A Woman to Celebrate: Katherine Johnson

For International Women’s Week, we will be highlighting a woman a day for the week of March 7-11. These women have contributed immensely to the way our world works today.  Katherine Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in 1918. She was brilliant with numbers and soared through her schooling, attending high school

LGBTQ+ Visibility in STEM Fields

For years, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields have been dominated by straight, white, cis-gendered males. As one can imagine, having a population with essentially the same life experiences and perspectives acts as a roadblock to innovation. It is only when diversity is embraced, and people from all walks of life see themselves reflected

Susan Olivia Poole: A Trailblazing Inventor

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we want to highlight Susan Olivia Poole, the woman who invented a Canadian parenting favourite: the Jolly Jumper. Susan Olivia Poole spent her childhood at the turn of the 20th century living on White Earth Indian Reserve, located in Minnesota. There, she witnessed many mothers who would

A Woman to Celebrate: Alice Ball

For International Women’s Week, we will be highlighting a woman a day for the week of March 8-12. These women have contributed immensely to the way our world works today. Alice Ball was born on July 24th 1892 in Seattle, Washington. She was the first woman and first person of colour to receive a Master’s

A Woman to Celebrate: Mary Jackson

For International Women’s Week, we will be highlighting a woman a day for the week of March 8-12. These women have contributed immensely to the way our world works today. Mary Jackson was born in Hampton, Virginia on April 9th, 1921. She obtained her post-secondary education from the Hampton Institute in the fields of mathematics and

The History of Black Nurses in Canada

Historically, Black people in Canada have been excluded from many White spaces. Because of this, Black women in North America formed a group called the Black Cross, an organization of Black nurses and medics that operated similarly to the Red Cross. The Black Cross came to Canada during the first world war. However, because Black students were banned at many institutions (like McGill, Dalhousie, and University of

Having ADHD in STEM

Raven Baxter is a molecular biologist and award-winning science communicator who also happens to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Check out this episode of the Faster Than Normal podcast where she talks about how her attention disorder has impacted her experience navigating the education system and a career in science industry. Raven says that “science is perfect for people with ADHD . .

The Gender Gap in STEM

Did you know that in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields in Canada, women only make up 34% of graduates and, even worse, only 23% of the workforce? From navigating unwelcoming school and work environments to being underestimated by teachers and mentors, women encounter many barriers in pursuing STEM-related subjects. Women who do make it to the STEM workforce are often faced with lower salaries and