For the past month, high school students across Canada have been thinking about the concept of wellness, what it means to them, how it shapes their lives, and how best to ensure people have access to it.
It is part of a highly competitive month-long experience program organized by universities across the country.
Each year, the Shad program receives about 2,000 applications. Half of these 10th and 11th graders are accepted into the program for the opportunity to expand their science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) skills.
This year, the program, which takes place face-to-face on 18 campuses, began on July 2 and ends on Friday.
In Sudbury, Ontario, Laurentian University first hosted the Shad program in 2021, but it was done virtually because of the pandemic. This year is the first time that the school welcomes students face-to-face.
Our idea was that we would buy office space that companies are not using due to the pandemic and turn it into apartment space.- Victoria ZhangLiu, Grade 11 student from Waterloo, Ont.
“The goal of the program is to take these high-achieving high school students and challenge them for a month,” said Thomas Merritt, co-director of the Shad Laurentian program.
According to the Shad Canada website, the program began in Aurora, Ontario as Shad Valley. Shad Canada now offers a comprehensive STEAM and entrepreneurship program for students in grades 10 and 11. There is a selection process to determine the participants each year.
Throughout this month, Merritt said, students have been putting their heads together to create wellness-focused business proposals.
“We have things like a urinalysis machine and we have an app on how to be less of a perfectionist. The spectrum is amazing,” he said.
Theo McTavish, 16, is a high school student at Mission Secondary School in BC. Your group submitted an application for their business idea.
“It’s for teenagers who struggle with perfectionism,” Theo said. “There was goal setting and a social function where you could talk to people who had similar experiences to you.”
Thomas Merritt, co-director of Shad Laurentian’s program, says the goal of the Shad program is to take high-achieving high school students and challenge them for a month. (Sam Juric/CBC)
Theo noted that while entering the program seemed daunting at first, students were glad they took the leap to apply.
“It was really scary. You had to write, like, four essays. I honestly didn’t think I was going to get in.”
Victoria ZhangLiu is a Grade 11 student from Waterloo, Ont. His group focused on improving the well-being of Canadians by addressing Ontario’s housing crisis.
“Our idea was that we would buy office space that is not being used by businesses because of the pandemic and turn it into apartments that we would rent for people to live in and buy later if they wanted to.”
Victoria ZhangLiu, a Grade 11 student from Waterloo, Ont., says participating in the program has her excited about the future. (Sam Juric/CBC)
While the Shad program allows students to engage in hands-on learning and skill-building, Merritt said at the heart of the initiative is a desire to get students out of their shells and realize their potential.
“The most impressive thing is watching these students open up and find a little bit more about who they are, but also who the people around them are and that mutual growth throughout the month.”
Victoria said finishing the program has her excited for the future.
“I feel better about what I aspire to do and I feel more confident that I can definitely achieve it,” said the teenager.
Students participating in the Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario are shown as part of the month-long Shad program. (Sam Juric/CBC)
In addition to college-level classes and STEAM workshops, students had the opportunity to build strong friendships and experience dorm life for the first time.
“I’ve met a lot of people like me and I’ve met a lot of different people, and it’s really given me a new perspective on life,” Theo said.
Morning North7:17 High school students across the country are trying to improve Canadians’ access to wellness through STEAM education
The Shad program offers tenth and eleventh grade students the opportunity to expand their skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and math…or STEAM. They are using these skills to figure out how to improve the well-being of Canadians. This year, the event is organized by Laurentian University. CBC contractor Ashishvangh got a chance to check it out.