Shad Unplugged

At Shad Waterloo, we know that opportunities to unplug from our instinctive (and addictive) smartphone habits don’t come around very often, and we think it’s awesome that you’re all excited and committed to the Shad Unplugged experience!

We know you (and your friends and family) will have questions about how this will work.  Rather than trying to describe the Unplugged experience in one paragraph, we ask that you review the Shad Unplugged information found here.

Diverse & Inclusive Community

Diversity and inclusivity are important values of the Shad program. Communities are richer for their diversity, which provides opportunities for individuals to practice humility and empathy. Some of you will have very different life situations or cultural backgrounds than others. Some of you have experience travelling and being away from home, while for others it will be the first time. Some of you have started your own companies, or played competitive sports at a high level, or helped manage your parents’ blueberry farm. Some of you go to schools that are bigger than others’ hometowns! Rather than being divisive, we will work together to harness this diversity to build a connected, resilient community.

Building this community together doesn’t just happen–it’s hard work. It takes diversity, humility, empathy and intentionality. From the initial campus assignments to the on-site programming, we work very hard to create the conditions for that community to form, but it also takes commitment from you. During the Shad program you will be called on to be respectful and inclusive of all your fellow Shads in all that you do. 

Communities take a lot of work and care to build, but they can also be damaged very easily. For this reason, we have zero tolerance for behaviours that negatively impact the community. There are no exclusive relationships at Shad, whether for the purposes of romance, clique, gender, ethnicity, or any other reason. Relationships that exclude (or attempt to exclude) others will not be accepted. Intentionally excluding others is a form of bullying and could result in dismissal from the program. 

The month at Shad provides you the opportunity to make connections with a variety of other exceptional students, and that community can last a lifetime.  We look forward to building it together!

Supportive Team
Your Shad Waterloo program team is here to support you and help make your month of July transformative and unforgettable. Between us, we have dozens of years of experience running Shad, and we’re excited to meet and work with you this summer!

Supervised Community
Shad is a supervised community. Every member of the program team is charged with the responsibility of ensuring your safety and protection. We take this responsibility seriously! This means that we will need to know approximately where you are and what you are doing at all times. This level of awareness ensures that in case of an emergency, we can account for your whereabouts quickly.

You are also a partner in ensuring your own safety and the safety of the Shad community. You are expected to ensure that your behaviour is always aligned with the Shad values.

Just because the community is supervised does not mean that you won’t have freedom to engage in a range of activities across the university campus. We take advantage of many of the various programs, departments, recreational facilities and spaces on campus to ensure that you enjoy an exciting university experience.

Schedule
You can expect life at Shad to be busy, but don’t worry, we have downtime and recreational activities built into the program as well. Each day, you can expect a different combination of lectures, workshops, recreational and cultural activities, as well as unscheduled time that you can use to connect with your peers, rest, connect with family, work on your design project, and reflect on what you’ve learned and accomplished so far.

Tech-etiquette: Appropriate usage
The ability to rapidly access relevant information can be key to innovation. There is no question that effective use of technology can be a useful tool, and that won’t change at our Unplugged campus. Still, it is essential for an effective learning/teaching/cooperative environment to use your laptop or tablet in ways that are appropriate. 

Rather than provide a long list of rules that will define acceptable use of technology, our technology policy is governed by the same core values as Shad. All use of technology must uphold the principles of excellence, responsibility and creativity. While you might be an exceptional multitasker, maintaining devoted attention to a task at hand is a hallmark of responsibility and maturity. When it comes to the use of technology, know what’s right, do what’s right, and be respectful – and if you’re not sure, please ask our team!

Recreation at Shad
We have an extensive and varied recreation program to help provide balance in our busy weeks, including a camping trip on the first weekend.

Energy Management
Shad is most enriching when we have sufficient energy to be fully engaged in all program activities. After a long and busy day, everyone needs adequate rest. We also need to respect others and allow them to re-energize themselves by getting the rest they need. Please manage your energy levels appropriately and allow others to do the same by going to bed at the appropriate time.