Oshawa’s Ontario Tech University is holding segregated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) clubs for black youth – with funding from the Government of Canada.
The university also ran workshops dedicated to those who identify as black girls.
Ontario Tech University is running segregated STEM clubs for black kids. For the "Black Girls Empowerment STEM Club," it uses "an inclusive view of the word 'girl'," meaning "non-binary, two-spirit, trans, genderqueer and any other youth that (identifies)" can attend. pic.twitter.com/meJJ1RU3cZ
— Élie Cantin-Nantel (@elie_mcn) June 10, 2023
In the description for the racially-segregated STEM club, Ontario Tech notes it is “committed to ensuring Black youth have a community-oriented and accessible learning environment to explore different facets of STEM, coding, and engineering design.”
“Designed by Black STEM students, the program provides Black youth with a community-oriented and accessible learning environment to explore different areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as well as coding, and engineering design. With an intent for students to develop skills critical for the future, the program highlights Black role models, promotes academic pursuits, and encourages growth in STEM literacy.”
The “Black Youth STEM and Coding Clubs” are running between April and June.
Ontario Tech also ran a seperate “Black Girls Empowerment” STEM club in February, which was led by black female STEM students. Citing “an inclusive view” of the word girl, the university said biological black males who identified as a girl were also able to attend.
“Please be aware that we have an inclusive view of the word ‘girl’,” reads a note on Ontario Tech’s website. “All-girl camps and clubs welcome non-binary, two-spirit, trans, genderqueer and any other youth that identify with in these programs.”
Ontario Tech’s segregated clubs receive funding from the Government of Canada’s CanCode program. The latter “aims to equip Canadian youth, with a focus on inclusion of underrepresented groups, with the skills they need to be prepared for further studies.”
Ontario Tech also ran a racially segregated STEM camp last summer, in partnership with the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB). The University of Waterloo is also offering free “summer day camp programming for self-identifying Black Youth entering grades 2 to 12”.
True North reached out to Ontario Tech University for comment, but it did not respond in time for publication.
