Elevate: A Day for Inclusion in Science is a day-long outreach event for all Grade 10 students with particular invitation to students who identify with traditionally equity-seeking groups in STEM (e.g. Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, those with disabilities, women). This event is organized by Promoting Inclusion in Physics and Astronomy (PIPA) at McMaster University. The goal of Elevate is to provide a day to encourage students to be confident in themselves and foster a love of science by providing an inclusive event filled with fun science-related activities and scientist role models. There were interactive and meaningful keynote lectures, hands-on science activities, workshops on barriers in science, ‘Ask an Undergrad’ panel, and an opportunity to meet with scientists for a wide variety of fields of science. Grade 10 is a pivotal year for students in Ontario, as students are required to take grade 10 science, but are not required to take any grade 11 science. We hope to inspire more students from diverse backgrounds to take high school science classes, and to encourage those who are already doing so to remain in the STEM fields.

Elevate is hosted every year in May. The event has been featured in McMaster’s Faculty of Science News, click here, McMaster’s Daily News on April 29, 2019, April 30, 2018, and April 8, 2015, and the Hamilton Spectator over the years on: April 28, 2019, April 30, 2018, and April 11, 2015.