About Us

The IGNITE STEM Networking stage, with illuminated marquee letters and a SCWIST neon sign, at the Halifax Convention Centre

45 years of opening doors in STEM

The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology is a national charity working to make science, technology, engineering and math accessible to everyone who wants in.

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS

Who We Are

SCWIST is a national registered charity working to transform Canada’s STEM landscape by advancing equity, inclusion and opportunity. We support girls, women and gender-diverse people at every stage of their STEM journey—from the first spark of curiosity in the classroom, to a career transition, to a seat at the leadership table.

Mission

To encourage, promote and empower girls and women in science, technology, engineering and math.

Vision

A Canada where anyone can pursue their interest, education and career in STEM without barriers.

What Guides Us

Empower

We give people the tools, skills and confidence to take the next step.

Connect

We build the relationships and networks that careers are actually made of.

Inspire

We show what’s possible by putting real STEM careers in front of people early.

Include

We work to remove barriers, not just talk about them.

Sustain

We build for the long term, so progress holds.

Our Impact

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    youth engaged in STEM activities across Canada in 2025

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    participants in networking events, workshops and our career fair in 2025

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    events hosted across provinces and territories in 2025

Where we Started

SCWIST began in Vancouver in 1981, founded by six women who were tired of being the only one in the room: Mary Vickers, Hilda Ching, Abby Schwarz, Mary Jo Duncan, Diana Herbst and Margaret Benston.

SCWIST members, including co-founder Hilda Ching (right), smiling together at an Annual General Meeting, with the SCWIST logo projected behind them
Three women standing together and smiling at a dinner gathering

The early work was practical. In 1983 they published the Registry of Skilled Women for BC and the Yukon and hosted Canada's first national conference on women in science and technology. In 1984 they registered as a charity and launched Girls in Science, a program that ran in communities across BC and eventually grew into our present day Youth Engagement programming.

The organization has expanded across Canada, but the founding instinct hasn't changed:

Find the barrier, then do something about it.