Smith Engineering offers three educational outreach programs to encourage elementary and high school students to explore science, technology, engineering, and math. These programs connect school kids with mentors and teachers working and studying in STEM fields. Each of these educational outreach programs seeks to spark curiosity and empower young people to discover their strengths and potential in the world of STEM.
Connections Engineering Outreach connects elementary and high school students and their teachers with Queen’s engineering instructors and students. They offer in-school activities and summer programs, like the Queen’s Summer Engineering Academy. Connections also offers a series of girls’ programs to help break down barriers to careers in STEM for girls and women.
Smith Engineering Connections
Science Quest is offered by the Engineering Society at Queen’s. Undergraduate students act as role models and instructors in programs for elementary school students in the Kingston area. Science Quest offers eight different summer camps in Kingston, from Kinder Creators to Robotics. With small camp sizes, limited to 20 students each, led by two to three students, these day camps offer fun, hands-on learning. Science Quest also offers in-class and virtual workshops during the school year.
Science Quest
Women have faced significant obstacles in STEM careers over time and continue to be underrepresented in these industries. According to Engineers Canada, only 18 per cent of working engineers licensed in Canada are women.
Our goal is to increase both the number of women pursuing engineering and the retention of existing women in the field.
Indigenous Futures in Engineering is a program designed to provide culturally relevant support services to Indigenous students enrolled in Smith Engineering at Queen's. We work in partnership with the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre to meet the academic, physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of our students.
STEM Indigenous Academics (STEMInA) is an academic support and community-building program for Indigenous students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) -based undergraduate degree programs at Queen’s University. Students are from the Faculties of Arts and Science, Engineering and Applied Science, and Health Science.