Former seed2STEM participant Mackenzie Su (right) learning about DNA extraction during a field trip. (Credit: STEMCELL Technologies)
The University of British Columbia’s seed2STEM summer research program for Indigenous high school students has been awarded the City of Vancouver’s Leadership in Reconciliation Award for 2025.
The seed2STEM program transforms reconciliation principles into action by creating culturally safe pathways for Indigenous high school students to participate in science-technology-engineering-math (STEM) research.
Founded in 2018 at the ICORD spinal cord injury research centre within the UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, seed2STEM offers six-week paid research internships in university and hospital labs, coupled with wraparound supports—transit, meals, loaner laptops and other equipment, youth support workers, and travel bursaries for remote students—to remove barriers to participation. In 2023, seed2STEM received an award through the Faculty of Medicine’s Strategic Investment Fund to further enhance and expand the program to more Faculty research centres, institutes and laboratories.
It’s exciting how much this program has grown, from one student in our first year to over a hundred this summer.
—Cheryl Niamath, program co-chair
Program co-chairs Cheryl Niamath and Dr. Corree Laule accepted the award from Mayor Ken Sim at the City’s award ceremony at the Roundhouse Community Centre on October 15. They were joined by ICORD director Dr. Brian Kwon, seed2STEM students Shana George, Dean Harris and Mackenzie Su, and seed2STEM advisory panel member Carla George.
City of Vancouver Councillor Rebecca Bligh (left) and Mayor Ken Sim (right) present the award to Corree Laule and Cheryl Niamath.
“We are incredibly grateful to all the students—and their families—who have trusted us with their summers, to the researchers who have hosted students in their labs, to our valued advisors and tireless colleagues, and to all the individuals, departments and agencies that have funded seed2STEM,” said Dr. Laule, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine’s Departments of Radiology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and associate director of education and training for ICORD.
“It’s exciting how much this program has grown, from one student in our first year to over a hundred this summer. We’re truly thankful to receive this recognition from the City of Vancouver,” added Ms. Niamath, ICORD communications and administrative manager and co-founder of seed2STEM.
Guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, seed2STEM prepares host labs with cultural safety and trauma-informed training, creating inclusive environments where students are welcomed and respected as knowledge-holders. Weekly group learning modules blend STEM skill-building with Indigenous cultural content, guest speakers and community connection.
seed2STEM changed my life! It connected me to my culture and helped me make long-time close friends with similar interests.
—Mackenzie Su, seed2STEM participant and UBC undergrad student
“The idea of pursuing a career in STEM always intrigued me, but before doing seed2STEM, I never felt confident enough in my abilities,” said Mackenzie Su, who started in the seed2STEM program after Grade 11 and is now a UBC undergraduate student. “seed2STEM changed my life! It connected me to my culture and helped me make long-time close friends with similar interests. It helped me learn that passion and goals beat natural talent every time. And most importantly, it brought me to where I am today, attending UBC Kinesiology—one of the best kinesiology programs on the continent.”
Since 2018, seed2STEM has placed 142 Indigenous students in 112 research labs across UBC and other B.C. university campuses and health institutions, including BC Children’s Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital, BC Cancer Research Centre and BC Centre for Disease Control. Students have worked in diverse fields, from astrophysics to zoology.
(Left-Right) Back row: Cheryl Niamath, Dean Harris, Brian Kwon, Ken Sim, Mackenzie Su, Corree Laule. Front row: Shana George and Carla George
Eighty-eight per cent of Grade 12 graduates who participated in seed2STEM have pursued post-secondary education, 76 per cent of whom have chosen STEM fields. Undergraduate alumni can return for four-month paid research internships, often acting as peer mentors and role models for younger students, creating a cycle of Indigenous leadership in research.
“The promise of truth and reconciliation is the foundation for Indigenous children and youth to create unique pathways into education and to build meaningful careers, and the seed2STEM program is an important step towards strengthening this commitment,” said Derek Thompson — Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director of Indigenous Engagement, UBC Faculty of Medicine.
The City of Vancouver Leadership in Reconciliation Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have demonstrated leadership in advancing reconciliation efforts in Vancouver. In reshaping how Vancouver’s research institutions welcome and support Indigenous youth, seed2STEM exemplifies the City’s award criteria: broad scope, measurable achievement, deep and lasting impact, and a collaborative, culturally-grounded approach.
“The seed2STEM program is an inspiring example of the Faculty of Medicine’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation, creating opportunities for Indigenous learners and enriching the Faculty’s research environments with Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing,” said Dr. Mieke Koehoorn, Dean pro tem of the UBC Faculty of Medicine and interim Vice President of Health at UBC. “The program team is incredibly deserving of this honour for helping to build education and research opportunities that are more accessible, inclusive, representative and equitable.”
This article was originally published by the Faculty of Medicine and has been slightly edited.