Imhotep’s Legacy Academy (ILA) is a province-wide STEM outreach organization based at Dalhousie University. ILA aims to redress the under-representation of African Canadians in post-secondary STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) studies.
ILA offers programming to students at three levels of their education: junior high, high school, and university. ILA hires university students of African heritage to work as mentors and tutors to deliver programs. They act as powerful role models for the participants as some Black secondary school students have not been exposed to hands-on science in school or have never seen or been taught by Black educators.
Here are a few programs ILA offers:
(1) The ILA Coding Program is designed to provide hands-on computer programming skill to African Nova Scotian youth ages 16 to 19 years old. Its purpose is to build knowledge and skills while encouraging participation in higher education and equipping students for potential employment or the pursuit of entrepreneurship. Sessions are held in schools, the ILA Makerspace, or community centers/libraries within proximity to African Nova Scotian communities.
(2) Summer Student Research Scholarships are open to African Canadians enrolled in an undergraduate degree in science, engineering, or health professions, at any post-secondary university in Nova Scotia. ILA has partnered with Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering, and Faculty of Health, and Faculty of Computer Science to create scholarships, valued at $6,500 each, which are maintained at Dalhousie University and are paid-out over the summer months (May – August) to support university students as they conduct specialized research in their chosen field under the guidance of a Dalhousie faculty member.
ILA has also partnered with the Faculty of Medicine to create Summer Research Studentships valued at $5,000. The Summer Student Research Program for Non-Medicine Students was created to increase the number of African Nova Scotians in medicine by providing medicine-related research experience. Students will gain valuable experience in the design, execution, and evaluation of experiments.
(3) The Imhotep’s Learning Community (ILC) is a peer-mentorship group formed of university students of African heritage to support each other as they progress through university and/or college, regardless of discipline. ILC members may also be mentored by university faculty and staff. This intentional community meets once a month for an event that is focused on building students’ success and offering a safe space to receive encouragement.
