting December 21, 2022**

**Accredited certificates and STEM tool kits will be provided to all the participating children upon completion of the sessions. **

Our STEM project would not have been possible without the generous contributions of the CIBC Foundation for which Afro Canadian Development and we as a nation are indebted forever. We are immensely grateful to the Foundation for believing in our vision and having faith in our STEM Project. Kudos to the CIBC Foundation for providing us with a chance to better serve the community & create a world without limits to ambition.

Similarly, it would not have been possible without our partner company MakerKids who will be helping us in facilitating and co-ordinating the STEM sessions.