About Engineering Outreach
Our History
In 2014, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology began an ambitious initiative to deliver Kindergarten to Grade 12 engineering outreach programs to youth in the Durham Region. After a concerted, multi-faceted effort over the past four years, our programs have grown to reach over 8,000 students annually. Our goal is to inspire youth to ask questions and empower them to develop solutions to everyday problems using Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) from across Durham Region and our surrounding communities.
Engineering Outreach is a proud network member of Actua, and we share in their shares their national mission:
"... To prepare Canadian youth to be innovators and leaders by engaging them in exciting and accessible STEM experiences that build critical skills and confidence.”
Our Staff
Engineering Outreach staff have backgrounds in science and engineering, and are joined by over 75 undergraduate and graduate engineering students who volunteer their time throughout their year. Our team is excited to share their knowledge with the youth who participate in our programs each year.
c_wonder Mobile Design Lab
Between September through June, Engineering Outreach offers fun and exciting workshops in elementary and high school classrooms throughout the Durham, Northumberland, Toronto and York Regions as part of our c_wonder: Mobile Design Lab program. These workshops offer children and youth the opportunity to discover the multidisciplinary nature of engineering. By forming connections to the Ontario Science, Technology, and Math Curriculums, and providing access to new tools and technologies, we hope to engage students in hands-on engineering activities delivered by our current undergraduates and recent alumni. To learn more about the Mobile Design lab, click here.
c_wonder Summer STEM Camp
In the Summer months, Engineering Outreach offers a summer day camp for children entering grades 1 through 8. Each one week session is filled to the brim with experiments, design projects, and activities. All activities present engineering, science, and technology concepts within the context of engineering design and culminate in a final team-based capstone design project. To learn more about our c_wonder Summer Stem Camp, click here.
c_wonder Teached PD
Throughout the year, Engineering Outreach also offers teacher professional development opportunities for both elementary and secondary teachers in the Durham District School Board. Using computational thinking to explore scientific challenges, we give teachers a tool-kit to understand complex systems and how STEM can fit into their classroom on an everyday basis.
