Welcome to the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program! This program provides opportunities for Canadian youth to gain valuable work experience in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. As a participant in this program, you will have the chance to work on real-world projects with industry experts and gain hands-on experience in your chosen field. This guidance document is designed to help you navigate self-identifying as part of your application process.
1. Why am I being asked to complete the self-identification questionnaire?
The collection of self-identification data is a central piece of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This data provides information on the diversity of the population applying for internships through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. This information increases ECCC’s capacity to monitor progress on increasing EDI in their programs, to recognize and remove barriers, and to design new measures to achieve greater EDI in the Canadian workforce.
2. What information do I need to provide when I self-identify in the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program?
We ask for self-identification information such as gender identity, ethnicity, disability status, geographic location, and age range. Some of this information is optional (e.g., gender identity, ethnicity), and participants are encouraged to only share what they feel comfortable sharing. Some is mandatory (e.g., age) to confirm program eligibility requirements.
3. Will my self-identification information be shared with anyone outside of the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program?
No, your self-identification information will only be used internally by the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program for statistical purposes, and to ensure that we are meeting our diversity and inclusion goals. Information is shared with Employment and Social Development Canada to report on program targets, but no identifying information is shared (e.g., name).
4. Can I self-identify at any point during my participation in the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program?
We encourage participants to self-identify as early as possible so we can provide the necessary support and resources from the beginning. For example, if you have a disability, self-identifying will allow the program to provide accommodations, such as wheelchair accessibility or necessary software, etc.
5. How will self-identification help me as a participant in the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program?
Self-identification helps us understand the unique needs and experiences of our participants, and tailor our support and resources to best meet those needs and eliminate barriers to employment. It also helps us ensure that all participants have equal opportunities to succeed in the program
6. Will self-identification affect my chances of successfully landing an internship through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program?
No, self-identification will not impact your eligibility in participating in the Program. Information provided will also not be accessible to your employer without your consent. The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program is committed to providing equal opportunities to all eligible candidates regardless of their background or self-identification.
7. Can I identify in more than one group?
Individuals can and should self-identify in relation to all aspects covered by the questionnaire, as the program is cognizant of the intersectionality of identities.
8. How will my information be used? How will it be stored?
The self-identification information is collected, used, disclosed, retained and disposed of in accordance with the Privacy Act. Self-identification statistics will always be reported in aggregate form to ensure confidentiality, and are for internal use only to improve program delivery and goals.
9. Who will see my information? Will employers have access to my self-identification data?
Access to this data is strictly limited to a small number of staff with the appropriate training and security clearance and on a need-to-know basis. Self-identification information is not part of your internship application to the employer, and will be neither accessible to, nor shared with, external reviewers.
10. Disability — Can you clarify what is being asked?
The disability question asks you to indicate whether you personally identify as having a disability, according to the definition provided by the Accessible Canada Act. According to the Act, disability means any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.
Examples of evident and non-evident disabilities include, but are not limited to:
• Coordination or dexterity: Difficulty using hands or arms
• Mobility: Difficulty moving around
• Blind or visual impairment: Unable to see or difficulty seeing
• Deaf or hard of hearing: Unable to hear or difficulty hearing
• Speech impairment: Unable to speak or difficulty speaking and being understood
• Other disability: Include but are not limited to depression, mental illness, anxiety disorder, learning disabilities, autism spectrum, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, fragrance or chemical sensitivities, repetitive stress injuries, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, chronic dizziness, sleep disorders, etc.
11. Racialized youth — Can you clarify what is being asked?
Racialized youth are a group of people categorized according to ethnic/cultural characteristics and subjected to structural discrimination. The use of the term “racialized” acknowledges that race is a social construct that can negatively impact a person’s social, political and economic life. Racialized youth are not solely defined by social barriers like systemic discrimination, and therefore the program has chosen
to disaggregate the ‘racialized’ category by the unique ethnic/cultural backgrounds of youth.
12. Gender identity — Can you clarify what is being asked?
Gender refers to an individual’s personal and social identity as a man, woman, or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). Self-identifying gender includes gender identity (what an individual feels internally), and/or gender expression (how an individual presents their gender publicly). An individual’s gender may differ from their sex at birth and may change over time. Some
individuals may not identify with a specific gender.
*Please note that while transgender and cisgender categories are not included here, they are both
assumed to be part of the four gender categories suggested below. For more information and a
visualization, please see Figure 1 from Statistics Canada (2021) on gender here.
The response options for this question are defined as follows:
Man refers to a person who internally identifies and/or publicly expresses as a man. This may include cisgender and transgender individuals. Cisgender means that one’s gender identity matches one’s sex assigned at birth.
Nonbinary refers to a person whose gender identity does not align with a binary understanding of gender such as man or woman.
Woman refers to a person who internally identifies and/or publicly expresses as a woman. This may include cisgender and transgender individuals. Cisgender means that one’s gender identity matches
one’s sex assigned at birth.
13. Indigenous identity — Can you clarify what is being asked?
The Indigenous identity question asks you if you identify as an Indigenous person. In Canada, an
Indigenous person is someone who identifies as First Nation, Métis, or Inuk (Inuit). This question is about
personal identity, not legal status or registration.
14. 2SLGBTQI+ identity — Can you clarify what is being asked?
This question aims to understand how the program can identify opportunities to better serve the 2SLGBTQI+ youth community, who are often marginalized in the labour market.
The response options for this question are defined as follows:
2S – Two-Spirit
L – Lesbian
G – Gay
B – Bisexual
T – Transgender
Q – Queer
I – Intersex, considers sex characteristics beyond sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression.
+ is inclusive of people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities, who use
additional terminologies.
A glossary of 2SLGBTQI+ terms and acronyms is available on Canada.ca.
Note: the evolution of language within communities may inform future evolutions of this acronym.
15. Rural, remote, fly-in community — Can you clarify what is being asked?
A rural community is one with a population of less than 1,000. A remote community is defined as one with no or little access to the services of the closest community with more than 1,000 residents and/or one that is without year-round road access. A northern community is considered to be any community in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon. A fly-in community refers to any community that
requires scheduled or chartered flights to enter or leave for most of the year.
16. Official Languages Minority Community — Can you clarify what is being asked?
Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) are defined by both their geographic location and collective identity associated with the use of an official language in a minority setting. A resident of an official language minority community is an individual whose first official language is not the majority language in their province or territory.
This includes:
• A Francophone residing outside of Québec
• An Anglophone residing in Québec
