Photo: Contributed

Thompson Rivers University has partnered with Shad Canada to run a program which gives high school students from across Canada a unique, hands-on educational experience.

Shad Canada provides educational programs for high school students which have been offered on university campuses nationwide for decades. Shad has partnerships with 22 campuses and a network of more than 20,000 program graduates.

“This partnership between TRU and Shad Canada will create amazing opportunities for more than 40 exceptional students from across Canada to experience our part of the world and to learn more about the place that we call home,” said Tom Dickinson, a retired TRU science dean who is working with Shad as the program’s first director at the university.

In a news release, TRU announced it will be running Shad’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and entrepreneurship programs for students in grades 10 and 11 over a 27-day period this July.

The agreement between Shad and TRU is for five years, with the possibility of further extension.

As part of the program, Shad participants work in small groups to design a solution to real-world problems like food security, water management and improving population well being.

TRU will provide access to mentors, including graduate students and faculty.

“Our activities will focus on the different components of livability in today’s world, but we also want to get (students) hands-on experience with the history of this area, which has such a profound influence on our current community,” Dickinson said.

Greg Anderson, TRU dean of science, said the university is excited to join Shad to deliver a program which will "help youth take on social and economic challenges through the lens of STEAM."

“This is a fabulous opportunity for both the student participants to learn and grow, and our university to enhance its reputation as a world class educational institution delivering impactful learning opportunities," Anderson said.

At the end of the program in July, TRU will host a public open house for student participants to share their results with the community.