SP0309: INgineer Your Path

The IYP program consists of six online workshops and two in-person activities in Montreal and at McGill, where students will visit eco-projects and meet with local non-profits and student leaders to inspire them to create their own sustainability initiatives on campus or in their communities. The online workshops are interdisciplinary and integrate diverse worldviews. They are meant to be creative, engaging, introspective, and transformative, and will cover a variety of topics related to sustainability, community dynamics, and personal growth, all within the context of engineering. A total of 22 students have registered for the Fall 2022 program, which will last from September to December 2022. This is the third time the program is offered at McGill, but the in-person activities are new components and form the core of experiential learning. We want to encourage students to take their sustainability/community initiatives further than just ideas by taking action and applying to the SPF or other available funding at the University. Students will also have a chance to attend a final networking exhibition on campus where they will have the opportunity to present their ideas to invited speakers from diverse non-profits and stakeholders from the University. After this program, students who participate will be better equipped with the skills to tackle sustainability challenges on campus and in their personal lives, and will contribute to enhancing a culture of sustainability within the Faculty of Engineering (in their courses and other involvement).

Why the SPF? The second in-person activity and the final exhibition will both be held on campus. The in-person activity will be in a reserved room at Engine and will invite student leaders in sustainability from McGill to join and come meet the IYP students. To make this experience as enriching as possible, we would like to provide zero-waste catering for the students who attend, which requires funding; these activities also need additional help to organize them. The SPF funding will ensure that students are motivated to come to these events, meet their peers from the program, and move forward with initiative ideas that they would like to implement at McGill or in their communities. Also, some of the speakers/attendees for the exhibition charge a small fee to come and meet the students.