CanCode Funding Announcement with Minister Kirsty Duncan

News | February 13, 2018 | Share on:

Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan joined Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, President of Let’s Talk Science at Etobicoke’s North Kipling Junior Middle School in January to celebrate the announcement of $50 million in CanCode funding. Minister Duncan enthusiastically joined in as Let’s Talk Science volunteers led a digital skills learning activity with Grade 5 students to get them programming a Mars rover over a map of the red planet.

Let’s Talk Science is receiving $2 million from CanCode to support the organization’s digital skills programs for both educators and students. Let’s Talk Science’s CanCode-funded project will include two components – professional learning workshops and a hands-on, citizen-science project.

“In the next 10 years, over 70 per cent of jobs will require some background in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Bonnie Schmidt, president and founder, Let’s Talk Science. “The CanCode funding allows us to provide Canadian educators with access to our professional learning workshops and an action project they can participate in with their students. By engaging in a real-time astronaut mission, we will engage learners in building critical skills such as computational thinking and coding in relevant and meaningful ways. CanCode funding will help Let’s Talk Science ensure students develop skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”

The CanCode program was recently announced by Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains to support initiatives for coding and digital skills development to Canadian youth. Funding for the CanCode program totals $50 million over two years for non-profit organizations providing educational opportunities focused on digital literacy. CanCode was established to help students build skills needed for the jobs of today and the future.

Let’s Talk Science delivers digital learning and other STEM learning opportunities to youth from diverse backgrounds to help prepare them for their future career pathways.