This week marks the end of an immersive, hands-on learning experience for 64 Grade 10 and 11 students from across Canada.

Memorial University hosted the students for Shad Memorial, an annual experience like no other that has been offered here for more than 20 years.

Jordan Wright, program director for Shad Memorial, says the members of this year’s group has uncovered their passions and grown together as a community.

“We design a program that will test and support students at the same time and, having been involved in Memorial’s Shad Program since 2006, I truly appreciate our students’ appetite for learning,” he said. “Each year, I leave Shad feeling inspired by them. Shad is a place where students get to discover a lot about themselves, their potential and the world around them.”

‘Most amazing, engaging experiences’

By the end of the program, the students will have participated in more than 50 lectures and workshops, as well as weekend field trips to destinations like the Colony of Avalon and Bell Island.

Just some of the students’ experiences have been a field trip to Fogo Island, lectures and seminars on geology, project management and music composition, robotics, chemistry and biochemistry labs, a math scavenger hunt, iceberg towing, pop culture, sustainability, black holes and more.

Zaidee Smith, a student from Milton, Ont., described Shad as “one of the most amazing, engaging experiences” she’s ever had.

“It made me truly excited about learning and helped me find passions in places I didn’t think to look, as well as make connections to people that I hope to know the rest of my life.”

When asked for a program highlight, Ms. Smith says it was singing with her fellow Shads at Middle Cove Beach.

Members of the public and the Memorial University community are invited to visit Open Day on Thursday, July 25, from 1:30–3:30 p.m. in the upstairs mezzanine of R. Gushue Hall on the St. John’s campus.

Students will showcase their sustainable creations and share their overall Shad experiences.