Les Scientifines

What Les Scientifines does

Les Scientifines is a Quebec-registered non-profit organization (OBNL) founded in 1987 by four women from Université de Montréal's École de service social — Claire Chamberland, Roseline Garon, Manon Théorêt, and Diane Roy — originally as a research-action project funded by Quebec's 'Étalez votre science' program. Recognized as a registered charity by the Canada Revenue Agency since 1993, the organization operates from a single headquarters at 525 Dominion, bureau 200, Montreal, and has delivered STEM programming continuously for over 30 years.

Its core offering is free, long-term STEM programming for girls aged 8-17 from disadvantaged urban backgrounds in Montreal's Sud-Ouest and Saint-Léonard boroughs. Programmatic components include homework help (Monday–Thursday), Junior and Teen Science Fairs (Expo-Sciences Junior and Ados), a Scientific Journal program for grades 5-6 through high school, and the newer Exploratory Workshops program introduced in 2024. Participants average 142 activities per year in Sud-Ouest and 82 in Saint-Léonard, and participants originate from more than 30 countries.

The business model is primarily donation- and grant-based, with a smaller earned-revenue stream from 'La Clé des Sciences' (a fee-based STEM program sold to schools, libraries, and community organizations), summer day camp workshops, and a newly launched Virtual Math Workshops program delivered digitally. Funders include federal and provincial government bodies (CRSNG, Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec), municipal government (Arrondissement Le Sud-Ouest), major foundations (Mastercard Foundation, Fondation Rossy, Fondation Bombardier, Fondation Famille Trottier), and corporate sponsors (Dassault Systèmes, L'Oréal Canada, Énergir, CDPQ Infra). All core programs for the target demographic are free of charge, and the organization generates no revenue from software, data, or AI products.

Name

Les Scientifines

Legal name

Les Scientifines

Website

https://scientifines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Les Scientifines is a Montreal-based non-profit founded in 1987 that delivers free, long-term STEM programming for girls aged 8-17 from disadvantaged urban backgrounds across Sud-Ouest and Saint-Léonard boroughs, supplemented by paid school, library, day camp, and virtual math workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM Education (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Nonprofit youth education
• Girls in STEM
• After-school programs
• Science popularization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: Primary revenue stream from individual and corporate donations, government grants, and foundation support to fund free STEM programs for disadvantaged girls aged 8-17
2. La Clé des Sciences Paid Program: Self-funding program offered to schools, libraries and community organizations in Montreal area at participation fees. Covers preschool and elementary level STEM activities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Les Scientifines delivers free, long-term STEM (Sciences, Technologies, Ingénierie et Mathématiques) education programming for girls aged 8-17 from disadvantaged urban backgrounds in the Sud-Ouest and Saint-Léonard boroughs of Montreal, including homework help, supervised scientific activities, Junior and Teen Science Fairs, a Scientific Journal, and Exploratory Workshops. The organization also sells La Clé des Sciences STEM programming to schools, libraries, and community organizations, and offers summer day camp science workshops and virtual math workshops for elementary students.

Product overview

Les Scientifines is a non-profit organization (OBNL) that operates as a single, unified educational platform offering free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) programs primarily for young girls aged 8-17 from disadvantaged urban backgrounds. The core offering is the 'Activities for Girls' program, which provides homework help, supervised scientific activities, the Junior Science Fair, Teen Science Fair, Scientific Journal, and Exploratory Workshops. Supplementary programs include 'La Clé des Sciences' (a fee-based program for mixed audiences), summer day camp activities, and virtual math workshops. All programs are delivered in-person at the organization's facilities in Montreal's Southwest and Saint-Léonard boroughs, or at partner schools, libraries, and community organizations. The organization does not offer a software product or digital platform; its offerings are exclusively educational services delivered by scientific educators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Activités scientifiques pour filles (Activities for Girls) Free weekly STEM program for girls aged 8-17 from disadvantaged backgrounds in Montreal, covering homework help, supervised scientific activities, Junior Science Fair, Teen Science Fair, Scientific Journal, and Exploratory Workshops. Delivered in-person at Les Scientifines locations in Sud-Ouest and Saint-Léonard boroughs.
• La Clé des Sciences (The Key to Sciences) Fee-based STEM activities program offered to schools, libraries, and community organizations in Montreal and surrounding areas for preschool and elementary level students. Covers material universe, earth and space, living world, and mathematics topics. Self-funding paid program that subsidizes the organization's free core offering.
• Activités pour camps de jour (Day Camp Science Workshops) One-and-a-half-hour science workshops offered to Montreal day camps during summer months (late June to late August), available in French and English, with 12 activities to choose from for children aged 5-12. Delivered on-site at the camp.
• Ateliers Mathématiques Virtuels (Virtual Math Workshops) Free virtual math workshops for 2nd and 3rd cycle elementary students, animated by scientific educators, with preparatory exercises and consolidation activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of former participants had obtained a qualification (high school diploma or higher) by ages 18-25
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Le Sud-Ouest (Arrondissement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner and host borough providing ongoing support to Les Scientifines programs in the Sud-Ouest area
• GIROminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting STEM education programs
• The SignalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization
• Moisson MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood bank organization supporting Les Scientifines
• Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMathematical research center supporting math education activities
• Réseau Réussite MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal education success network supporting youth perseverance initiatives
• Sun and TruthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting Les Scientifines initiatives
• Devoxx for KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology education organization for children
• UQAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversité du Québec à Montréal supporting education and research initiatives
• Ample Man DanseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance company collaborated on 'Une école montréalaise pour tous' project combining science and artistic disciplines, creating content on air, water, fire, and earth elements
• FabricothèqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology workshop space hosting exploratory technology activities for participants
• Concordia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity campus hosting Expo-Sciences regional finals events
• Les Ingénieuses de l'ETSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering student organization from École de technologie supérieure that partnered on activities and interviewed Scientifines participants
• Water RangersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization featuring Les Scientifines activities in 'Effet de vague' episode
• Farah Alibay (NASA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA aerospace engineer who met with Les Scientifines participants during Radio-Canada filming of 'Les dix de 2021'
• Square Enix MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVideo game company recognized Les Scientifines on International Women's Day 2021

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Iridescent: US-based non-profit delivering STEM mentorship and family engagement programs for underrepresented youth including girls; comparable in combining STEM exposure with role-model and family engagement for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Direct peers

• Girls Inc. North American non-profit inspiring girls to be 'strong, smart, and bold' through after-school and summer programming including STEM; comparable in targeting girls from underserved backgrounds with sustained, long-term programming.
• Black Girls CODE: Non-profit focused on introducing girls of color to computer science and STEM; comparable in combining STEM exposure with addressing educational inequity for girls, though operating at a much larger geographic scale.
• Actua: Canada's largest youth STEM outreach charity, delivering in-person and camp-based STEM programming across the country; comparable to Les Scientifines as a non-profit delivering free STEM activities to youth, though Actua operates nationally and serves mixed-gender audiences.
• Scientifiques en herbe: Canadian non-profit (with Quebec ties) offering science outreach activities to children including disadvantaged youth; comparable mission around accessible, hands-on science programming for underserved young people.
• Let's Talk Science: Canadian charitable organization delivering STEM programming and resources to youth from kindergarten through Grade 12, including underserved communities; closely comparable mission and delivery model even though it is national in scope and gender-neutral.

Broad incumbents

• Science World British Columbia: Long-standing Canadian science center and youth STEM education non-profit; broadly comparable as a mission-driven STEM education organization, though operating as a facility-based science center rather than community outreach.
• Science Fair Foundation of Canada / Expo-Sciences Hydro-Québec: Operator of the Expo-Sciences science-fair pipeline in which Les Scientifines participants compete; comparable as the broader ecosystem that defines the regional science-fair competition Les Scientifines participants win.

Regional players

• Techno Culture Club: Montreal-based non-profit offering free technology workshops to youth including girls; a strong regional peer with overlapping Quebec geography and focus on marginalized youth access to STEM.

Others

• Fondation Tremplin / Réseau Réussite Montréal: Montreal-based youth perseverance and school success network; listed as a Les Scientifines partner and comparable in addressing school perseverance and dropout prevention in the same boroughs of Montreal.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LScientifines
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRmm83xUwm949hd1bu1-lvQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Les-Scientifines-433901759962632
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-scientifines
• Instagraminstagram.com/les.scientifines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Les Scientifines