Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes a keen understanding of the present to conceive and create the advances of the future. Here at Amgen Canada, we encourage today’s youth to become tomorrow’s biotech leaders. Our community initiatives don’t just raise awareness about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics); they foster passion and enthusiasm for it.
This year, Amgen Canada employees have volunteered their time and resources to programs that support our vision. Whether they’re working across the country or in our own backyard, our staff understands that Amgen is responsible for making tomorrow better.
What will Canada be like in its bicentennial year? If Canada 2067 has its way, the country will be full of renowned STEM leaders. The initiative aims to raise the number of graduates in STEM-related fields, increase general STEM knowledge, and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills among the public. As a founding partner in Canada 2067, Amgen is committed to ensuring these goals become a reality.
Regional outreach is a crucial part of this mission. Since October 2017, a series of single-day Canada 2067 events has catered to grade nine and ten students in cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, and St. John’s. Members of the Amgen Canada community were present at each of these regional summits, offering support and advice to youths preparing for a life in STEM. Whether students were seeking to better understand the world as an explorer or to model a better one as a designer, they received encouragement and guidance about their career paths.
Getting Kids to Talk Science:A love of science may start in the classroom, but it can also grow through extracurricular activities. Held at universities and colleges throughout the country, the Let’s Talk Science Challenge helps students in grades six through eight develop scientific knowledge and personal skills in a fun, playful environment. Amgen Canada has worked with Let’s Talk Science for over a decade, continuing its commitment to encouraging STEM education. This year, however, our employees went above and beyond to support the challenge, which ran from April through May. Amgen staff volunteered at Let’s Talk Science events in Toronto, Mississauga, Guelph, and Vancouver, facilitating learning opportunities and allowing students to meet like-minded peers.
The biggest changes one can make usually start at home. Case in point: Amgen Canada is based in Mississauga, ON, and we take special care to support local charities and training initiatives. In April, over 40 staff members participated in training when a local grade 12 class stopped by our headquarters to demonstrate their CPR and AED training. The class joins the 3.5 million Canadian youth that Amgen has helped train as a partner of the Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation.
Students weren’t the only guests to visit Amgen Canada. We’re committed to hosting Science Nights for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel Region every month. In April, children enjoyed a fun and interactive science workshop, dinner, and time spent with their “Biggies.” As with other Amgen Canada initiatives, this event helped participants find the fun in science education.