CAGIS started 33 years ago as a small, local initiative: a group of 30 girls in London, Ontario responded to a letter asking if they wanted to explore science, technology, trades, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) together.  I mailed those letters because I, a school girl, loved STEM and wanted to learn more.  Few STEM outreach opportunities were available for kids and teens at the time; those that did exist drew predominantly boys, leaving me feeling isolated and alone.

It turns out, I wasn’t alone; the first CAGIS event was a hit and the club grew and grew, expanding to new communities, and allowing new generations to explore STEM together in fun, hands-on, and welcoming spaces. Tens of thousands of volunteers stepped into leadership roles in the decades that followed, leading local Chapters and organizing exciting, behind-the-scenes, hands-on STEM experiences. In 2019, CAGIS hired the first of a small team of staff who support local volunteer teams and coordinate our online CAGIS Virtual program.

When I was a child, I would have never guessed that three decades later, Canada would continue to face strong gender disparities in STEM.  Women make up less than 25% of STEM workers and less than 8% of trades workers in Canada. These disparities are caused by structural and systemic barriers.  Fortunately, there are evidence-based solutions. Learn more here.

Thanks to our evidence-based approach and decades of experience, CAGIS is Canada’s leader in breaking barriers for girls and gender-diverse youth in STEM. We have been doing this work as a registered not-for-profit organization until now… I am pleased to share that we are now a registered charity and are able to provide charitable tax receipts for eligible donations. This is an important step in our sustainability and growth, to ensure that we are able to continue meet the needs of girls and gender-diverse youth across Canada. 

To our network, thank you for all that you do to create a more equitable future in STEM.

If you would like to learn about ways individuals or corporations can give, click here.

To learn more about our impact, click here.

With gratitude,

Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko, PhD

Founder & President, CAGIS