{"id":29656,"date":"2023-02-02T09:46:07","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T14:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/its-cuthemedev1.carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/?post_type=cu_story&p=29656"},"modified":"2025-03-24T15:29:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T19:29:06","slug":"vv-wins-actua-2022-go-where-kids-are-award","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/story\/vv-wins-actua-2022-go-where-kids-are-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing STEM Outreach Where Kids Are"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n
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\n Bringing STEM Outreach Where Kids Are\n <\/h1>\n \n \n \n

Virtual Ventures Receives National Award for Community Programming<\/p>\n \n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n \n

Adam Landry<\/em><\/p>\n \n \n

Melanie Mathieu<\/em><\/p>\n \n

Over the course of nearly three decades, 杏吧原创 University\u2019s Virtual Ventures (VV)<\/a> has helped tens of thousands of youths pursue an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through a wide array of specialized programming aimed at developing their digital and technical skillsets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a not-for-profit organization run through 杏吧原创\u2019s Faculty of Engineering and Design, VV has long offered nationally recognized and award-winning technology and engineering programs for youth, including summer camps, clubs in the fall and winter, school outreach workshops, girls outreach events and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To kickoff 2023, VV was celebrated nationally once again \u2013 this time for its outreach in the community \u2013 as it received the Actua Experience Award \u2013 Go Where Kids Are<\/em>, presented at a special ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Nature on Jan. 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“On behalf of Actua, I am thrilled to congratulate Virtual Ventures and 杏吧原创 University on being awarded the 2022 Actua Experience Award for the Go Where Kids are Program,\u201d says Jennifer Flanagan, CEO of Actua. \u201cWe are proud to support Virtual Ventures in the development of their strong community partnerships, intentional program design and extensive instructor training.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Actua<\/a> serves as Canada’s largest STEM outreach organization, representing a network of over 40 post-secondary institutions nationwide that offer specialized programming for youth.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s award marks the fourth time VV has received national recognition from its network partner, having previously been presented with the Actua Make Friends with Science Award<\/em> in 2020, Actua Experience Award – National Girls Program<\/em> in 2015, and Actua & GE Canada Award for Leadership and Innovation<\/em> in 2012.<\/p>\n

VV was presented with this year\u2019s award based on its ground-breaking Linked><\/em><\/a> program, run collaboratively with Shopify and BGC (Boys and Girls Club) Ottawa<\/a>. Initially launched in 2017 as a pilot after-school digital literacy program for underrepresented and underprivileged youth, Linked> <\/em>has continued to develop with great success, setting the stage for VV and Shopify to roll out similar programs across Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe success and growth of the Linked><\/em> program partnership between Virtual Ventures, BGC and Shopify is a fantastic example of Virtual Ventures\u2019 commitment to engaging youth in relevant programming that builds critical skills and confidence,\u201d says Flanagan.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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From left: Lauren Cauchy (Social Impact Lead at Shopify), Brittney Oberfeld (Head of Social Impact at Shopify), Christine Riddell (Executive Director of Virtual Ventures), Halle Blowes (Program Coordinator at Virtual Ventures), Kyra Bloomfield (Program Director at Virtual Ventures), and Melissa Marion (Volunteer & Education Programs Coordinator at BGC Ottawa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, Linked><\/em> has evolved to offer three distinct programs, extending the positive impacts of VV\u2019s programming across BGC clubhouses in Ottawa and nationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linked> Classic<\/em> reflects VV\u2019s initial partnership with Shopify and BGC Ottawa \u2013 an 8-week program in which VV instructors and Shopify employees travel to BGC clubhouses across Ottawa to host after school programming where youth participate in self-discovery activities with new technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linked> Leaders<\/em>, launched in 2021, engages older youth in STEM programming by providing training and employment opportunities that can extend the positive impact of Linked><\/em> to more clubhouses \u2013 providing youth from BGC in grades 9-12 with the skillsets to deliver programming to younger BGC members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLinked> Leaders<\/em> employs high school youth at BGC to lead hands-on technology programs with younger youth in their community,\u201d explains Christine Riddell, Virtual Ventures\u2019 Executive Director. \u201cThis program model also allows us to expand the program nationally and provide these opportunities to youth across Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Virtual Ventures\u2019 Executive Director Christine Riddell delivering Linked> At-Home kits to BGC Ottawa in 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, VV launched Linked> At-Home Kits <\/em>as a way to continue providing STEM programs from a distance at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The at-home-kits have since become a staple of VV\u2019s programming, helping to engage youth in times when they are at home and not able to come to BGC clubhouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Actua\u2019s award ceremony, VV Instructor Eryn Tasseron was also presented with the Actua Instructor Recognition Award<\/em>, which recognizes up to 3 instructors across all network members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking at VV has been one of the most impactful and amazing experiences of my university career,\u201d says Tasseron, a third-year student in 杏吧原创\u2019s Biomedical and Electrical Engineering program.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt gave me the chance to explore my STEM interests, develop technical engineer skills, and connect with some amazing kids who inspire me everyday to stay passionate about learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cWith all that VV and Actua have done for me, I am so grateful to have been chosen for this award, and beyond thankful to the incredible women who run Virtual Ventures for allowing me to be a part of their amazing program and supporting me over the last three years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VV Instructor and third-year student in 杏吧原创\u2019s Biomedical and Electrical Engineering program, Eryn Tasseron (left) was presented with the 2022 Actua Instructor Recognition Award on Jan. 25.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First conceptualized in 1993, VV would go on to launch its first ever summer camps the following year to a group of 150 participants. Today, the organization has grown to reach more than 10,000 youths annually through a wide variety of engineering and technology-based programs for students ranging from junior kindergarten to Grade 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adam Landry Melanie Mathieu Over the course of nearly three decades, 杏吧原创 University\u2019s Virtual Ventures (VV) has helped tens of thousands of youths pursue an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through a wide array of specialized programming aimed at developing their digital and technical skillsets. As a not-for-profit organization run through 杏吧原创\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29674,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[193,200,346,314],"cu_story_tag":[],"class_list":["post-29656","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-feature-stories","cu_story_type-industry-collaboration","cu_story_type-virtual-ventures","cu_story_type-youth-outreach"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/29656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/29656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33449,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/29656\/revisions\/33449"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=29656"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/engineering-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=29656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}