hEr VOLUTION’s 2021 Newsletter
hEr VOLUTION 2021 Newsletter by hEr VOLUTION
The Passion Project: hEr VOLUTION | Doina Oncel Part 2
This post was originally posted on The Passion Project on February 4, 2019. Please see the original story here.
“What if the cure to cancer was stuck in someone’s mind who couldn’t afford an education?”
This is a question that Doina wakes up to every morning.
“What I realized from doing what I do, a lot of the young women are very determined. They all just want a chance; they all want an opportunity.” Doina says, “What upsets me is that there are so many barriers preventing them from being that person they are meant to be.”
Doina Oncel is the CEO/Founder of hEr VOLUTION, a non profit organization designed to provide access to women and young girls to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) based education and employment opportunities. More
The Passion Project: My Winding Path | Doina Oncel
This post was originally posted on The Passion Project website on January 28, 2019.
Doina Oncel is the CEO/Founder of hEr VOLUTION, a non profit organization designed to provide access to women and young girls to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) based education and employment opportunities.
Growing up Doina Oncel had many career aspirations. She wanted to be either a teacher or a lawyer because she believed that they make a difference in the world. At the age of 19, she immigrated to Canada with her father and practiced hair dressing for 10 years.
“We start at a place where we never thought we were going to start and we never realize where our path takes us where we are supposed to be,” says Doina, “I did a lot of things that were not necessarily who I was. It wasn’t satisfying.” More
hEr VOLUTION to partner with the Metamorphosis Girls STEM Conference for the third year in a row
hEr VOLUTION
Doina Oncel
647-878-9285
mediarelations@hervolution.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
hEr VOLUTION to partner with the Metamorphosis Girls STEM Conference for the third year in a row
Toronto, ON., January 28, 2019 – hEr VOLUTION is proud to announce the partnership with the Metamorphosis Girls STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Conference for the third year in a row. The Metamorphosis Girls STEM Conference was first hosted and organized on March 8, 2017, International Women’s Day, by John Polanyi Collegiate Institute in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The event was created to support girls at a critical time when they are likely to become disengaged with STEM. Girls in middle school may lose interest in STEM studies and careers despite high academic achievement in these disciplines, and a much lower number of women compared to men are choosing to enter and stay in careers in STEM fields, especially in the areas of mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science.
The mission of the Metamorphosis Girls STEM Conference is to foster partnerships with people and organizations who are dedicated to creating welcoming spaces for girls in STEM, while engaging girls in the making of their own STEM stories. Through a day of hands-on workshops, inspirational speakers and mentorship, the conference hopes to spark curious questions in the minds of its attendees that will lead them down a long and incredible journey in STEM.
“We are honoured to be a part of the Metamorphosis Girls STEM Conference for the third year in a row. We see the great value that this conference brings to girls in middle school in the form of workshops, STEM Talks and speaker Panel. The organizers of the conference continue to do a great job in bringing together ideas and the necessary network of organizations to support its mission. We look forward to continuing to support the conference moving forward as we see this partnership as a long-term impact by inspiring girls to embrace STEM careers” says Doina Oncel, Founder/CEO of hEr VOLUTION. More
Why we need to continue to break barriers in the 21st Century
During our 2nd Annual Sold Out Canadian Women in STEM Conference, we brought together elite speakers from all walks of life who shared stories and strategies for breaking barriers and including women in STEM.
The attendees could not stop talking about how much they are enjoying the conference and how excited they are to be there. It is always so great to see that because of the support of our community, many students were able to take part in this yearly event. Like last year, we were able to include 40% of students attendants at the conference while some were speakers. It is imperative to have everyone at the table if we want to create change for the better.
When organizing events such as these, we always wonder if they are actually making an impact. Sometimes it is very hard to know unless people talk about it. Gladly, in our case, we had one student who was given a ticket to the conference in a contest she wan, express how she felt after the conference and because of it:
Thank you, Ashima for sharing your insight. Thank you for being open and for dreaming big. Thank you for being a part of the change. Thank you for breaking barriers and for being part of the solution and for including you and other women in STEM.
If you attended the conference on October 13, 2018, we would LOVE your feedback. We strive to always make it better a better experience and we would love to hear from you how to do that. Please take 5 minutes of your time to share your thoughts here.
Chandran Fernando, Promoting STEM to Young Women & Girls by Breaking Down Barriers: Unleashing the Power of Inclusion
TORONTO, ON Canada – October 10, 2018 – Toronto based STEM advocacy organization,hEr VOLUTION, is proud to announce Chandran Fernando, Managing Partner at Matrix360, as Keynote at the annual Canadian Women in STEM conference – Breaking Down Barriers: Unleashing the Power of Inclusion, held on October 13, 2018. Matrix360 is an advisory platform whose mission is to elevate a new tone for business with a global and inclusive mindset. Matrix360 is to build sustainable and successful organizations that foster inclusive workplaces where people embrace their differences: gender, ethnicity, race, orientation, age, abilities, education and all backgrounds.
We believe that the solid mission that Matrix360 has followed for numerous years, “To create accessibility to opportunities for all, and encourage open thought processes that effectively puts the heart back into business.”, is exactly what needs to be highlighted during this conference, hence why we are delighted to have Mr. Fernando as the keynote at the conference.
“People are the heart of every business and organization. It is imperative that business leaders recognize the importance of diversity in the workplace as a value-add for business and not just a checkbox-a feel-good gesture. Business leadership teams must reflect the communities it serves. We must systematically work together towards actionable solutions that not only provide access to opportunities but access to the leadership decision making tables and rooms. There must be a push for representation of all diverse people. It is time business leaders confront biases, prejudice and lack of awareness that impede fair representation in all platforms of leadership. We must use our voice, mind, and heart to elevate our presence in leadership within Canada. The time is now to embrace the human experience.” says Chandran Fernando, Managing Partner at Matrix 360. More