STEM Education across Canada and in Indigenous Communities Gets Boost from Drax Foundation

Three organizations receive $150,000 towards bettering their communities.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Drax has announced its first round of grant recipients who will be receiving funding from the newly created Drax Foundation. Launched in March 2023, the Drax Foundation funds initiatives that support education and skills development in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces, enhance biodiversity, and support Indigenous communities within the communities Drax operates.

In Canada, the Drax Foundation has donated a total of $150,000 across three organizations: Connected North, Scientists in School and The Exploration Place.

“These organizations have spearheaded important initiatives in their respective fields that have lasting impacts in their local communities,” said Sandy Sung, Community Manager for Drax. “Additionally, they each represent the diversity of our local communities which aligns with our values of being a people, climate, and nature positive company.”

Connected North, which received $22,000, is a nonprofit whose focus is on connecting Indigenous students and teachers in remote communities through technology, helping to deliver virtual learning experiences and opportunities not available locally.

“We are grateful for this contribution from the Drax Foundation because it will help support delivering live, interactive learning experiences for students in remote communities,” said Michael Furdyk, Co-Founder of Connected North. “These funds will also provide the necessary materials and resources that schools need to fully participate in the hands-on experiences that reach across subjects and grade levels.”

Scientists in School, which received $48,000, ignites scientific curiosity through virtual STEM enrichment workshops. These programs are led by dynamic presenters who are experts in their fields: the curriculum-enhancing workshops enrich learning and bring real-world science and engineering into the hands of students.

“It’s through funding programs like the Drax Foundation that allow us to broaden the impact and important work that Scientists in School does,” said Diane Smit, Regional Manager for Scientists in School. “The Drax Foundation’s generosity will go a long way in helping us reach all youth, igniting their scientific curiosity so that they question intelligently, learn through discovery, and connect scientific knowledge to their world. With thanks to the Foundation’s support, we will be able to expand our virtual workshop offerings free of charge to students in new regions of Alberta and BC.”