Shad Valley at McMaster

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/shad2011.jpg” caption=”Robert Fleisig, associate professor in the Faculty of Engineering, gives a lecture on brainstorming to Shad students. Photo by Anqi Shen.”]Nearly 50 high-achieving high school students from across Canada are currently on
campus as part of Shad Valley, a four-week summer enrichment program.

Shad Valley McMaster's mission is to expose students to lectures, workshops and
community outreach in order to facilitate the connection between science, math,
technology and entrepreneurship. The program has very rigorous acceptance criteria
including stellar academic achievement and a demonstrated involvement
in extra-curricular and community activities.

“I came into this not really knowing what to expect, but Shad Valley has been
dramatically different than what I'm used to,” said Dan Jia, a student from Toronto. “I
like how the program focuses on community and personal development.”

Shahriar Shams-Ansari, who hails from Alberta, agrees with Jia.

“People here have very diverse interests, which makes it a lot of fun to work together as
a team,” said Shams-Ansari.

While catching a glimpse of university life, the students have been busy at work on an
ongoing group project with the aim of improving the lives of children with disabilities.

To help students develop innovative ideas, Robert Fleisig, an associate professor in the
Faculty of Engineering, gave a lecture on brainstorming to Shad students at the Michael
G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery building.

Fleisig discussed the importance of creative problem solving and materials design to
create a 'win-win' result.

“There are no wrong answers when brainstorming,” said Fleisig. “Write down your ideas
no matter how silly they may seem, because silly ideas are sometimes worth exploring.”

Emily Wong and Matthew Stewart were among many impressed by the series of lectures
the students have attended so far, including seminars on prototyping and disability.

“Every lecture puts your mind at a different place,” said Wong. “Not only are they helpful
for our project, but they also teach you how to think.”

Wong, a Grade 11 student, is looking to explore international development, while
Stewart is headed for the University of Manitoba for business.

“This year's group is fantastic,” said Fleisig. “They're fun to teach and they've got bright
futures ahead of them.”

This year's Shad Valley McMaster students will present their final projects in Council
Chambers, Gilmour Hall Room 110, on July 26.