Shad Canada’s Futures Day at UPEI inspires students with career discovery workshops
High school students from across the province gathered at the UPEI Performing Arts Centre on October 15 for Shad Canada’s Futures Day, an interactive event hosted by Shad Canada designed to spark curiosity, challenge perspectives, and connect youth with future educational and career pathways.
"Shad Canada’s Futures Day opens doors to possibilities young people may never have imagined,” said Tim Jackson, President and CEO of Shad Canada. “By bringing together students from across Prince Edward Island and connecting them with academic and industry experts and hands-on experiences, we’re broadening their understanding of future career pathways. This one-day event offers a glimpse into Shad’s month-long summer program, which includes students from across Canada, exploring new interests, discovering career possibilities and expanding their future opportunities.”
The morning kicked off with opening remarks from Tim Jackson, CEO of Shad Canada. Attendees received welcoming addresses and land acknowledgements from educational and community leaders, including Elder Judy Clark, UPEI Elder in Residence; Dr. Wendy Rodgers, UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor; and Natalie Mitton, Holland College President.
The main morning session featured keynote speaker Gord McNeilly, Member of the Legislature for Charlottetown-West Royalty, entrepreneur, and professional motivational speaker. McNeilly delivered an energetic, interactive address combining music, light activities, and motivation. He challenged students to look at their futures through new lenses, tap into their leadership capabilities, and believe in themselves and their communities.
Following the morning ceremonies, students dispersed across the UPEI campus to participate in a diverse array of hands-on workshops, seminars, and place explorations led by industry experts and academic leaders. Designed to bring future career possibilities to life, the interactive sessions spanned numerous disciplines including:
Science, Medicine, and Health: Students explored human anatomy through medical labs and augmented reality holograms at the UPEI Faculty of Medicine, went behind the scenes at the Clinical Learning and Simulation Centre, investigated animal welfare science at the Atlantic Veterinary College, and tested movement science with local kinesiologists.
Technology, Engineering, and Math: Participants broke codes in cryptography seminars, tackled real-world engineering failures to study sustainability, and explored digital ecosystems in the "Dead Internet Petting Zoo" AI and cybersecurity session.
Business, Trades, and Creative Arts: Sessions included a "Candy Market Simulation" with the McDougall Faculty of Business; hands-on plumbing and pipefitting trade demonstrations; journalism and communication storytelling exercises with Holland College; a STEAM interactive workshop entitled “From Hobbies to Career” that helped students explore how their hobbies, interests, and personal strengths can connect to future careers and opportunities; and “The Seven Grandfather Teachings” session in which students created “Mixed-Media Reflection” key chains which combined physical art with high-school-level personal reflection on the Teachings: Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth.
The event concluded following afternoon group activities and closing remarks by Jennifer Ross, Vice-President of Marketing, Communications, and Recruitment at Shad Canada. Students left feeling inspired with practical tools, broadened horizons, and a clearer vision of their potential pathways ahead.
