SHAD (summer program)


Shad Canada is an annual Canadian summer enrichment program for high-achieving high school students in July. The program is open to both Canadian and international students. The program is offered at 19 participating universities across Canada.
Shad focuses on both academic learning through lectures, workshops, labs and group projects as-well as the development of an individual and community. These experiences are usually focused on the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and/or mathematics.
There is a rigorous application process, which goes in-depth into both the students' academics and extra-curriculars. In 2019, over 2,600 students applied. Shad normally runs for four weeks in July.

History

The Shad program was founded by Dr. Derek Lane-Smith, a teacher, physicist, and entrepreneur. The first summer program ran at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario in July, 1981, and has since expanded to 19 university campuses across Canada. The program is named after the shad, a kind of fish found in Shad Creek, near Aurora.
Shad Canada is a non-profit organization based in Waterloo, Ontario. Tim Jackson is the current President and CEO of Shad Canada.

Shad Program

During the month, Shads participate in various activities including lectures, workshops, labs, group projects, recreational activities and more. Shads also participate in a Real-World Design Project. In the project, Shads are presented with the current years theme and propose a solution. A ‘Shad’ is the recognition of the ambition, drive  collaboration inherent in a Shad program graduate. This special recognition opens the door into the alumni network of 18,000+ Shads. The Shad Network is as diverse as its program and includes founders and CEOs, international academics, social entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, best-selling authors, and AI innovators. The network has a range of participants at various stages of career and business success—from start-up to million-dollar organizations, Rhodes Scholars and university, and philanthropists and social entrepreneurs.
At the end of the program, each Shad campus hosts an event known as "Open Day", attended by parents and friends of the Shads at the campus.

Real-World Design Project

Each year, Shad presents a "Real-World Design Project" to its participants. The project's "theme", usually an important issue that has both economic and societal implications and differs each year, is revealed to all of the Shad participants in the first week of the program. The project is to be completed in teams before the program's end. Each group must plan and design a product or service that addresses the issue at hand, create a working prototype and business plan, and pitch their product in a process intended to simulate an entrepreneurial experience.
The theme for 2019 was "How might we help Canadians impactfully reduce waste?"
The 2018 theme was "Helping Canadian communities become more resilient against natural disaster," and was revealed via a video message from NASA and Canadian astronaut Andrew J. Feustel.
Previous themes have included: "Disaster & Emergency Preparedness", "Health & Wellness", "The Great Canadian Energy Challenge", "Zero Waste Technology", "Design with Conscience", "Nature and Natural Fibres", "Designing for Canada's Aging Population", "Improving the Quality of Life for a Canadian Child with a Disability", and "Preventing/Reducing Obesity in North American Youth", "How might we improve food security for Canadians?", "Meaningfully reducing Canada’s energy footprint", "Helping Canadian communities become more resilient against natural disaster", "How might we help Canadians impactfully reduce waste?".

Host universities

Current

There are currently 19 Shad campuses:
Shad has more than 18,000 Shad alumni in 36 countries, 32 of whom are Rhodes Scholars. Among SHAD alumni, there are also Loran Scholars and Schulich Leaders. Additionally, several Canadian post-secondary schools offer scholarships for Shad alumni.
Notable SHAD Fellows include: