Shad Valley Queen’s participants Vishal Shangari, Ryan Wei and Catherine Chou (left to right) work together to construct a Popsicle stick hotel. After building the model, the participants created a business plan for the hotel. Throughout July the students will complete similar exercises that fuse science and technology with business and entrepreneurial thinking.

Forty-six of the country’s brightest high school students have arrived at Queen’s to learn about science, business and innovation while discovering what’s distinctive about Kingston.

“The Shad Valley program at Queen’s is an outstanding opportunity for high-school students to learn about campus life right when they are starting to make decisions about the future,” says Vice-Provost (International) John Dixon.

The program exposes students to advanced lectures and workshops, stretching their academic abilities and increasing their leadership potential. It fuses science and technology with business and entrepreneurial thinking, preparing students to be the innovators of tomorrow.

Much of the Queen’s program takes place in the state-of-the-art Integrated Learning Centre, Beamish-Munro Hall, which is ideally configured for group projects and collaborative learning.

Participants are immersed in a comprehensive academic curriculum. Courses range from design engineering to business planning, team work, swing dancing and much more. Outings to local cultural sites give students from as far away as Newfoundland unique learning opportunities while showcasing the remarkable places that characterize the region.

“Shad Valley challenges students to reach their full potential within an inclusive, supportive community. The program’s nearly 12,000 alumni are outstanding achievers who create a strong network for program participants,” says Jennifer Murphy, program director for Shad Valley Queen’s.

Neil Pasricha, Queen’s and Shad Valley alumnus and author of the New York Times bestseller The Book of Awesome, will present a seminar for Shad Valley Queen’s participants.

Shad Valley participants live in Queen’s residences and have the advantage of experiencing campus life well before many of their peers. This head start for university builds their confidence and gives them the opportunity for personal growth. Travelling away from home, often for the first time, students get a new perspective on university in a supportive environment.

Participants in the not-for-profit Shad Valley program are selected based on their high potential in the fields of science, technology and engineering, while demonstrating strong leadership skills and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Queen’s is one of 10 Shad Valley programs taking place each summer at 10 leading universities across Canada, with Queen’s in its tenth year.