This spring, Mujeres Omega Foundation proudly completed the third edition of Building Bridges, our community-led STEM and leadership program designed for Latina girls and their families in Edmonton.

Over eight weeks, 20 mother-daughter pairs came together to explore science, engineering, leadership, creativity, and connection through hands-on workshops delivered in a welcoming and culturally responsive environment.

But Building Bridges has always been about more than STEM.

It is about creating spaces where girls feel confident asking questions, trying new things, and imagining futures they may not have considered before. It is about families learning together. It is about representation, belonging, and community.

Throughout the program, participants explored volcano experiments, construction activities, polymers, electricity, water systems, and leadership development through the Catalyst methodology created by Mujeres Omega Foundation founder Mairim Neves.

Each session brought moments of curiosity, teamwork, laughter, and discovery.

One mother shared:
“Fue la primera vez que mi hija me ayudó a armar un mueble de IKEA siguiendo las instrucciones paso a paso. Me dijo: ‘Mamá, esto es como ingeniería.’”

Another participant explained that her daughter chose Building Bridges over another extracurricular activity because she did not want to miss the weekly experiments and activities.

These moments remind us that learning does not stop when the workshop ends. The confidence and curiosity developed during the program continue at home, at school, and within everyday life.

One of the highlights of this year’s edition was the increased participation of fathers, who attended several sessions because of the highly interactive and engaging nature of the workshops. Seeing entire families learning together reinforced the importance of creating intergenerational spaces where STEM becomes accessible, collaborative, and fun.

Building Bridges 2026 was made possible thanks to the support of Alberta Women’s Science Network (AWSN), The Catalyst Blueprint, EPCOR, PCL Construction, Sole Coffee, Tamariz, RHS Formula, volunteers, facilitators, and community supporters who helped make each session meaningful.

The program also received coverage from CTV News Edmonton, helping increase visibility around the importance of culturally responsive STEM opportunities for Latina girls and families in our community.

As the program continues to grow, so does our commitment to creating spaces where girls can build confidence, leadership, creativity, and connection while discovering new possibilities for their future.

Because building bridges is not only about engineering.

It is about building opportunities, belonging, and stronger communities for the next generation.