STEAM Webinars
STAN now offers webinars a few times a year, with themes designed to support the professional development our members. Aiming to provide information on a variety of subjects, we hope the webinars will help you see everyday problems in new ways, encourage you to reach further, and give you the tools needed to make science literacy more commonplace in Canada.
Webinars are always free for our members! They will be available to view live, or as a recording from our website (to facilitate viewers in different time zones).
Upcoming Webinars
Coming Soon
Decentering Dominant Narratives and Practices in Informal and Formal Science Education; a holistic approach
With Stephanie Dodier & Poh Tan
April 8, 2025 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Join us for this transformative webinar where formal and informal science educators share their journey of decolonizing science teaching practices. Through authentic stories and relationship-building, our presenters will demonstrate how trust becomes the foundation for changing narratives in science education.
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In Canadian education, we often center Western scientific methods without acknowledging other valuable knowledge systems. This webinar explores how braiding Indigenous wisdom, environmental stewardship, and scientific inquiry creates richer educational experiences for all students.
Our presenters will share concrete examples from their collaborative work, offering practical strategies you can implement immediately. From field-based learning to community partnerships, you'll gain actionable insights for your educational context.
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The webinar highlights how formal and informal educators can build upon each other's strengths to bridge teaching and learning practices that honor multiple ways of knowing.
Past Webinars
Visit the Member's Lounge to access a selection of recordings of past webinars.
Coming Soon
Networking Event
December 10, 2024 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
A networking event for STAN members to meet and discuss topics of interest and celebrate the end of 2023. Let the STAN board know about topics you are interested in for the following year. Feel free to bring along your colleagues and friends.
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Join your colleagues to network, celebrate the end of the year and upcoming break. Bring your coffee or lunch and drop by to say hello to old friends and meet some new ones.
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Coming Soon
Genes and Climate: How DNA Can Help Us Understand and Tackle Climate Change
October 8, 2024 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
The webinar will look at innovative ways to address climate change and how to provide this information for lay audiences. Providing this information in a clear and concise way while avoiding misinformation will be an essential part of understanding how we can all help mitigate climate change. Join us for an interactive discussion on the role DNA plays in helping understand and tackle climate change.
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*Please note that the webinar is in English, but that questions and comments can be addressed in French.
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Coming Soon
Disability and STEM
With Michelle McFarlane
June 11, 2024 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
In this presentation, Michelle will review evidence-based understandings of the barriers to STEM careers among aspiring youth and adults with disabilities along the STEM pathway. Drawing on the perspectives and lived experiences of medical students and physicians
with disabilities, Michelle will highlight the importance of the inclusion of students with disabilities to equity, diversity, and inclusion conversations in the field of Medicine.
Michelle is Shad Canada’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Manager and her passion is to extend STEAM opportunities to youth across Canada with diverse lived experiences, perspectives, and strengths
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*Please note that the webinar is in English, but that questions and comments can be addressed in French.
Coming Soon
Advancing STEM Equity: Facilitating STEM Pathways
With Desirée Sylvestre and Yi Lu
May 14, 2024 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
The importance of a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education continues to grow as it is connected to enhanced career options, future economic well-being, and the development of critical skills. However, research has shown that Black and other racialized youth residing in low-income communities experience significant and complex barriers to participation, resulting in their underrepresentation in STEM fields and research. Classroom teachers can play a critical role in addressing these disparities.
How can we create spaces where all youth can be inspired to pursue and persist in STEM? How can we specifically support marginalized students in STEM?
The 'Advancing STEM Equity’ is an informational session that focuses on the work of Visions of Science to foster equitable STEM learning environments. Educators will gain insights into the transformative impact of equity in STEM and understand their critical role in promoting STEM persistence amongst youth.
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​*Please note that the webinar is in English, but that questions and comments can be addressed in French.
Coming Soon
'Comprendre le cerveau pour mieux apprendre et enseigner les sciences'
With Geneviève Allaire-Duquette
April 16, 2024 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
In recent years, a growing number of brain imaging studies have considerably improved our understanding of the brain processes involved in scientific expertise. This research shows that the brain function of scientists differs from that of other people, but also that students with an aptitude for science do not activate the same brain regions as those with greater difficulty. For example, when experts assess the validity of misleading films in which a heavier ball falls faster than a lighter one, regions of their brain responsible for inhibition are activated. These experts thus mobilize a mechanism enabling them to resist their intuitions. The same thing can be observed when experts assess the validity of electrical circuits where a single wire lights a bulb. Their intuitions are therefore not forgotten or erased from their brains; rather, they are blocked by an inhibition mechanism when they lead to an error. What do these results mean for science learning and teaching? In this webinar, recent studies are presented to highlight that learning science means learning to fight your own brain.
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*Please note that the webinar is in French, but that questions and comments can be addressed in English.
Coming Soon
Paving a Pathway to STEM for Racialized Immigrant Girls
With Helen Yip and Kevwe Dabor
March 12, 2024 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Language barriers, having to navigate the Canadian school system, family responsibilities, and a lack of confidence are just some of the reasons that racialized immigrant girls are often overlooked when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program opportunities. WISEST partnered with Action for Healthy Communities (AHC), a local community-based agency that specializes in working with immigrant and refugee populations, to better understand and address the systemic barriers that prevent racialized immigrant girls from succeeding in STEM fields.
Through their environmental scan and sector conversations, WISEST and AHC connected with various groups, including STAN Conference 2022 and 2023 attendees who identified as racialized women, about their experiences in STEM spaces and some of the challenges that come with being in a STEM field. Join WISEST and AHC in this session as they share more about what they've learned through those conversations, what they developed as a result and the potential ways we could all contribute to creating safer and more inclusive STEM spaces.
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Organizations who work with young women who identify as racialized immigrants to Canada are encouraged to attend as program content and resources will be shared for community usage.
Coming Soon
STEM Education for All: Strategies to Bridge the Gender Gap
January 16, 2024 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
STEM Education for All: Strategies to Bridge the Gender Gap is a crucial initiative aimed at promoting gender equality and inclusivity in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The gender gap in STEM has been a long-standing issue, with women being underrepresented in these fields. This disparity not only limits the potential of talented individuals but also hinders overall societal progress. To bridge this gap, it is imperative to implement effective strategies that address both systemic and individual barriers. Encouraging young girls to develop an interest in STEM subjects from an early age by providing exposure through mentorship programs and interactive activities can foster a passion for learning. Additionally, bolstering support networks such as women-led organizations and professional development opportunities will create environments of inclusivity where women can thrive. Moreover, curriculum redesign that eliminates unconscious biases should be implemented at educational institutions to ensure equal representation and create an inclusive learning environment for all students. By implementing these strategies collectively, we can establish a platform that offers equal opportunities, dismantles gender stereotypes, and maximizes human potential for overall progress in STEM fields
Coming Soon
STAN End of Year Networking
December 13, 2023 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
A networking event for STAN members to meet and discuss topics of interest and celebrate the end of 2023. Let the STAN board know about topics you are interested in for the following year. Feel free to bring along your colleagues and friends.
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Join your colleagues to network, celebrate the end of the year and upcoming break. Bring your coffee or lunch and drop by to say hello to old friends and meet some new ones.
Coming Soon
Science Comic-action
with Raymond Nakamura
November 14, 2023 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
​Comics can make your science content more appealing and easier to understand. In this online workshop, we’ll sketch out benefits, underline drawbacks, and highlight tips for turning your science communications into science comic-ations. Please bring something to draw with and something to draw on, so you can draw your own conclusions.
Speaker:
Raymond Nakamura has drawn for the Vancouver Aquarium, Science World, and Science Borealis. Once upon a time, before the internet, he did his Ph.D. on the hydrodynamics of sand dollars. He posts daily comics (not necessarily scientific) on Instagram under @raymondsbrain.
Coming Soon
Surveying STEM Literacy and Assessing STEM Equity
with Sandra Corbeil and Catherine Paisley
September 19, 2023 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Join us to hear about upcoming plans to survey Canadians about their connection and relationship with STEM and then join the conversation to share your thoughts on how such surveys are helpful in your practice. Together we'll explore questions and reflect on what can surveys tell us, what insights into the beliefs and attitudes that Canadians hold towards STEM, and what you'd love to glean from this kind of data. Hear from the STAN community about what we're doing to better understand our audience's connection and trust in STEM.
Speakers:
Sandra Corbeil, Director, Strategic Partnerships and Networks for Ingenium
Sandra leads initiative related to equity, diversity and inclusion for Ingenium which include efforts to better understand STEM literacy and Trust in STEM.
Catherine Paisley, VP, Strategic Initiative for the Ontario Science Centre
Catherine is a skilled leader and strategic thinker who helps connects the Ontario Science Centre to many organisations in order to advance informal learning and and STEM.
Alison Symington & Antoine Tente Wa Tente
Accessing funding: Tips for Grant Writing Success
June 13, 2023 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Finding funding for small organizations can be a hard job. Join us for a webinar that will cover tips in finding funding and in successful grant writing. Antoine Tente Wa Tente from science promotion at NSERC will also provide an overview of the Promoscience program.
Guest Panel
Moderator, Alison Symington, moderator
Speakers: Sandra Corbeil, Sandy Eix, Tracy Walker, Isabel Deslauriers
Science Outreach – The ins and outs of different delivery models.
May 9, 2023 at 12pm to 13:15pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Science Outreach comes in all shapes and sizes. Learn from professionals in the field that work in large organizations dedicated to outreach in a centralized model and in a distributed model, research organizations that see outreach as an integral part but not their entire mandate and a small organization that has a small reach but great impact. If you are looking to develop a career in research this will give you insight into some of the options that are there for you
Speakers
Alison Symington is the Principal of Strategic Life Science Consulting where she provides strategic expertise in the development of life science solutions to address industry needs, particularly in “omics” technologies. She also develops and evaluates research proposals, business plans and strategic positioning for academia, government and industry operating in the life sciences sector. Alison has also been involved in science literacy initiatives for over 20 years and continues to be an advocate for STEM throughout Canada.
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Sandra Corbeil is the Director Strategic Partnerships and Networks for Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation. She has more than 25 years working as an education, communication, and outreach leader. She is known for her strategic thinking and creativity.
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Sandy Eix has been inventing exhibits, programs, and shows at Science World for more than 20 years. Her job lets her play with all sorts of science and share her discoveries with kids of all ages. Some highlights so far include developing exhibitions; running summer camp for teachers; creating resources for preschoolers; training science centre professionals in Turkey; and opening Science World’s brand-new Tinkering Space
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Tracy Walker is the Education Programs Lead at the Canadian Light Source, Canada's only synchrotron research facility. The education team focuses on building bridges between science research and science education and is working on understanding how Indigenous ways of knowing and western science processes can work together. She has been involved in education with pre-kindergarten learners and has classroom experience at the elementary, high school, and university levels in addition to the informal science education programs at CLS. Her passion for experiential transformative learning was the subject of research in achieving a Master’s of Education degree.
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Isabel Deslauriers is the Director, Youth and volunteer engagement, at Let’s Talk Science. She oversees volunteered-delivered programming including the Let’s Talk Science Outreach program and professional development for the post-secondary STEM students who volunteer through it. Working with volunteers inspire her and she is passionate about making sure that all Canadian audiences are served by science outreach.
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Dr. Maria Gyongyossy-Issa
Science, Sex, and Solutions
March 14, 2023 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Together we will explore “science, sex and solutions” - through examples that show the excitement that
diversity provides in many systems. We will look at science, the “I” in ideas, and the economic and societal benefits of different perspectives. We will also do some personal reflection on how to create steps that we can all implement to bring together a wonderful variety of people. With a wide range of input and science skills we will be well-situated to solve the problems of the future.
STAN NETWORKING
A networking event for STAN members to meet and discuss topics of interest and celebrate the end of 2022.
December 19, 2022 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Join your colleagues to network, celebrate the end of the year and upcoming break. Bring your coffee or lunch and drop by to say hello to old friends and meet some new ones.
Stephanie Dodier
Communicate your message for a lasting impression
October 24, 2022 at 1pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
The way we think about learning (and studying) is rooted in lore and intuition. Yet, the most effective learning strategies are counter-intuitive! Have you ever felt successful at communicating your message (in a lecture, a workshop, a meeting, ...) because everyone seemed to have understood? When we think about learning, the ease with which new concepts are understood is just part of the story. If we consider that learning is acquiring new knowledge/skills to transfer to new situations, we want the information to be readily available later. How do we ensure the information we communicate isn’t forgotten? The science of learning offers evidence-based strategies to allow us to communicate our message for long-term retention. BONUS: this will also revolutionize your own learning habits to help you maximize retention while saving time!
Exploring Equity in STEM Workshop with Sandra Corbeil
November 22, 2022 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
What is the role of equity in your practice? This workshop is a follow-up to our “Exploring STEM Equity” webinar in September. We will invite you to participate in deeper conversations, engage you in exercises designed to get you thinking about equity and invite you to draft a plan to advance equity in your practice.
Exploring Equity in STEM with Sandra Corbeil &Deanna Burgart
September 20, 2022 at 12pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
Join us for a conversation about the importance of embedding equity in our practice. If you are hoping to rethink how you engage audiences and plan your programs, if you’re focussed on working with and valuing diverse audiences and truly embedding equity this is an opportunity to connect with members of the STAN network to learn and share. We will discuss some of the questions to consider, challenges we face as well as resources available to support this important work.
Guest Webinar with Niigaan Sinclair
March 14, 2022 at 3pm Eastern | Nation-wide!
On March 14th at 3pm EST, STAN will present a webinar with Niigaan Sinclair in collaboration with the Treaty relations commission of Manitoba to discuss the connection between treaties and the work of STAN members.
Unconference: Living into our renewed strategic Plan
November 18, 2021 | Nation-wide!
The STAN board of directors has spent some time envisioning the next few years for STAN; our work is summarized here.
We’d like to hear from you, STAN members, as we consider what actions we might take next to make the vision a reality.
Join us on November 18th, at 9am pacific/noon eastern for an informal discussion and ideation session (there will be virtual sticky notes). For each broad focus area of the plan, we’d like to hear:
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What do you and your organization need most support within this area?
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What resources can you/your organization bring to the STAN community as we do this work?
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What role should STAN play in meeting these needs and sharing these resources?
Every contribution from more questions to really specific ideas is welcome.
Unconference: Taking STEM Outdoors
June 8, 2021 | Nation-wide!
Nice weather is sweeping across the country and it's a great time to get outside! We'd love to hear about how you or your organisation is planning on bringing STEM outdoors this Summer. Or, if you're looking for inspiration, come hear what your peers are doing. This Unconference is great for anyone who's looking for fun ways to experiment under the sun or stars!
Breakout group topics will include:
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Using the weather to your advantage
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Day time activities/ Night time activities
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How to manage outdoor activities during a pandemic
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Other groups can be created upon demand
Vickie Pednault, Éco-Rescue
March 24, 2021 | Québec, QC
Talking about the environment or sciences requires skills. Explain a bit too much and you lose their interest, take too many shortcuts and you lose your credibility. If you are looking for a better connection with the public or how to captivate an audience quicker, you have come to the right place.
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At Eco-Rescue (Éco-Secours), we are experts at positive and efficient environmental communication. Through this workshop, you'll bounce from practice to theory and learn how to convey your message and mobilize your audience. Are you ready to boost your next presentation? Because we sure are ready to help you become a better ambassador of your message!
Robyn Quinn
October 29, 2020 | Victoria, BC
Robyn Quinn shared how to present yourself to the media, conducting an interview, and send clear and meaningful information in a way that is compelling - especially attractive for third party distributors: traditional media, social media and podcasters.
Aliénor Béjannin
November 19, 2019 | Montréal, Québec
Running an afterschool program in STEM can be challenging. How do you engage teenagers and adults from different backgrounds in coding? Girls Who Code started their Clubs program in Canada less than a year ago and more than 200 Clubs have been launched since then. Aliénor Béjannin, who joined Girls Who Code as a Canada Partnership Coordinator, shared tips and strategies in order to inspire communities, particularly communities marginalized in STEM, to take the lead and run a successful program in computer science.
Jennifer Thivierge
September 10, 2019 | Ottawa, Ontario
Jennifer Thivierge, PhD Candidate in History at the University of Ottawa, discussed the “keypunch girls”. She shared the story of their training for a job described as the “lowest form of computer life,” and discussed the differences and similarities in women’s roles in computer science today.
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FÉLIX MALTAIS
June 12, 2019 | Montréal, Québec
During his webinar, Mr. Maltais discussed various aspects of scientific communication, including the relationships between the various players in the field, as well as between governments; the evolution of science culture over the past 40 years; and the role of traditional media and institutions in the era of social networks and fake news.
BOB McDONALD
Feb 26, 2019 | Victoria, BC
Bob McDonald's keynote address was entitled Evolution, not Revolution: Science Literacy and Future Technologies. *Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, a recording is not available.
CONNIE WYATT ANDERSON
Dec 12, 2018 | The Pas, MB
Connie shared practical tips and applications for incorporating Indigenous perspectives in meaningful way, as well as embedding them into existing school curricula and informal education programs.