In July 2025, 35 high school students from across Canada joined Shad Manitoba at the University of Manitoba to build their skills, shape their mindset, and gain confidence for an ever-changing world. Shad is a transformational summer program and a launchpad for young innovators, now returning to UM for the third year in a row.

This year’s program focused on innovative and sustainable transportation solutions to meet the needs of Canadians. Each group of students received training in entrepreneurial and creative problem-solving, as well as pitching their ideas. They collaborated on projects to examine the realities of public transportation in Manitoba and design game-changing solutions to address the challenges they identified.

“Coaching the Shad participants has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. In just one month, I’ve had the opportunity to see an exceptional amount of growth in these students as they work in teams to solve a complex problem,” said Daniel Heschuk, program development specialist at the Science Innovation Hub, Faculty of Science.

The highlight of this program, hosted by several faculties at UM, is the unique opportunity for students to travel to Churchill. This year, the journey took on a new dimension through the lens of transportation, where the very act of reaching Churchill turned into an educational experience: a nine-hour bus ride to Thompson, followed by 16 hours on the train through the boreal forest and tundra.

“The Shad students’ journey to Churchill offered a profound lesson in what it means to truly understand and appreciate life in a remote northern community. The distance alone underscores both the remoteness and the resilience that define life in these communities,” said Associate Dean (Administrative) Krystyna Koczanski.