Forty-eight high-achieving high-school students from across Canada and abroad have  gathered at McMaster to embark on an exciting summer adventure.

For the next four weeks, these bright teens are living in residence to attend the Shad  Valley program, taking advanced lectures on science, engineering and technology while  learning how these disciplines can be fused with entrepreneurial thinking and  innovation.

The program provides a unique opportunity for students to work together in groups to  enhance their teamwork and leadership skills.

McMaster is celebrating 15 years of hosting the Shad Valley program.

“It’s a proud moment to have reached this landmark. We are inspired each summer  when we meet the new group of remarkable Shad Valley students,” says Chad Harvey,  Shad Valley McMaster co-director.

“At Shad Valley, high school students are immersed in an academically rigorous  environment that motivates them to reach their full potential,” says Harvey, an assistant  professor in the Integrated Science program. “Our focus is on how teamwork and  cooperation bring about success, as well as on problem solving and critical-thinking  skills that transfer to real-world applications.”

Shad Valley provides high-school students with a pre-university experience to learn  about campus life just as they are starting to make decisions about the future.  Participants learn from McMaster faculty members and attend workshops and seminars  led by business leaders from the community.

Recreational activities and visits to local cultural attractions add another dimension to  the curriculum. The program culminates in an entrepreneurship competition where  students are placed in groups to create a new product or service, write a business plan,  build a prototype and present their ideas to an industry panel.

Shad Valley also takes students beyond the classroom for excursions on and off  campus, to locations that include McMaster’s nuclear reactor and the Alpine Tower on  campus, and to waterfalls and other off-campus sites along the Niagara Escarpment to  study unique ecosystems.

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

Selected from some 1,000 applicants, 549 students across the country were chosen this  year through a process that takes into account exceptional academic standing, as well  as community involvement, volunteerism and extracurricular activities.

A financial aid package provides assistance to successful candidates who need support  for their participant fee. Once admitted to the program, students are assigned to one of  10 host campuses across Canada.