Media Advisory
July 15, 2019
For Immediate Release
Canadians to Attend Program on STEM Education for Underserved and Vulnerable Populations
OTTAWA – Canadian professionals in education and policy will visit Washington D.C. and other U.S. cities from July 13 to August 3 as participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Participants will engage with U.S. government officials, academics, and industry leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields with a focus on underserved and vulnerable populations. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Participants will visit organizations with experience working in underserved communities to learn new techniques for getting kids excited about STEM. They will examine various funding and partnership structures, and discuss train-the-trainer models that ensure STEM is taught continuously within vulnerable communities.
Participants in the program are:
- Dr. Sandra Marie Bonny, Coordinator, Aboriginal Student Achievement Program, University of Saskatchewan
- Ms. Alexandra Catherine Fenton, Executive Director, SuperNOVA Program, Dalhousie University
- Mr. Louis Jean, Teacher, Le Plateau Elementary School, Commission Scolaire de Montréal (CSDM)
- Ms. Julie Williams, Senior Policy Analyst, Assembly of First Nations
The IVLP enables Canadians who are emerging leaders in their professional field to observe U.S. institutions, practices, and culture first-hand, and to meet with professional counterparts to explore issues of common interest. Founded in 1940, the IVLP has given hundreds of thousands of emerging leaders — including more than 1,200 Canadians — the opportunity to observe and interact with American culture and society on a personal level. For more information, visit http://eca.state.gov/ivlp.
Participants are available for interviews after the program upon request.
