High school student Helena Bahramirad arrived at Thompson Rivers University in July, excited to spend a month on campus exploring her passion for astrophysics through Shad. Ten days into the immersive STEAM program, a cybersecurity workshop opened her mind to unexpected connections.
“I’ve learned to embrace the discomfort,” said Bahramirad. “I thought, okay, let me put my past assumptions aside and learn something new.”
When the speaker tied the future of cybersecurity to quantum physics, quantum entanglement and quantum computing, she was struck by new possibilities.
Shad students including Helena Bahramirad (left, in red) experienced arts, culture and recreational activities on top of STEAM programming.
“I thought, ‘Wait, how can I learn something about that? That seems really interesting.’ You are constantly being inspired on campus by the lectures and the people you talk to.”
Bahramirad is one of 60 students from across Canada who gathered at TRU for Shad, a month-long enrichment program that brings together high-achieving Grade 10 and 11 students to explore STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — alongside entrepreneurship, leadership and community engagement.
Throughout the month, students immersed themselves in workshops, Indigenous learning, outdoor experiences and hands-on projects while living on campus and experiencing university life.
Dr. Tolulope (Tolu) Oluwafemi, associate professor in TRU’s Department of Human Enterprise and Innovation in the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics, is directing TRU’s Shad program for the second year.
“For students this age, many of them are still figuring out what they would like to do or be in the future. Shad’s wide range of learning helps to show them many possibilities and opportunities. They get to do this with new friends, other bright people who are trying to figure it out too, and hopefully they can enjoy the journey together,” said Oluwafemi.
Building confidence and connections
Early in the program, a two-day camping trip to Wells Gray Provincial Park gave students an opportunity to disconnect from technology and get to know one another.
Shad student Tyler Morton, centre, enjoys exploring Wells Gray Park while making new friends.
“As someone who’s from Ontario, I didn’t have the opportunity to explore the amazing nature you have here around Kamloops. Wells Gray was absolutely amazing,” said Tyler Morton, whose interests lie in mechatronics and nuclear engineering.
“The leadership and team bonding you get while camping with a lot of people who are really like-minded is invaluable.”
Adriene Soroka, who is Métis from Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan, said the Indigenous programming was another highlight of Shad at TRU.
“I’ve really enjoyed the Indigenous art workshops. It makes me feel closer to home,” she said.
Designing for change
The centrepiece of the program is Shad’s annual Design and Entrepreneurship Challenge, where students work in teams to develop creative solutions to real-world issues.
“The design challenge helps to bring STEAM and entrepreneurship together as students apply all their learning experience to address a social or environmental problem. Working in teams also helps each team member learn more about their abilities, learn from others and learn to trust each other as they work toward one big goal,” said Oluwafemi.
This year’s challenge asked students to reimagine the life cycle of everyday products to reduce waste and drive sustainable innovation. Throughout the month, eight teams researched their ideas, refined their concepts and prepared design pitches that they presented during the program’s final week.
For Morton, the challenge inspired a rethink on what happens to construction waste.
“We’re working on designing a furniture company that would take excess wood from construction companies — wood that would have gone into landfills — and mould it into sustainable furniture,” he said. “The furniture wouldn’t require screws or bolts because those contaminants are a main reason why wood ends up as waste.”
Before being assigned teams for the design challenge, Shad students including Adriene Soroka (centre) practiced teamwork in a Lego session.
Soroka and Bahramirad’s team tackled a much smaller object with an outsized environmental impact.
“Our team is thinking about making sustainable price tags for the clothing industry. We are trying to find a way to make them entirely decomposable and better for the planet by using organic materials,” said Soroka, who was drawn to Shad by the creative aspect of STEAM programming.
“We’ll talk about what problem we’re trying to solve, how our solution works, why it is needed, who it’s going to affect, who would want our solution and where it’ll be most useful,” she said.
Taking curiosity forward
In the final week of the program, students pitched the innovative solutions they spent the month developing.
“I’m really excited to present, get feedback on my ideas and try to improve my way of thinking and problem-solving as well,” said Bahramirad.
As students and visiting parents celebrated the end of the month with a closing banquet and variety show, Oluwafemi recalled one of the speeches to the new arrivals.
“A Shad alum while addressing this year’s TRU students said, ‘this is not the best summer of your life, it is the best summer for your life.’ This summer will stay with the students for a long time. Many decisions they will make from now will be shaped by the experiences of this month,” she said.
“I told the students over and over, it’s not about being perfect, it is about enjoying the process and giving it your best. I hope they remember that.”
For more on the Shad experience, watch the Shad TRU students’ month-end recap video.
Thompson Rivers University is leading in sustainability. Learn more about TRU’s contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
