17 May 2017
#STEM4Every1
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My name is Catherine Chea. I’m a writer and content marketer. Although I don’t consider myself a person in science, technology, engineer, math (STEM), these subjects still play a very important role in my career.

 

The story behind this blog

This post is the first of my blog series for the #STEM4every1 campaign. The mission is to inspire STEM conversations, especially among people who typically do not find this subject matter interesting nor relevant. While we’re not all scientists or engineers, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t partake in conversations that affect our lives on a daily basis.

As for myself, I lost interest in STEM upon finishing high school and ended up pursuing a philosophy degree at university. While I don’t regret my decision and I’m happy with the choices that I’ve made, I also want to reignite my interest in STEM.

Why is this? Because if you think about it, there’s no escape from science and technology.

So why aren’t more people, especially women, talking about STEM?

I believe one of the reasons why there are fewer women in STEM is not only because of the cultural barriers but because of a lack of interest. But this has to change. And this change can start here.

My goal is to show how relevant this topic is to everyone, even those who do not consider themselves as a person in STEM.

In this first installment, I will talk about how digital technology plays a role in my career as a writer.

More

14 May 2017
CanWomenSTEM150
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#CanWomenSTEM150- 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM: Week 13 Wrap Up

Talk about women who lead and women who inspire!

We could not have better examples of women who do both, and more, than the six women that we introduced this week as part of hEr VOLUTION’s 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM. Profile this week, we have a student researcher studying speech-motor control and communicating data about paediatric health research, plus a young student activist working for a better environment. We have a tech CEO whose products are enabling people to take control of their own heart health, an engineer who works to inspire other engineers in Ontario, and a respected university dean who tirelessly advocates for diversity in STEM in Canada.

The work of all of these women — professors, researchers, students, professionals, and entrepreneurs — is supported by the Canadian Minister of Science, a successful woman in STEM who leads and motivates by example.

You can read more about these six remarkable women and their work here:

  • Réjeanne Aimey, professional engineer (P.Eng), public speaker, and advocate for the Engineering Profession in Ontario
  • Kirsty Duncan, the Canadian Minister of Science and a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Etobicoke North riding in Toronto
  • Isabella O’Brien, student, scientist and activist working towards a better environment
  • Stephanie Cheung, PhD student and researcher in Biomedical Engineering and the Collaborative Program in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto
  • Sarah Goodman, CEO of VitalSines, makers of iHeart
  • Dr. Imogen Coe, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at Ryerson University, and promoter of diversity in STEM

 

Get your tickets today for the Canadian Women in STEM Conference on July 15th!

Between now and July 15, follow hEr VOLUTION’s 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
 to read unique and inspiring stories of Canada’s females who are having an impact in STEM.

Re-post and share and forward!

 Learn more about 150 Days of  Canadian Women in Stem.

Visit the blog for a wrap up of the featured stories each week. 

Use hashtag #CanWomenSTEM150 to help us spread the share these women’s stories.

07 May 2017
CanWomenSTEM150
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#CanWomenSTEM150- 150 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM: Week 12 Wrap Up

STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math and it represents a fairly recent grouping of these four disciplines. The focus of STEM has typically been on education — preparing young minds for bright futures in these areas. It’s a pretty broad term and covers a lot within the four disciplines, which can be daunting, especially if you’ve never really considered yourself particularly “techy” or interested in math, and if science and technology are high-level subject areas that don’t mean much to you.

One purpose of the 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM campaign is to showcase some examples of careers in these areas, to show their importance to many aspects of life in Canada, now and for the future, and to illustrate the wide variety of options that are out there that fall within the STEM realm but that might not be what you immediately think of. We especially want to demonstrate to girls that there is room and need for them in these exciting areas — to not be intimidated by stereotypes and old-fashioned notions of STEM careers and who they are for.

So what exactly does a career in STEM look like? You just have to look back at the previous 11 weeks of social media postings for this campaign to get some ideas. The women who are leading the way are inspiring, and the variety of careers and paths is impressive. Just this past week, we’ve showcased women working in engineering, volcanology, biochemistry, cancer research, ecology, and robotics. You can read more about these six unique women and their work here:

 

Get your tickets today for the Canadian Women in STEM Conference on July 15th!

Between now and July 15, follow hEr VOLUTION’s 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to read unique and inspiring stories of Canada’s females who are having an impact in STEM.

Re-post and share and forward!

 Learn more about 150 Days of  Canadian Women in Stem.

Visit the blog for a wrap up of the featured stories each week. 

Use hashtag #CanWomenSTEM150 to help us spread the share these women’s stories.

30 Apr 2017
CanWomenSTEM150
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We are half way there!

With the latest social media postings this week, we officially reached the half-way point in the 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM campaign.

What does this mean?

So far:

  • 75 days of recruiting, researching, and promoting inspiring women in STEM fields
  • 65 amazing women profiled, from a wide variety of STEM fields
  • 11 weekly wrap-up blogs and newsletters
  • Many likes, shares, comments, and retweets

And then:

  • 75 more days to go
  • 65 more profiles of excellent role models still to come
  • 11 more blog posts to wrap up the weekly social media posts
  • 1 impressive library of 130 impressive Canadian women in STEM as the end result
  • 1 exciting event to celebrate it all – The Canadian Women in STEM Conference on July 15th

Thank you to everyone who has helped out to this point — especially the women who have been nominated and have shared their stories to help inspire girls and young women. Your stories show the incredible impact that women in STEM can have in Canada. Keep spreading the word!

The women who were featured during this momentous week are:

 

Between now and July 15, follow hEr VOLUTION’s 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to read unique and inspiring stories of Canada’s females who are having an impact in STEM.

Re-post and share and forward!

 Learn more about 150 Days of  Canadian Women in Stem.

Nominate an inspiring Canadian woman in STEM to be featured.

Visit the blog for a wrap up of the featured stories each week. 

Use hashtag #CanWomenSTEM150 to help us spread the share these women’s stories.

Get your tickets today for the Canadian Women in STEM Conference on July 15th!

26 Apr 2017
CanWomenSTEM150
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1 Comment

hEr VOLUTION Launches First Women In STEM Conference

On Saturday, July 15, 2017, hEr VOLUTION will feature 15 high-profile Canadian Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) at Twenty Toronto Street Conferences and Events (located at 20 Toronto Street, Toronto). The speakers will share recommendations on how to close the gender gap in STEM, as well as how to incorporate diversity in schools and the workplace. hEr VOLUTION founder Doina Oncel says “this initiative is about unsung heroes, Canadian women in STEM who motivate and inspire the next generation of young women to follow their path and consider careers in STEM.”

Currently, there is a shortage of girls and newcomer, indigenous and low-income youth interested in STEM subjects. The conference is aimed at students seeking opportunities in STEM, and professionals in the field who support diversity and closing the gender gap for women in STEM. The conference is endorsed by CATA (Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance) and CanWIT (Women in Tech). “hEr VOLUTION aligns with CATA’s vision, we are committed to encouraging women to join the technology market and enrol in technology-related STEM studies,” says CATA CEO, John Reid.

To learn more about this conference please visit the hEr VOLUTION event page here http://bit.ly/StemmingUp.

23 Apr 2017
CanWomenSTEM150
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#CanWomenSTEM150- 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM: Week 10 Wrap Up

Science and the Earth have been the recent focus, as the annual Earth Day was celebrated around the world on April 22, and as people in many cities participated in the March for Science that same day.

Earth Day was started in 1970 as an environmental teach-in to draw attention to environmental issues, and that goal continues today. Events around the world showcased environmental issues, promoted advocacy, and demonstrated ways that citizens can take action to protect our Earth. The theme for this year’s celebration was Environmental and Climate Literacy, focusing on education with the belief that “Education is the key to advocacy and advocacy is the key to change.”

In Washington D.C. and many other communities around the world, including several in Canada, in addition to regular Earth Day activities, thousands of people participated in the first March for Science. “The March for Science is the first step of a global movement to defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments.”

At hEr VOLUTION, we believe that it is crucial that all citizens have access to education about science and other STEM fields. “Knowledge is power” and with more knowledge about climate change and environmental concerns, the more power citizens have to take positive steps. With the 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM campaign, and the concluding Canadian Women in STEM Conference on July 15, hEr VOLUTION aims to show girls and young women that careers in STEM fields are possible for them, and that they can make a contribution in these areas that are so vital to our future. This week, the social media campaign showcased six women in STEM as great examples of this:

  • Mena Ann Kinal, scientist, researcher, and women’s health advocate
  • Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, President and CEO of Digital Nova Scotia (DNS), the industry association for Nova Scotia’s digital technologies sector.
  • Sylvia Fedoruk, physicist, educator, and lieutenant-governor of Saskatchewan
  • Jo-Anne Reynolds, entrepreneur who founded SpikeBee, an online marketplace for finding and enrolling in summer camps
  • Krysta Coyle, Ph.D candidate, researcher, and advocate of girls’ and women’s rights
  • Agnes Sime Baxter, pioneering mathematician

 

Between now and July 15, follow hEr VOLUTION’s 150 Days of Canadian Women in STEM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to read unique and inspiring stories of Canada’s females who are having an impact in STEM.

Re-post and share and forward!

 Learn more about 150 Days of  Canadian Women in Stem.

Nominate an inspiring Canadian woman in STEM to be featured.

Visit the blog for a wrap up of the featured stories each week. 

Use hashtag #CanWomenSTEM150 to help us spread the share these women’s stories.

Secure early-bird pricing for the Canadian Women in STEM Conference on July 15th!