More than 100 of Canada’s brightest high school students converged for a transformative one-month retreat at Western during this year’s Shad summer program to build entrepreneurial knowledge and skills in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math).
Shad, hosted on 21 university campuses from coast to coast, is an enrichment initiative designed for high-achieving high school students. Over the course of the month, participants engage in advanced academic workshops, creative challenges and leadership training.
Grade 10 and 11 students in Western’s Shad program stayed at Delaware Hall and participated in activities and lectures on various STEAM subjects. The students tackle a challenge each year, working in teams to design a product related to a major societal issue.
“I applied to Shad because I wanted to meet new people and expand my connections and network,” said Olivia Onalundula, a participant from Fredericton, N.B.
“Being from a small town, there were never as many opportunities to do things that I did at Shad, so being here introduced me to a whole new world full of different people and activities. My biggest takeaway is that there is always more to learn.”
The program aims to develop the next generation of leaders and thinkers. Founded in 1981 in Aurora, Ont., more than 22,000 students have participated in Shad (named for a creek in Aurora) since its inception. Participants are selected through a competitive process, with a limited number of spots available each year.
The program culminated at Western on July 24 with thirteen groups of students doing pitch presentations on products they conceived to advance sustainable energy, including solar powered charging stations for electric vehicles, biomass gasification units for farmers and hybrid hydrogen/electric vehicles.
The panel of judges included Eric Morse, executive director of the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, Powered by Ivey, entrepreneurship professor Dominic Lim from Ivey Business School and Christina Fox, CEO of TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario.
Several Western students served as Shad team leaders and program advisors. Many were former Shad participants including Karen Oommen, third-year economics student, who described the variety of activities organized throughout the month-long program.
“We have different committees, an Olympics day, woodworking, an international night and talent show. It’s a very fun and enriching experience,” said Oommen.
“We have all gotten to know each other well and enjoyed great things together. It was sad when we all had to say goodbye.”
Off campus, the students participated in several field trips including to Grand Bend and Canada’s Wonderland.
“I was able to meet so many people here and had a lot of great conversations,” said Apple Wang, a Shad participant who was part of a group that pitched an idea for an online educational tool on renewable energy for primary schools.
Students learned key business and product development skills, including prototyping, building a business model, canvassing ideas to investors and finally how to pitch.
“This program has opened my mind and given me the confidence to pursue my career goals and all the different jobs that are in STEAM,” said Andrew Liu, who was part of a group that developed a bus schedule tracking app.
“I used to think being a doctor was unachievable, but after meeting everyone here and experiencing all the activities at SHAD, I’ve come to realize that it is possible and definitely something I want to pursue.”
