Waterloo, ON – Black and Indigenous students now have more opportunities to explore careers in STEAM and entrepreneurship thanks to new entrance scholarships for Shad Canada programs. These awards are specifically for students that have historically been underrepresented in STEAM fields and aim to support and inspire equity-deserving students to enter into STEAM pathways and careers. 

Shad is creating 10 new scholarships for Black students and 10 for Indigenous students, in addition to its existing financial awards. The combined value is upwards of $200,000. The awards are fully funded by Shad and its many generous donors.

“Shad is intentional about building partnerships with organizations that support equity-deserving communities, and for years we have offered scholarships to students affiliated with these community groups,” said Tim Jackson, Shad president and CEO. “We are pleased to offer new entrance awards, that are not tied to partner organizations, for students from Black and Indigenous communities to explore university-level STEAM and entrepreneurship content at a Shad campus.”

Shad has existing scholarships that are accessible to graduates of specialized STEAM-based and other programs that wish to continue on a pathway to post-secondary education. Programs such as the one at Verna J. Kirkness Education Foundation that aims to increase the number of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in higher education by connecting high school students to academic role models at Canadian universities.

“Our partnership with Shad helps us fulfill our role as advocates for Indigenous youth,” said Amber Boyd, executive director Verna J. Kirkness Education Foundation. “The resulting scholarships have supported First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in their learning to help them reach their full career potential.”

Shad has a long-standing scholarship agreement for students affiliated with Pathways to Education, to encourage underrepresented youth in STEAM and entrepreneurship to access the Shad program. Pathways to Education creates positive social change by supporting youth living in low-income communities to overcome barriers to education, graduate from high school, and build the foundation for a successful future.

“We believe all youth should have the opportunity to graduate from high school and transition to post-secondary education, training, or employment,” said Hussein Jadavji, Manager, National Programs Initiatives, Pathways to Education. “Education is one of the best ways of breaking the cycle of poverty, and together with Shad, we are reducing financial barriers and providing tailored supports for many young people.”

Shad’s month-long educational programs in entrepreneurship and STEAM are for students in Grades 10 and 11. They learn about exciting fields of study while working with mentors and like-minded peers at university campuses across Canada. Students in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and those in the International Baccalaureate program who attend Shad also receive a high school credit upon program completion.

Shad has 20 campuses that comprise of program participants that typically self-identify as 75 percent BIPOC, 52 percent female, and 12 percent as belonging to the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

For more information on scholarships and the application process, please visit shad.ca.

About Shad Canada

Shad provides programs for youth in grades 10 & 11 that want to be changemakers. Delivered through a cutting-edge STEAM and entrepreneurship framework, students learn more about their passions and strengths, connect with high impact peers across the country, are encouraged to take risks and solve tough problems and ultimately find their pathway to post-secondary. Shad is offered at 20 universities across Canada and has more than 20,000 alumni. There is a selection process in place for all Shad programs.

Contact:

Jennifer Ross
Shad Canada
jennifer@shad.ca
226-751-3704