Youth Science Canada
Youth Science Canada is a Canadian non-profit, founded in 1966, that runs a national STEM fair ecosystem for K-12 students through 98+ regional fairs, the annual Canada-Wide Science Fair, and Team Canada international delegations, funded by donations, sponsorships, and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersTrenton, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Youth Science Canada does
Youth Science Canada (Sciences jeunesse Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 1966 and headquartered in Trenton, Ontario, that operates the country's national youth STEM fair ecosystem. It serves K-12 students across Canada through a tiered pathway: 98+ regional STEM fairs in every province and territory, an annual Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) hosting roughly 400 finalists competing for over $1.3 million in scholarships and awards, and a Team Canada delegation that represents the country at international competitions including Regeneron ISEF, EUCYS, and MILSET events. Secondary audiences include educators (served via the Smarter Science professional development program), parents, regional fair committees, and a 20,000+ alumni community.
The organization's technology platform centers on mySTEMspace, a free online workspace where students manage STEM projects, access resources, and navigate the fair ecosystem, complemented by the YSC Portal (member accounts), the Regional Network hub for fair organizers, and the bilingual MaréeMauveSTIM Discord community for alumni mentorship. Programs are community- and event-driven, relying on volunteer organizers, judges, and educators rather than a direct sales force.
Youth Science Canada is funded through donations from individuals, corporate sponsorships (Explore Edmonton, Trottier Family Foundation, Youth Can Innovate, Regeneron), and government grants (notably NSERC), with awards and scholarships at CWSF acting as pass-through prize pools rather than organizational revenue. Governance rests with a volunteer Board of Directors; Reni Barlow serves as Executive Director. The 60+ year brand and pipeline — with alumni such as Dr. Roberta Bondar, Mike Lazaridis, Ann Makosinski, and Adam Noble — constitute the organization's primary intangible asset.
Youth Science Canada firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Youth Science Canada
- Legal name
- Youth Science Canada
- Website
- https://youthscience.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Youth Science Canada is a Canadian non-profit, founded in 1966, that runs a national STEM fair ecosystem for K-12 students through 98+ regional fairs, the annual Canada-Wide Science Fair, and Team Canada international delegations, funded by donations, sponsorships, and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Youth Science Canada industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth STEM Education Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums) (EDAMAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)
Keywords
Where Youth Science Canada is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trenton
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Youth Science Canada business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorships: Youth Science Canada is a charitable organization that relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Major sponsors include Explore Edmonton, NSERC, Trottier Family Foundation, and Youth Can Innovate. Donations support resources, awards, scholarships, and program accessibility for students who lack funding.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from government agencies (NSERC) and private foundations to support operations, program development, and youth STEM engagement initiatives
- Event Revenue: Revenue generated through the Canada-Wide Science Fair, including registration fees, sponsorships for specific awards, and associated events
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free student access to mySTEMspace platform |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Youth Science Canada product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Youth Science Canada operates a national STEM ecosystem that supports Canadian K-12 students in conducting science projects from initial curiosity through regional fairs (98+ across Canada), to the annual Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) where 400 finalists compete for over $1.3 million in scholarships, and ultimately to international competitions via Team Canada. The organization provides free student resources through the mySTEMspace platform, educator professional development via Smarter Science, and alumni mentorship through the MaréeMauveSTIM Discord community.
Product overview
Youth Science Canada operates a multi-platform ecosystem supporting Canadian youth STEM education through project-based learning. The core offerings include mySTEMspace (student project workspace), the YSC Portal (member access system), and the Regional Network (fair organizer community). Supporting programs include Smarter Science (educator professional development), the Canada-Wide Science Fair (national competition), Team Canada (international competition representation), Regional STEM Fairs (local entry-point events), and the MaréeMauveSTIM Discord (alumni community). Together these platforms guide students from initial project curiosity through regional, national, and international stages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- mySTEMspace: Online platform providing free resources and project workspace for students to guide them from idea to presentation
- purpleSTEMwave
- MaréeMauveSTIM
- Smarter Science
- Éducasciences
- Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF)
- Team Canada
- Équipe Canada
Products and services
- mySTEMspace Online project workspace platform providing Canadian students with free resources and tools to guide them from initial idea to presentation for STEM fair projects.
- YSC Portal
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of students expressed increased interest in STEM careers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Youth Science Canada
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Youth Science Canada technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Youth Science Canada partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.
- Science Fair Foundation BCcoreRegistered charity founded to support science fairs across British Columbia and Yukon. Manages 14 regional fairs and endowment funding for perpetual support. Founded by Patti Leigh in 1997.
- Science WorldsupportingScience education center in Vancouver that historically collaborated with Youth Science Canada and regional fairs. Was under construction during early years of regional fair development.
- Regional STEM Fair CommitteescoreNetwork of 98+ local volunteer committees organizing regional STEM fairs across every province and territory in Canada. Each committee operates autonomously while affiliated with Youth Science Canada.
- University of AlbertamajorHost university partner for CWSF 2026 in Edmonton, providing academic venue space and institutional support for the national science fair.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Youth Science Canada competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Actua: Canadian charity running national STEM outreach programs targeting youth, including underrepresented groups, with a university/college delivery network; comparable as a national-scale Canadian STEM nonprofit serving K-12 audiences.
- Canada Learning Code (formerly Ladies Learning Code): Canadian nonprofit delivering tech/digital skills education to youth and adults through workshops and educator training; closely comparable as a Canadian STEM-education nonprofit competing for the same grant and donor funding pool.
- Science Olympiad USA Foundation: US-based K-12 STEM competition organizer running tournament-style science and engineering events across schools; comparable business model of running national science competitions tied to school/teacher channels, though focused on team events rather than individual projects.
- Let's Talk Science: National Canadian charitable organization delivering STEM outreach and educator professional development to K-12 youth; directly comparable as a Canadian nonprofit addressing the same students and educator audiences as YSC.
- Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia: Registered charity that supports science fairs across British Columbia and Yukon, managing 14 regional fairs and endowment funding; the most direct provincial analog of YSC's regional affiliate model within Canada.
- MILSET (Movement International pour le Loisir Scientifique et Technique Educatif): International network organizing youth STEM fairs and events including the MILSET Expo-Sciences International where YSC's Team Canada won Best Delegation in 2023; directly comparable as an international youth science fair organizer.
Others
- Science World British Columbia: Vancouver-based science centre that historically partnered with regional BC science fairs; adjacent ecosystem participant delivering STEM programming to similar youth audiences through a museum/informal-learning model rather than competitions.
Broad incumbents
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): Larger, US-headquartered organizer of K-12 STEM competitions including FIRST Robotics; operates at significantly greater scale with corporate sponsorship, comparable as a youth STEM competition incumbent targeting the same student demographic.
- Society for Science (Regeneron ISEF): Runs the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair where YSC's Team Canada competes annually; the dominant global organizer of elite youth STEM competitions and the natural upstream counterpart to YSC's national pipeline.
- Discovery Education: Large provider of K-12 digital STEM curricular resources and competitions serving schools and educators; overlaps with YSC's educator-channel Smarter Science program and free resource library through mySTEMspace.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Youth Science Canada social profiles
Digital presenceYouth Science Canada financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Youth Science Canada leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Youth Science Canada funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Youth Science Canada M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Youth Science Canada
What does Youth Science Canada do?
Youth Science Canada operates a national STEM ecosystem that supports Canadian K-12 students in conducting science projects from initial curiosity through regional fairs (98+ across Canada), to the annual Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) where 400 finalists compete for over $1.3 million in scholarships, and ultimately to international competitions via Team Canada. The organization provides free student resources through the mySTEMspace platform, educator professional development via Smarter Science, and alumni mentorship through the MaréeMauveSTIM Discord community.
Is Youth Science Canada a public or private company?
Youth Science Canada is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Youth Science Canada founded?
Youth Science Canada was founded in 1966. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Youth Science Canada based?
Youth Science Canada is headquartered in Trenton, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Youth Science Canada make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Government Grants and event Revenue.
Who are Youth Science Canada's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Actua, Canada Learning Code (formerly Ladies Learning Code), Science Olympiad USA Foundation, Let's Talk Science, Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia and MILSET (Movement International pour le Loisir Scientifique et Technique Educatif). Science World British Columbia is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), Society for Science (Regeneron ISEF) and Discovery Education.
Does Youth Science Canada have an API?
No public API is recorded for Youth Science Canada.
What industry is Youth Science Canada in?
Youth Science Canada's product category is Youth STEM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAGAL, Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums), with a secondary code of BPAGADAG, STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.