Empowering the future generation – Shad Manitoba
This year, in July 2024, Shad Manitoba inspired young minds, showed them the potential of pursuing an education at UM and presented them with opportunities all around Manitoba. Shad is a 1-month program for grade 10 and 11 students where they get hands-on experience, collaborate to design innovative solutions for crucial problems and explore post-secondary institutions. This year’s challenge theme was “helping youth in Canada integrate affordable and reliable green energy sources into their everyday lives to create more sustainable communities”.
The program was revived last year at UM after a long hiatus. This is the second year of offering the program with Danielle Pahud as the program director. Pahud is an instructor at the department of physics and astronomy. When asked about her experience at the end of the program, Pahud said, “It has been a lot of fun to teach, learn with and learn from the Shads over these last four weeks. Coming together from across Canada, it has been very rewarding to see the community grow. I am grateful for all the support that Shad Manitoba received so that we were able to highlight many things that this University and indeed the province have to offer. The trip to Churchill and kayaking with beluga whales were spectacular and won’t soon be forgotten. All in all, I’ve had a wonderful July.”
Through Shad Manitoba, students engage with various UM staff and faculty. Horace Luong, senior instructor and associate dean (student experience) at the Faculty of Science, tells us why the program is a unique opportunity for students, “For this second year of offering the program, under the leadership of Danielle Pahud and her team, the Shad students have enriching opportunities to learn from and work with a range of staff and faculty at UM and subject experts in Manitoba. Therefore, this program stands out as exciting and integrative at the University of Manitoba, involving various units and faculties in its delivery.”
Throughout the program, students participated in a wide range of activities from campus tours and rock climbing to design thinking workshops and spending time in Churchill, MB. “We value this program because Danielle and her team have judiciously selected and designed activities to challenge and inspire the students who come from all across Canada to participate in the program, build meaningful relationships and develop personally, while also showcasing the unique features of Manitoba, its people and its culture,” Luong expresses his appreciation for Shad Manitoba 2024 team.
To learn more about Shad Manitoba 2024, visit the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel.