3 Minutes

Born in Little Buffalo, a remote Alberta community ringed by oil extraction efforts, Melina Laboucan-Massimo knows the feeling of being helpless in the face of a warming planet. Every time her family drove across their traditional Lubicon Cree First Nation homelands, the landscape felt drier, its vegetation less vibrant.

Thanks to the generous funding provided by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), more than 30 Indigenous job seekers and nine Indigenous-owned businesses have grown through Pinnguaq’s SuccessWorks program so far, contributing to a more diverse, inclusive and impactful digitally-skilled workforce.

In a world where equations are the keys to innovation, Pinnguaq embraces creativity as we support the development of STEAM skills across communities and classrooms.

Cheers and chants echoed through the Makerspace as attendees of the ODR Hockey Heroes playtest tried their hands at the arcade hockey video game developed by Treewood Studio. Whether they were tipping the puck into the back of the net or dropping gloves in a spirited bout of fisticuffs, there was no shortage of excitement in the space.

We’re delighted to announce Pinnguaq’s finalist status in the 2023 CharityVillage Awards in three categories: DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Innovators (20+ Staff), Best Nonprofit Employer for Workplace Mental Health (20+ Staff), and Leaders in Youth Advancement (20+ Staff).

In 2016, Pinnguaq’s te(a)ch program was given some truly incredible help  – it was awarded an Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP), to the tune of $400,000. te(a)ch was the name for our in-community delivery program (AKA: Code Club or what you may now know as our Makerspace or Community Workshops). 

Born and raised in Iqaluit, I grew up speaking both Inuktitut and English at home. I was always reminded to speak Inuktitut as much as possible as a child.

On a rainy day in May, 55 Saturna Island residents took to the intertidal zone in search of sea stars. With rulers and guidebooks in hand, they noted the size, colour, and species of stars, all in the hopes that their observations might help researchers protect these iconic marine creatures.

For thousands of years, the Haíɫzaqv have been harvesting salmon and other food from the waters of the Pacific Central Coast. They consider it their responsibility to manage their land and ocean resources so that the next 10,000 years, or 700 generations, can continue to do the same.

Marine conservation efforts have been growing rapidly in North America over the past decade. In Canada, the commitment to protect the country’s land and oceans has risen from a goal of 10 per cent in 2020 to 30 per cent by 2030.

For younger readers, here are some books that provide both entertainment and education about space and what lies above us and beyond.

When Abby Lacson was in Grade 10, she knew she wanted to be an engineer. But it wasn’t until she went camping in the Rockies and saw the night sky, free from light pollution, that it finally clicked: she wanted to become an astronaut. Now, at 24, Lacson is a junior space operations engineer with MDA Space, the Canadian space technology company behind the Canadarm, a series of robotic arms used on the space shuttle.

Humans are going back to the moon. Life on Earth is feeling its way out of its den. We first went to the moon in 1969. Twelve American men walked on the lunar surface and another four orbited Earth’s satellite over a series of nine missions. Many different countries—at last count, eight—and countless companies are planning new lunar missions and Canada is set to play a role in one of the first.

Tomatosphere is a free program that encourages students to investigate the effects of outer space on food to support human space travel. The program uses detailed experiments conducted on tomato plants. Students explore the differences between plant growth under stressed space conditions through various experiments available on the Tomatosphere website.

The Canadian Satellite Design Challenge Management Society (CSDCMS) has been managing a university-level “CubeSat” satellite competition for over 10 years, and has recently expanded to offer the CanSat Design Challenge to high school students.

Pinnguaq Association has published Root & STEM, Issue 2, the second issue in a new publishing initiative promoting equity and accessibility in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEAM) education and innovation. This new STEAM resource and complimentary lesson plans, prioritizing diverse voices, are available for K-12 educators across the country.

Traditionally recognized as Wabaskamag or O’shkiigmong, Curve Lake First Nation is a Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg community in southeastern Ontario.

Pinnguaq will continue to communicate and provide education and training to its staff by monitoring the Government of Canada advisories and recommendations and will implement any required measures.

Kevin Snow, a storyteller and Twine developer was extremely generous in donating his earnings from Pinnguaq to the Pangnirtung Soup Kitchen.