Fun Facts
What is SHAD Canadas purpose?
To empower exceptional high school students to become future leaders and change-makers by fostering their potential through STEAM and entrepreneurship programs.
What type of traditional Indigenous teaching does SHAD incorporate in relation to sight?
Two-Eyed Seeing. Etuaptmumk (Mi'kmaw language)
SHAD lasts for how many weeks during the summer?
4 Weeks
This SHAD alumni attended the program in 2003, was the youngest member of CBC's Dragon's Den and was named in the top 100 most powerful Women in Canada.
Michele Romanow
SHAD challenges students to create solutions to real-world problems thorugh what kind of thinking?
Design thinking
Approximately how many students have completed the SHAD program?
Approximately 24,000 students have completed the SHAD program.
Thompson Rivers University officially received full university status in 2005. What was it originally known as?
Cariboo collage, founded in 1970. Was part of a network of two-year community collages created in BC to improve access to post-secondary education and training.
(first two years at Cariboo college, then transferring to SFU Business Admin, or UBC BComm)
How many Canadian universities are hosting SHAD this year? (2025)
30
Heyyy u got kik? This SHAD Alumni attended the program in 2004. Known as the founder of Kik Interactive, the company behind Kik Messenger.
Ted Livingston
A good SHAD leader is expected to be curious, collaborative, and what?
Compassionate
Where and when did SHAD Canada start?
Originally known as SHAD valley, the program began in Aurora, Ontario in 1981.
What unique geographical feature gives Kamloops its name from the word Tk'emlúps?
The meeting of the North and South Thompson Rivers
Tk'emlúps translates to "Where the rivers meet"
What is the name of the major group project that SHADs work on during the program?
The SHAD Design CHallenge
This New York Times Bestselling Canadian author and SHAD alumni is best known for his "The Book of Awesome" series and "The Happiness Equation".
Neil Pasricha
SHAD emphasizes building projects that have this kind of impact. Not just financial...
Social Impact
Numerous SHAD alumni have gone on to win this prestigious international scholarship awarded for study at the University of Oxford.
The Rhodes Scholarship
What is the name of the iconic white bear statue found on the TRU campus, near the Student Union Building?
The Spirit Bear.
Creator made one in ten black bears white, to serve as a reminder to people of a time when glaciers covered the land. Symbols of purity, strength, and strong connection to the land.
Name ONE type of activity (besides lectures) commonly included in the daily SHAD schedule.
Any of the following:
Workshops, Field Trips, Guest Speakers, Recreation, or Team Challenges
This SHAD alumni is the Deputy Project Scientist for the NASA Viper Lunar Rover Mission and has served on many NASA Mars Exploration Program Committees.
Dr. Darlene Lim.
During the design challenge, teams often build these two things to pitch their ideas.
A prototype and a pitch presentation
What are the 5 Overarching SHAD Values?
Creativity
Excellence
Community
Diversity
Responsibility
The Thompson Rivers were named after David Thompson, dear friend of Simon Fraser in 1808. Did David Thompson ever explore the rivers that were named in his legacy?
No. David Thompson didn't even dip a toe into the Thompson Rivers.
Fun fact: Thompson, most known for exploring the Columbia river, spent his final years in poverty, passing away in Longueil near Montreal in 1857. The rivers were officially adopted as the North and South Thompson in 1925.
SHAD Design Challenge topics are kept secret until the program begins. Who provides these national themes?
SHAD Canada
(often in partnership with external companies/organizations)
These two recent SHAD alumni were recognized as 2024 Rhodes Scholars.
Kathrine Dibbon (2018) and Luke McCarvill (2019)
In SHAD culture, this phrase represents the idea of stepping up showing initiative, and leading with values.
Lead from where you are.