Nurturing future scientists and critical thinkers
Science Venture delivers extraordinary STEM learning opportunities to Vancouver Island’s young people, wherever they are.
From Sooke to Port Hardy and everywhere in between, the ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Science Venture is sparking curiosity and building confidence in young learners, one “aha! moment” at a time. Whether it’s veterinary science or robotics, coding or chemistry, this non-profit initiative is igniting a lifelong interest in STEM in communities across Vancouver Island, especially those that have historically faced barriers to access.
Since launching in 1991, Science Venture has delivered hands-on, minds-on science, technology, engineering and math programming to more than 250,000 children and youth. In 2024 alone, over 15,000 young people aged six to 18 took part in summer camps, after-school clubs and workshops through the program’s year-round offerings.
What makes Science Venture unique isn’t just what it teaches, it’s who it reaches. The program is committed to breaking down barriers to education, particularly for students in remote, rural, and underserved communities. The program runs both on-campus experiences in UVic’s world-class laboratories and mobile outreach initiatives that bring in-person STEM programming to communities across Vancouver Island.
The ability to meet young learners where they are, both geographically and developmentally, is a cornerstone of the program’s success. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Science Venture quickly pivoted to online delivery and now offers Virtual Winter Clubs, allowing continued access to high-quality STEM education from home.
A legacy of learning
One of the most impactful aspects of Science Venture is the mentorship model that places UVic students in leadership roles. These mentors not only teach the curriculum, they inspire young learners to see themselves in science.
Thomas Webb first learned about Science Venture when the organization gave a presentation at his elementary school. He attended a camp that summer and was hooked, returning year after year.
“The more I did programs, the more I thought it would be cool to be more involved. Come high school, I volunteered as a junior counsellor for four years, from grades nine through twelve,” says Thomas.
Inspired by his years working with Science Venture, he pursued a Bachelor of Education at UVic and then took a full-time coordinator position. In this role, he developed content for camps and workshops, hired and trained staff, and managed volunteers. He now had over a decade of different experiences with Science Venture, and each position helped him develop important skills.
As I started to shift my focus toward elementary education, my role at Science Venture became geared toward inclusion, working with families and participants with special needs, whether those be physical, behavioural or cognitive.
Breaking down the barriers to STEM education
Since 2008, Science Venture’s Indigenous STEM Outreach program has run as a reciprocal partnership with more than a dozen Indigenous communities and groups on Vancouver Island. These interactive and culturally relevant programs are designed to address the gap in scientific literacy by engaging Indigenous youth in STEM, encouraging them to pursue these fields as a career choice.
Megan Foster joined the Indigenous STEM Outreach travel team as a UVic undergrad, spending six weeks each summer delivering science camps in communities up and down the Island. Each week brought new faces, new communities, and new opportunities for creating moments of understanding that stick—those transformational “aha! moments.”
“When I’m explaining something that I’m passionate about or find very interesting, you can start to see the gears turning. More questions start to pop up or they have a connection or they understand the concept and they want to demonstrate their knowledge. Moments like those I find to be the most rewarding,” says Megan.
After two summers on the travel team, and as a new graduate of UVic, Megan was offered a full-time position with Science Venture and jumped at the opportunity. She says the importance of Science Venture is not in the flashy experiments, but in ensuring kids have a strong foundation for thinking about science.
“Science Venture is about critical and analytical thinking. Donors to the program are investing in better futures for kids whether they go into the sciences or not,” she says.
Science Venture also offers all-girl* programs that inspire young women to fulfill their roles as leaders in STEM and encourage their engagement in fields like engineering and computer science where women continue to be vastly underrepresented.
“It was powerful for our daughter to have strong female leadership in the camps, to see them as role models, and to picture herself as a future scientist,” says the parent of one camper.
Science Venture is about critical and analytical thinking. Donors to the program are investing in better futures for kids whether they go into the sciences or not.
Fuelled by donor generosity
None of this would be possible without the generous backing of donors—from major philanthropists to individuals giving annually—whose collective support ensures this vital work continues.
As a non-profit organization, Science Venture relies on the generous support of governments, professional associations, private donations and corporations to ensure that money does not limit who may participate in the program. Science Venture is also a member of Actua, a STEM youth outreach organization whose network engages over 375,000 youth in 600 communities across Canada.
Whether they’re investigating marine ecosystems, solving engineering puzzles, or discovering how science connects to everyday life, the young people who participate in Science Venture don’t just learn about science, they learn how to think critically, work together, and believe in their own potential.
“While STEM is the primary message, many meaningful experiences come not from the content, but from the program一building self-confidence, developing critical learning skills such as collaborative work, finding a sense of community一these components are the glue that holds the magic of outreach together,” says Science Venture director David Jackson.
*Science Venture has an inclusive view of the word “girl” and welcomes two-spirit, trans, genderqueer, and non-binary folks interested in this club.
Learn more about giving to UVic.