ChangeMakers Youth Symposium and In-School “Sandbox”
ChangeMakers is an opportunity to explore what it takes to make real change in our communities. Brought to life in collaboration with Enrolment Services’ Branches Program, ChangeMakers is an imperative to support students’ academic success, hands-on science-based inquiry, and self-efficacy. ChangeMakers is a space for youth-led innovation, land-based knowledge, and STEAM problem-solving both in and beyond the classroom for students at both the Kahnawá:ke Survival School and H.S. Billings High School. The Symposium and in-school “Sandbox” are opportunities to invite Indigenous, racialized, and underserved students to apply their lived experiences and critical thinking skills to issues that impact their school and family communities. We are committed to honouring multiple realities and valuing student-led spaces that promote learning as limitless.
- The ChangeMakers Symposium is a one-day event centered upon critical thinking and meaningful, relatable inquiry. We explore the design cycle (listen, empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) to approach real-world problems, starting close to home. This immersive McGill-hosted event connects youth to the work of Indigenous faculty, students, and staff while helping youth explore our campus and engage with future opportunities as scholars, professionals, and the change makers that they are now.
- The ChangeMakers “Sandbox” is an extension of the Symposium, comprised of an ongoing series of in-school and after-school workshops that create a container for high-school students to play, experiment, fail, and explore self-selected topics under the STEAM umbrella. We link our explorations to traditional Indigenous practices and knowledge as much as possible, inviting members from the community to participate in the teaching and learning process alongside youth.
Pursuing Future Funding Opportunities
We are keen on continuing our projects and partnerships in long-term, sustainable ways. Our team will be reapplying for PromoScience funding, in hopes that it can help support our work from 2021 onwards. We’re open to other avenues that align with our vision and approach to youth engagement.
If you would like to discuss opportunities with us, please get in touch and email us at eidea.engineering [at] mcgill.ca.