Sixty Grade 10 and Grade 11 students from across the country are learning what it’s like to be a student at the University of Guelph. The students are part of the Shad Canada program, a four-week STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) summer program. “I absolutely have adored it,” Christopher Nguyen, a student entering Grade 11 at Milliken Mills High School in Markham said. “I love it. Every aspect is something new and fun. Specifically, I love how you get a university level of teaching, since they get professors from actual [University of Guelph]. So, you really get that full experience.” During the month-long program, students stay in residence and learn like a university student. “So, it’s STEM, plus the arts and entrepreneurship learning environment,” Purvi Patel, Program Director for Shad Canada at the University of Guelph, said. “They get exposure to all the different lectures and workshops and it’s a mini university experience for them. They’re living on campus. They’re here for four consecutive weeks, they’re on a dining plan.” Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo are already part of the program, but this is the first time the University of Guelph has joined in. It gives Guelph the chance to show students its diverse programming, like the Ontario Veterinary College and the Bachelor of One Health Program. “It is STEM, but also more. For example, we just had a lecture on classical literature, which none of us expected,” Nguyen said. “That was one of the most fun ones that everyone agreed we had so far.” At the end of the program, students will present a formal pitch to a panel of judges after spending four weeks working on an entrepreneurship project. Life lessons The learning goes beyond the classroom, as some students are exploring more about what is important to them. “From my experience, high school is specifically for trying to understand what your passion is, and the university is where you try to reflect on it and develop on it,” Keinan Weissberg, a student entering Grade 11 at Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology said. It is also the first time some students are getting a taste of independence. “I had to go on a plane by myself. I have to live by myself. I have to take care of myself. And aside from just feeling a bit homesick, I gained lots of new experiences that will definitely be useful for me in university,” Weissberg said. “The room’s are spacious, the heat though, we have no AC in our building, which does get hot in this weather. But overall it’s been really great,” Nguyen said. Despite having to return to high school in the fall, they’re excited for what their future holds. “I am feeling more ready, but I think I still have to develop more experience. Not only just extracurriculars, but general projects,” Weissberg said.
