STEM Learning

Engaging in science, technology, engineering, and math education.

About

“Many universities gatekeep high-value majors. For example, engineering schools often have separate applications, and they require higher test scores and grade point averages. Some STEM programs also expect students to arrive having completed prerequisite coursework — the kind more readily available to wealthy students in well-resourced high schools.”

Julien Berman, Washington Post, July 20, 2025

STEM — an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics — represents more than a collection of academic disciplines. It now forms the foundation for a vast spectrum of knowledge and skills that drive innovation, creativity, and progress in today’s world. As the landscape of the global economy shifts, a strong grounding in STEM has become not only essential for those pursuing scientific or engineering paths, but increasingly critical for accessing high-demand post-secondary programs across an array of fields, as well as for securing entry into some of today’s highest-paying professions.

Where once the relevance of STEM learning was largely confined to careers in science, technology, and engineering, it now extends far beyond, shaping the very fabric of modern business and influencing the evolution of the cultural arts. Industries such as finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, digital media, and design are impacted by rapid technological advances and data-driven decision-making, all of which require a solid understanding of STEM principles. Even the creative industries — visual arts, music, and performance — are increasingly intertwined with digital technology, coding, and mathematical concepts, making STEM literacy vital for creative practitioners intent on pushing boundaries and seizing new opportunities.

To access many of these high-demand post-secondary programs and lucrative careers, students must acquire a foundational understanding of STEM disciplines while in high school. This rigorous preparation opens doors to fields once considered unrelated to science and math, reflecting how deeply STEM skills have permeated the modern professional world.

However, significant disparities persist in who has access to these opportunities. Black youth remain markedly underrepresented in STEM-focused studies, which serve as gateways to post-secondary STEM education and careers.

This underrepresentation is underscored by research, including a 2017 report from Dr. Carl James at York University, Toronto, which found that just 53% of Black students in the Toronto District School Board were enrolled in academic courses leading to STEM pathways, compared to 81% of white students.

Similarly, a 2020 survey by Dr. Kevin Hewitt of Dalhousie University, Halifax, revealed that only 1% of physicists aged 18–34 in Canada identified as Black, a stark contrast to the 6% share of Black Canadians in that age group.

These studies highlight the urgent need to address barriers to STEM engagement and to actively support the participation of underrepresented groups. Empowering all students with strong STEM foundations is no longer an option but a necessity — for ensuring equitable access to education, unlocking future careers, and fostering innovation in every corner of society, from boardrooms to creative studios and beyond. The LBD program is ‘all in’ on STEM learning and, working with universities and other partners, provides an array of opportunities for students to reinforce their foundation in STEM preparation.

Some LBD STEM-learning strategies are described below.

Pursue STEM

Pursue STEM is a science and mathematics enrichment initiative designed for Leadership by Design (LBD) students in Grades 10, 11, and 12. The program features a range of science activities and experiments led by faculty and students from the University of Toronto. It is funded and delivered by the Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto, and administered by Professor Emeritus David Bailey.

In the 2024-25 academic year, approximately 50 Grade 10 LBD students opted to start Pursue STEM, completing ten in-person, laboratory-focused STEM workshops held on Saturdays at the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto. A combined 53 Grades 11 and 12 students opted to continue studies in Pursue STEM.

The Grade 10 curriculum included topics such as earth sciences, statistics, Arduino and computer science, physics, cell and systems biology (CSB), mathematics, environmental science, chemistry, and astronomy. Outlined below are four examples of Saturday Pursue STEM sessions conducted at the University of Toronto:

Physics Workshop (Grade 10)

Earth Sciences Workshop (Grade 10)

Statistics Workshop (Grade 10)

Chemistry, Earth Sciences, & Environmental Science Field Trio (Grade 11)

CBSN Regional Science Fair (All Grades)

The principal objective of science fairs is to inspire curiosity in Canadian youth through projects in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). All LBD students are eligible to compete in the regional science fair, which is presented by the Canadian Black Scientist Network (CBSN).

Annually, LBD students deliver the findings of their scientific research before a panel of judges at the CBSN Ontario Regional Science Fair, hosted by the University of Guelph. Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, President of the Canadian Black Scientist Network and Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph, officiates the event. In 2025, a total of 17 LBD students participated in the Ontario Regional Fair, with one student advancing to present his research at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, held in June 2025 at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

Young, Gifted and Black Future Physics Initiative

Each summer, the Imhotep Legacy Academy in Halifax offers a one-week physics workshop titled Young, Gifted and Black Future Physicists (YGBFP). Participants reside at Dalhousie University and engage in a curriculum specifically developed to introduce them to the field of physics and stimulate their interest in STEM disciplines. Imhotep Legacy Academy provides seats in the program to two LBD students — at no charge.

Student Voice — O’Neil G., Cohort 2022 (Grade 12)

Currently pursuing studies in Management Engineering, University of Waterloo Reflecting on the YGBFP Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax

“Through Pursue STEM, I was introduced to the Future Universal Navigators Summer experience. This took place at Dalhousie University, and I was awarded a full scholarship to attend the duration of the camp through LBD. Participation in this camp introduced me to many professionals, one of whom was a professor of Industrial Engineering. My conversation with him was one of the reasons I decided to apply to and pursue a degree in Industrial (Management) Engineering.” (Edited for privacy)

Holography — A Science-based Workshop

Workshop Overview: The holography workshop involves creating a hologram in a darkroom using lasers, holographic film, and development chemicals. The resulting hologram records the three-dimensional image of an object or a small group of objects, maintaining various perspectives. Participants will attend a session at the holography studio to produce the hologram and discuss topics related to optical physics, such as lasers, interference, and diffraction. The workshop provides a visual demonstration of physical principles typically represented mathematically. Students can choose to bring one or more small, bright objects approximately the size of a coffee mug to include in their hologram.

Workshop Leader: Emanuel Istrate earned his Ph.D. in Photonics from the University of Toronto in 2005. He teaches courses focusing on the social aspects of science, holography, and creativity in the sciences. Previously, he developed optics courses and training programs, contributed to lens-less microscopy methods, entrepreneurship initiatives, and industry collaborations.

Workshop: Coding: Python — An introduction

Workshop Overview: This workshop comprises ten sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours, and introduces participants to essential concepts and practices in computer programming with the Python programming language. The curriculum is designed to cultivate programming knowledge and problem-solving abilities through active engagement, encouraging learners to integrate their prior experience into reflective, hands-on activities. Additionally, participants will be introduced to modern applications of programming in Data Science and Machine Learning (e.g., ChatGPT) to stimulate interest in these emerging fields.

Learning objectives: After completing this course, learners should be able to:

Demonstrate the process of creation of computer programs
Create and execute Python scripts
Apply basic elements of the Python programming language (control, selection and repetition statements, variables of simple data types, input/output, and functions) to solve problems
Apply strategies to troubleshoot (or debug) Python scripts
Describe the usage of Python in Data Science and Machine Learning
Create and execute Python scripts to solve problems in Data Science and Machine Learning

Student Voice — O’Neil G., Cohort 2022 (Grade 12)

Currently pursuing studies in Management Engineering, University of Waterloo Reflecting on the YGBFP Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax

“Coding Courses — During my time in LBD, I have joined two coding courses that gave me an introduction to the coding languages of C, JavaScript, HTML and Python. Doing these courses gave me a taste of what I may be doing in university as I am interested in going down the path of computer science classes. These courses also helped me get started for my computer science classes in Grade 11 and 12 where we covered mostly the Python language. With the opportunity presented to me, I jumped at it knowing it would benefit me during my time in high school and will continue to benefit myself throughout university.”

(Edited for privacy)