STEM Camp is a Canadian not for profit based out of Embro, Ontario operating over 50 summer camps across Canada.
STEM Camp’s mission is to inspire Canadian youth through participating in hands-on activities in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
In 2012, when STEM Camp’s founder, Kevin Cougler, was on a work trip to the House of Commons he overheard an uproar on the floor. A report called the Global Innovation Index had just been released and Canada had fallen out of the Top 10 rankings as an innovative nation for the first time ever.
Canadian STEM education and Canadian talent were at the forefront of the conversation. How could we boost Canada back into the top 10?
As a father, Kevin felt the importance of the mission to raise Canada’s rankings. It was clear that in order to succeed in the future, his young son and kids across Canada needed a strong STEM educational foundation.
Coincidentally, Kevin’s workplace was also looking for a new project to take on. After connecting with several MPs, the idea for STEM Camp was born.
“My pitch at the time was why don’t we start a summer camp where we make STEM-based activities really fun?” says Kevin. In his vision, kids wouldn’t be worried about being neat and tidy, but instead encouraged to have fun making messes and learning a lot in the process!
Now, over a decade later, STEM Camp is its own unique, not-for-profit entity, and has been delivering that messy, fun and educational STEM content that was originally envisioned, to thousands of young minds.
The demand for STEM professionals in Canada and around the world continues to grow across various industries, ranging from healthcare to renewable energy and technology and more.
Children who are exposed to STEM education early on are equipped with the tools and mindset needed to thrive in these dynamic fields.
Work within STEM also provides the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on society. Whether it’s developing life-saving medical technologies or tackling climate change through sustainable innovations, the possibilities are endless for those with a strong foundation in STEM.
STEM Camp provides learning experiences through fun, engaging programming that encourages children to explore their sense of wonder. Children are introduced to STEM activities that promote discovery, reward curiosity, and leave them amazed at what they can do.
At STEM Camp, we believe:
In the power of curiosity and wonder.
Children need to explore the world around them.
Curious kids become confident, creative adults, who have developed excellent thinking skills to be used to help change the world.
While STEM Camp certainly doesn’t feel like traditional school, our programming is created by experienced educators with a passion for teaching (our Education Director has been teaching for over 25 years!). We also employ the bright young minds of Teacher’s College students in helping to make our activities as engaging as possible!
Learn more about inquiry-based learning: a style of learning that is strongly supported by STEM Camp, as it helps to build resilient and creative minds.
Mouse or tap on the boxes below to learn some fun facts and figures about STEM Camp!
While a lot has changed over the years, one thing remains the same: STEM Camp’s mission to inspire Canadian youth through hands-on STEM activities.
However, what that looks like continues to evolve. For example, as robotics and coding rose to importance, STEM Camp’s programming evolved too. Now we have tonnes of fun with online and offline coding, robotics and more!
Now, as artificial intelligence (AI) has become rooted in our society, STEM Camp’s programming is set to evolve again, and we can’t wait to see what amazing experiments and fundamental lessons our camper’s learn in a fun and engaging environment.
Every year, STEM Camp relies on the support of local, provincial and national funding partners to help bring STEM Camp to life. From enabling us to provide (in many cases) a student’s first job in STEM, to empowering us to extend the STEM Camp experience to underprivileged kids, we couldn’t do it without our granting agencies and community partners.
