Shad Valley & Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Shad Valley was recently featured in a news release from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Municipal Affairs
December 17, 2008

The following statement was issued by the Honourable Dianne Whalen, Minister of Municipal Affairs. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Congratulations to Shad Valley Students on Recent Award

This summer, the Department of Municipal Affairs was honoured to provide a four-week summer internship to five students with the Shad Valley program.

...

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate two of our students - Alex Abbott and Ankur Ralhan – on recently being named RBC / Shad Valley Entrepreneurial Cup winners. This award acknowledges the innovative spirit, youthful exuberance and leadership skills of Shad Valley students. The competition is a showcase for entrepreneurship, science, engineering and technology and demonstrates what teams of bright students can create with a little opportunity and a lot of passion.

Read the full press release at http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2008/ma/1217n05.htm.

Springdale's Mike Rolfe earns national honours: Shad Valley 'great experience'

10/30/08

SPRINGDALE
WILLIAM CLARKE
nor'wester

Mike Rolfe has had a busy year. The 17-year-old grade 12 student at Indian River High has been kept busy by his love of sports, but his academics have also remained top-notch. This month he'll be hosting a hockey camp at the Springdale Stadium and this past summer he spent some time in Halifax and Kitchener-Waterloo for an important reason.

Mike was one of the students accepted into a competition for high-achieving students called Shad Valley. Not only did he participate, his team won the national honours against 12 other teams across the country.

"We all had to make a project and the project was to design with conscience and make something that will help others in the world," he said. "We won the national competition and best overall."

Read the full story from The Nor'wester at
http://www.thenorwester.ca/index.cfm?sid=185607&sc=354

Shad Valley Responds to Current Economic Concerns

Shad is keeping a close eye on the current economic climate and its potential impacts on the Shad Valley program. On careful consideration of Shad’s options, our Board of Directors and I concluded that it is prudent to take action immediately to reduce our scale and cost of operation rather than risk jeopardizing the sustainability of Shad Valley in the long term. For 2009, we’ve reduced the number of Shad Valley programs to 10 from 12. Shad Valley Trent and Shad Valley Calgary will not be offered in 2009. We have made a number of changes to our internal staffing and operations as well, to ensure we’re positioned for the challenges ahead.

Shad has the enormous responsibility each year of carefully managing the financial resources provided to us by our many partners, so that we can achieve our core mission of enhancing Canada’s innovation and entrepreneurial capacity. Our partners include our students, their parents, governments, corporations and our host universities. Although the tough decisions we have had to make are very painful for all members of the Shad community, we are committed to stewarding our resources to ensure that this great program will continue to thrive and be successful in executing its mission in the future.

Barry Bisson, President

Attention Shad Valley Alumni!

Would you like to share your Shad Valley experience with others? Do you know students who would benefit from Shad Valley? Would you like a chance to win a $2,500 university scholarship?

Then sign up to be an alumni ambassador!
Visit this link to find out more, or contact Melanie@shad.ca

We're counting on you to talk to students about Shad Valley!

Alumni Ambassadors are able to:

Visit local high schools to talk about Shad Valley!
Attend conferences and events on behalf of Shad Valley!
Have a chance to win a $2,500 university scholarship!

SIGN UP NOW!
Fill out the ambassador form: click here
You can also refer your friends to the Shad Valley 2009 application: click here
Learn more about the $2,500 university scholarship!

Prime Minister’s Award Winner Shares Teaching Talents at Shad Valley Program

*This article is featured in the Fall 2008 publication of Canadian Teacher Magazine

Many high school students consider June the best and worst month of the year. On the one hand, it’s warm and sunny and the long exhausting school year is drawing to a close. On the other hand, it’s warm and sunny and the long exhausting school year never seems to end quickly enough! By that time, university students are out of class, and not only are students’ feet off the academic gas pedal, they’re out of the car. There is one condolence though – teachers have to stay in school even longer. It’s no wonder students often assume that teachers, too, cannot wait for their glorious two months off and away from teaching. Of course, most students have never met Ian Fogarty.

At Riverview High School, Ian Fogarty spends ten months of the school year immersed in science, teaching grade 11 and grade 12 students chemistry and physics. While science is a discipline with curiosity and self-motivation at its core, it’s often difficult to get students excited about raisin bun atom models or solubility rules. Facing this challenge every day, Ian teaches the fundamental basis of his subjects with the hope that he can spark a passion for science in his students.

In 2006 while teaching at Riverview high, Ian’s childhood high school in New Brunswick, he was offered a position as a faculty member at a summer enrichment program called Shad Valley. As a Shad Valley Teaching Fellow, he was already encouraging students from his high school to attend the program, and his enthusiasm for the program was growing. “When I was first offered a place at Shad Valley, I knew immediately that this was not going to be like a typical month of school,” Ian recalls. “Shad Valley clicked with me: here was a place where students were challenged and immersed in ideas that most don’t encounter until their undergraduate studies! I saw a program for high school students that prepared them for real life.”

Happily, Ian accepted the spot at the Trent University Shad Valley campus in Peterborough, Ontario. There, he helped run the intense four-week science, technology, and engineering enrichment program that recruits approximately 630 bright students nation-wide every year. Ian found himself once again surrounded by high school students for the entire month of July – not a typical holiday, but he was eager to immerse himself in all things Shad.

“Shad Valley students are creative, passionate, and driven. Their days are filled to capacity with challenging and creative projects and the quality of work they produced truly surprised me. I have taught under the notion that every student out there has tremendous potential, and Shad proved to me that there is a place where this potential can be reached and harnessed.”
Ian Fogarty, Program Director, Shad Valley UNB

Shad Valley Trent is one of twelve universities that hosts the program every July. For the past 28 years, students from across Canada and across the world have taken part in this life-changing, mind expanding adventure. This past July, Ian returned to Shad Valley again, but this time in his native New Brunswick.

As a Program Co-Director at the University of New Brunswick Shad Valley campus, Ian was able draw on his own experiences to build a challenging program. After receiving both his Honours BSc and BEd from Mount Allison University, he earned his MSc in Organometallic Chemistry from New Mexico State University, where studies led him to work for a research team at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility.

While he may be perceived as a Chemistry-type Indiana Jones, he has also been an influence for teachers as well. This year Ian was honoured with one of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes teachers by promoting their innovative and successful teaching practices. In addition, Ian has completed work in the field of chemistry, and was awarded New Brunswick’s Innovation in Education Award. He is also involved outside of the classroom with the Outdoor Challenge Program, for students who are eager to experience an adventure outdoors, including rock climbing, kayaking, and outdoor living. In addition, some of his former students credit Ian’s encouragement towards their academic pursuits in fields such as engineering and chemistry, yet another testament towards his passion for teaching.

Ian’s teaching approach has always been to provide a solid work ethic and to lead by example. “Success is directly proportional to effort,” he has said. At Shad Valley, students are given the chance to take on new challenges, to harness their creative capacity, and to act on their talents to improve innovation in Canada. It is for these, and many other reasons, that Shad Valley has been such an important step in Ian’s professional and personal career. Shad Valley President Barry Bisson explains “Ian is an extraordinary person with a talent for teaching and inspiring youth. His award in excellence is well-deserved and he has worked hard for his achievements.”

“I encourage students who want to learn and challenge themselves to apply for Shad Valley. I also encourage teachers to promote the program to their students – they could change a young person’s future simply by bringing up Shad. Shad is an excellent place for students to receive a competitive advantage,” says Ian.

Indeed, many educational and career institutions consider the Shad Valley program as an investment in a student’s future, and recognize the program when considering applicants for program admissions, scholarships and careers. Shad Valley has over 10,000 alumni, including 18 Rhodes Scholars, several Top 20 Under 20 and Top 40 Under 40 recipients, as well as countless award winners in various career and education fields.

“Shad was very lucky to have Ian as a Program Co-Director this year. He brings to Shad the expertise and drive that students benefit from greatly,” says Barry Bisson, President of Shad Valley.

For Ian, he intends to stay with the Shad Valley program for many years to come. “There is no place I would rather be in July than at Shad Valley,” he said. “I could be on a beach somewhere, but this is much more fun.”

You can learn more by visiting the Shad Valley website, http://www.shad.ca/ or by contacting info@shad.ca.

**

*This article is featured in the Fall 2008 publication of Canadian Teacher Magazine

Shad Valley program opens young minds to science

Few high school students embrace the opportunity to pursue knowledge during their time off in the summer. However, the Shad Valley program attracts an elite kind of student.

Through participation in this international program, exceptional students in Grades 10 to 12 will spend a month living in residence at a Canadian host university and will engage in a summer enrichment program that focuses on the sciences, engineering and entrepreneurship.

"The McMaster Shad Valley program has been helping top students in high school find an edge in the world of academia and research for about 10 years," said Doug Boreham, associate professor in the Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences and director of the McMaster Shad Valley program. "It's an adventure that these young high achievers would not be able to benefit from except in a University setting, and it provides exposure to different disciplines for a multi-faceted experience."

This year, the Shad Valley participants will complete a special component, only available at McMaster. The Faculty of Science and the McMaster Shad Valley Program will spend one week prototyping a new Honours Integrated Science (iSci) B.Sc. program that will start in September 2009.

This component of Shad Valley ran from July 10 to 15, during which time the high school students planned a mission to Mars and met Canadian astronaut Dave Williams.

"We hope that we will eventually see some of the Shad Valley students applying to the iSci program," said Carolyn Eyles, professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences and chair of the Development and Instructional Committees for iSci. "They are just the kind of extremely focused, high achieving, well rounded students we are looking for in the program."

Eyles continued, "The iSci program is designed to produce students that will be able to understand how scientific thought is created and communicated. Students will be taught by interdisciplinary teams of instructors in laboratory and field settings as well as in lectures, workshops and tutorials. Much of the program content will be taught as thematic modules such as 'Deflecting an Astroid,' or 'Averting a Pandemic.' This thematic approach will allow students to understand the connections between various scientific disciplines and the relevance of science to modern society."

The Shad Valley students were expected to complete the one-week iSci component in much the same way as future iSci undergraduate students, albeit simplified due to the condensed time frame. The students demonstrated their work during a poster competition on July 14 and met Dave Williams, astronaut, physician and director of the new McMaster Centre for Medical Robotics.

"Shad Valley is an excellent enrichment program and it gives us an opportunity to showcase and model the iSci program," said John Capone, dean, Faculty of Science. "The goal of the iSci program is to produce broadly-educated individuals who will have an exceptional level of scientific literacy and will be able to contribute to any modern field of science and beyond."

For more information about the iSci program, please contact Eyles at eylesc@mcmaster.ca or Boreham at boreham@mcmaster.ca.

Lynn Easson-Irvine
McMaster Daily News

PSN announces partnership with Shad Valley

July 8,2008 – PSN (Production Services Network) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Shad Valley program. This partnership will see PSN supporting work experiences in its Newfoundland and Labrador office, allowing students to experience the job opportunities available within the oil and gas industry.

As a leader in the oil and gas sector, PSN is committed to supporting the development of youth throughout the Province. Robert Hunt, Vice President of East Coast Operations for PSN, said "The young people of this province are the future leaders of our organizations. We are pleased to support programs such as Shad Valley that help provide educational experiences and insight to the potential opportunities offered by our industry."

Long involved in providing learning experiences and programs in Canada, Shad Valley links youth and teachers to programs and work experiences to help them develop leadership abilities, creativity, entrepreneurial passion and other skills that are essential for success in business community.

The student placed with PSN will be exposed to a variety of engineering disciplines and will have the opportunity to move around the office to participate and assist wherever possible gaining hands on experience. This will afford the student valuable experience and foresight into the oil and gas industry and an awareness of the career opportunities that exist for these young students as they plan for their future careers.

This new partnership between PSN and Shad Valley will see young students enter into the workforce to learn essential skills they will need to ensure their future success. "We are very pleased to have PSN as a partner. Without the support of organizations such as PSN we would not be able to provide these much needed opportunities to our young people. These internships provide great learning opportunities and allow youth a competitive advantage in planning their future," said Mary Dever, National Director of Development for Shad Valley.

Shad Valley is a four week summer enrichment program. Students spend a month living in residence at one of the host university campuses across Canada. The program is offered to students currently completing grade 10, 11 or 12, with a focus that includes the sciences, technology and entrepreneurship. The Shad Valley program provides an academically stimulating, mind expanding adventure for top well-rounded students.

PSN is a major global service contractor to oil, gas and other process industries and is one of the top ten largest private Scottish companies. It provides engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to Petro-Canada's East Coast Canada operations and to the Hibernia offshore oil and gas field off the coast of Newfoundland, and is considered the major brownfield service provider in the region.

Media Contact:
Kristie Cochrane for PSN
Office: 709-738-5116
Cell: 709-697-1107
kristie@m5pr.ca

Shad Valley Open Day July 24, 2008

What happens when a diverse group of high school students from across Canada come together in the spirit of science, technology, and entrepreneurship? What will the Shads of 2008 dream up?

Visit Open Day on Thursday, July 24 at one of our twelve host campuses to find out that and more… Open Day includes opportunities to witness and appreciate the abilities of exceptional high school students from across Canada. Participants will present the fruits of their Shad Valley labour and answer questions about their innovations.

A variety show will follow. These events are free and open to the public. Don’t miss this opportunity to get a glimpse at the leaders of tomorrow.

Become part of the Shad experience: it’s fun, it’s entertaining, and it’s truly amazing to see what these students have accomplished in four short weeks.

Visit this link to see the Open Day schedules for each Shad Valley campus: http://www.shad.ca/shad/myweb.php?hls=10171

Shad Valley International announces new Chairperson, welcomes former Group President, Health Care of MDS Inc., John Morrison

WATERLOO, ON –– Shad Valley, an enrichment program targeted at youth grades 10, 11, and 12 with a focus on science, technology, engineering and entrepreneurship, announced today that John Morrison has been named as Chair of the Board of Directors. Mr. Morrison replaces outgoing Chair, Edmée Métivier, who served for a successful term.

“I have been involved with Shad Valley as a parent, as a regular board member over the past five years, and more recently, as the Chair this past year. It has been a great honour to serve with my fellow board members and I am proud of the work we have done together,” says Edmée Métivier Executive Vice President, Financing & Consulting, Business Development Bank of Canada. “I am thrilled to see my esteemed fellow Board member, Mr. Morrison as the new Chair, as he brings extensive business acumen and expertise to this very special organization. I wish him great success.”

“We have been so fortunate to have outstanding professionals on the Shad Board during my time as President. The governance and guidance of leaders like Edmée and John, and others before them, has moved Shad towards higher levels of success,” explains Barry Bisson, President of Shad Valley International. “We continue to advance in positive ways as an organization, and we look forward to demonstrating our effectiveness in inspiring 600+ high potential students to achieve their goals and reach their highest academic and career objectives.”

John Morrison has been a member of the Shad Valley Board for two years. He is a business consultant whose past experience has included the positions of Group President and CEO of Healthcare at MDS Inc., a health and life sciences company, and President and CEO of MDS Nordion, a supplier of isotopes to the global nuclear medicine and sterilization communities. John was also President and CEO of Continental Can Canada, a diversified packaging company.

“I feel privileged to be part of an organization that can contribute to Canada’s future knowledge economy, says John Morrison. “I look forward to leading this exceptional team of professionals, and continue the outstanding work that has been done over the past 27 years stimulating exceptional students.” John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. In addition to serving on the board of Shad Valley International, he is a board member and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and a member of the International Expert Panel of the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation. He is a past Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Guelph.

About Shad Valley:
Shad Valley identifies outstanding talent at a young age; helps them develop an entrepreneurial mindset; encourages them to consider fields of study that will increase Canada’s innovation capacity; and motivates them to take advantage of their advantage. Shad is a Canadian not-for-profit registered charity based in Waterloo, Ontario. The award-winning Shad Valley program was launched in 1981, and is hosted at 12 leading Canadian universities each summer. 600+ high-potential students benefit from the Shad Valley experience each summer and Shad currently boasts a network of over 10,000 Shad Valley alumni, including 18 Rhodes Scholars, and numerous award winning business and academic leaders.

Province recognizes importance of innovation, provides funding for Shad Valley youth enrichment program

EDMONTON AB and WATERLOO ON– Funding to support the development of Alberta’s high school students who have been identified as top performers, innovative thinkers, and future leaders continues to be invested by the Government of Alberta.

2008 marks the second instalment of a three-year funding commitment to Shad Valley International. The Waterloo, Ontario based organization offers summer enrichment programs to students in grade 10, 11 and 12. The four week program helps students develop an entrepreneurial mindset, encourages them to consider fields of study that will increase Canada’s innovation capacity, and motivates them to take advantage of their advantage and make an impact.

“Increasing Alberta’s innovation is a priority for future business and economic prosperity. The province is in need of strategies to advance its environmental, social, and economic growth,” explains Doug Horner, Alberta Advanced Education and Technology Minister. “These strategies will be initiated and implemented by our future leaders who are developed in programs like Shad Valley.”

This year, close to 60 students from Alberta will benefit from the Shad Valley program during the month of July. Currently, Alberta has the third highest provincial enrollment rates in the program.

The province and Alberta businesses also engage strongly in Shad’s internship program, which complements the academic Shad Valley session with real-world business experience. 20% of all Shad Valley internships nationally were offered in Alberta to Alberta participants in 2007. This number reflects both the vibrant economy in the province as well as the desire by Alberta companies to introduce bright, innovative talent to their companies at an early stage. In 2007, five placements were offered by the Alberta Government in the departments of Education, Environment, Sustainable Resource Development, Agriculture and Food, and Advanced Education

“Canada faces the growing problem of a shrinking labour force and retiring baby-boomers. The youth of today will affect our national and global economy tomorrow. Alberta has recognized the need for student programs where youth can be exposed to the business arena,” says Horner.

“Our three-year plan with Alberta solidifies their commitment to providing leadership and innovation opportunities for students,” said Barry Bisson, President of Shad Valley International. “As well, it raises other provinces’ awareness and encourages them to provide their youth with the same competitive advantage that Albertan students have: the chance to be part of a life-directing, life-changing experience and to take their places as the leaders of tomorrow.”

*
Shad Valley International is a not-for-profit registered charity. The award-winning Shad Valley program was launched in 1981, and is hosted at 12 leading Canadian universities each summer, including the University of Calgary since 1984. Over 600 high-potential students benefit from the Shad Valley experience each summer and Shad currently boasts a network of over 10,000 Shad Valley alumni, including 18 Rhodes Scholars, and countless award winning business and academic leaders.

Shad Valley: The Olympics of entrepreneurship – where dedication, passion and drive produce champions of innovation

Shad Valley’s alumni entrepreneurs are the athletes of business, stretching to attain business goals of Olympic proportion

While the 2008 Olympic summer games will have the world’s eye focused on athletic talent, there is no particular time of the year when people are scheduled to tune in to business. Daily, leaders of innovation are showcasing their strengths, ideas and talents that are shaping the economy year-round. However, during the month of July, for the past 28 years, students from across Canada have been taking part in their own Olympic event, dedicated to focusing on academic talent.

Shad Valley is a program that offers youth in Grades 10, 11, and 12, with strengths in science, math, and technology, the opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Students emerge with a better concept of the business world at a young age and can begin exercising their entrepreneurial muscle. From the get-go, these young entrepreneurial athletes are equipped with the skills to enter the real-world of business, to think and plan like leaders, and develop innovative ideas that will fuel the economy in the coming years.

“At Shad, students are given the opportunity to think and come up with ideas on a larger scale than they would initially conceive. Shad Valley is the training ground for tomorrow’s global business leaders,” explains Barry Bisson, President of Shad International. “We have alumni working on the multi-national front, whose ideas are influencing global changes. They got there because they each carry a torch for innovation.”

With many established alumni since the program began in 1981, and 620 new students welcomed every summer, Shad Valley has conceivably a very large roster of intelligent, motivated leaders. Those who have made it to the proverbial Olympic level are among these alumni. They have embraced their talents, pursued a marketable idea, and expanded that idea into their own business.

So where is the Olympic level for Shad Valley’s entrepreneurs? “It is always growing and changing,” explains Kunal Gupta, a 2005 Shad Valley alumnus. Kunal’s organization, Impact, based in Waterloo, Ontario, is a non-profit organization which promotes entrepreneurship to youth across the country. “To compete on a global scale, you have to think globally or else your venture will never break into other markets. Shad Valley taught me to embrace my talents and transfer them to a larger degree of entrepreneurial thinking.”

Another alumna making big waves is Jennifer Corriero, Shad ’98, co-founder of Taking IT Global, bringing technology and communication to nations around the world. She describes her hard work in business as being, “The marathon of a lifetime.” She explains that to compete with others on a larger scale, you have to envision something outside of your realm and break boundaries frequently. “Shad Valley prepared me to become a leader and opened my eyes to the winning formula of entrepreneurship. Sacrifice, success, hard work, team work, and of course innovation – these are the elements of a gold winning team.”

Michael Brown, a fellow alumnus, would agree. He has held a position at Research in Motion in Waterloo, Ontario since his Shad work placement there in 1995. Working in software development, Michael’s work has led to many patents under his name and a spot in a globally recognized company. “Shad provided the launch pad for my career and readied me for the high stake world of business at RIM. There is so much investment put into innovation – all great ideas were once in someone’s mind – and Shad recognizes the key to unlocking them and generating success.”

Some people are born with the ability to compete in either physical or mental situations. Similar to the role that the Olympics play in recognizing the most talented athletes around the world, Shad Valley has done the same for youth in education.

Shad Alumna receives prestigious thesis award

Amanda Jernigan, a 1996 Shad Valley alumna, has received the prestigious Master’s Thesis Award from the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools. Amanda was honoured in April of this year at the awards luncheon ceremony in New York City for her thesis in the category of Arts and Humanities. As a recipient, she also received a monetary award of $1,000, from UMI Dissertation Publishing.

The Master's Thesis award rotates, on a four-year schedule, amongst the following subject areas: Arts and Humanities; Agricultural, Biological and Health Sciences; Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering; Social Sciences and Education. The prestigious award is open to students at all leading Eastern Canadian universities (Ontario to Newfoundland) and all Northeastern U.S. universities, including the Ivy League schools. The Arts and Humanities award will be granted again in 2012.

Amanda earned her Bachelors degree in English from Mount Allison University, followed by her Master of Arts from Memorial University in Newfoundland. Her winning dissertation focuses on the work of Canadian poet Richard Outram, specifically on the significance of whole-part structures, in theme and form, in Mr. Outram's oeuvre.

Congratulations to Amanda for this outstanding honour!

Three Shad Valley alumnae amongst Chatelaine’s ‘Women to Watch’

Waterloo, ON – Shad Valley International is excited to inform the Shad community with the news that three alumnae have been recognized in Chatelaine magazine’s May 2008 article entitled ‘80 women to watch’, which is now available in print only.

Jennifer Corriero, Skawenniio Barnes, and Sharon Wei, have been named amongst the 80 women featured in the national publication’s 80th anniversary special. Both Jennifer and Skawenniio were recognized under the category of Politics & Community, while Sharon was noted under Arts & Culture.

Sharon Wei, a 1994 Waterloo Shad, is a musical prodigy who met three other equally talented artists and formed the chamber-music ensemble Made in Canada. Sharon, who attended the University of Western Ontario and the Curtis Institute of Music, also received a diploma from Yale and now tours North America and Europe with an orchestra, often performing as a soloist.

Jennifer’s organization, TakingITGlobal, is considered one of the world’s premiere online communities for youth with 1.8 million hits a day. Jennifer, a 1998 Calgary alumna, co-founded the non-profit organization, and has been called a global leader and a shaper of the future.

Chatelaine highlighted Skawenniio’s efforts and initiative in organizing the creation of a community library at age 13, drawing global attention and a donation of 30,000 books. She attended the Shad Valley program in 2005 at the University of British Columbia and is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at Yale University.

We would like to congratulate our alumnae for this national recognition! There is certainly a feeling that these women will continue to pursue excellence.

Below are the excerpts from Chatelaine Magazine, May 2008:

Made in Canada, 28 TO 30
Angela Park, Judy Kang, Sharon Wei, and Rachel Mercer are Made in Canada, a chamber-music ensemble that’s leading the next generation of classical musicians, picking up CBC’s Galaxie Rising Stars Award (selected by the nation’s music critics) in 2006. The members, who met at Banff Summer Arts Festival and have since scattered across North America, make it a point to reunite annually in Canada to play together

Jennifer Corriero, 27
She’s been called a digital dignitary, a global leader, a shaper of the future and the Wired Woman Young Woman of the Year. When she was just 19, Jennifer Corriero co-founded TakingITGlobal, a non-profit group based in Toronto dedicated to using the internet to strengthen young people’s abilities to be socially aware, globally responsible citizens. Considered one of the world’s premiere online communities for youth, it has 188,000 members in 261 countries and receives 1.8 million hits a day.

Skawenniio Barnes, 20
Hailing from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory near Montreal, Skawenniio (whose first name means “one beautiful word”) started her life in activism at age 13 by writing an award-winning essay for CosmoGirl! about her community’s need for a library. Her prize included a trip to New York, a scholarship of US$10,000 and global attention. Before long, 30,000 donated books from all over the world began landing at her door. Barnes worked at the library until last fall, when she began her first year of studies at Yale University.

Providing a top education key to growth, summit told

04/09/2008

Providing students with a world-class education is the key to economic growth in the province, two panelists told the Fullsail venture capital conference Monday in Saint John.

"We don't have oil in the ground. Our oil is brain," said Barry Bisson, president of Shad International, a company providing a program called Shad Valley that is designed to encourage entrepreneurship learning amongst students.

Also an adjunct professor in engineering at the University of Waterloo, Bisson returned to New Brunswick for the summit to share his expertise in teaching entrepreneurship to young people. He agreed to act as panelist because, he said, "New Brunswick is very close to my heart."

So is education in New Brunswick: Bisson spent eight years obtaining a bachelor and a masters degree in engineering and 21 years teaching with the faculty of education in New Brunswick before he moved on to his current Ontario posting.

During Monday's early morning panel, moderator Ian Hanomansing from the CBC posed a question to Bisson: "Can you teach entrepreneurship?" Without a doubt, you can, was Bisson's response. In fact, you have to. Education is the only way to change.

When Bisson was teaching in New Brunswick, he said he too often saw students who didn't know how to think big.

"I saw a lot of business plans for a lot of restaurants in Moncton. We have to get these students thinking 'the world is my market', as opposed to 'Fredericton is my market.' I call it grantrepreneurship, the idea students have had that they have got to get a government loan or a government grant."

Shad Valley takes students beyond that line of thinking and moves them toward thinking about how to build a business plan or a concept that will attract investors.
Bisson said that New Brunswick is fourth nationally in terms of student participation rates, which is a good sign.

"My goal is to see between 40 and 50 each year and get them connected to New Brunswick businesses to show them you can have a great career in the province. That can stem the brain drain. If one or two every year stay here and begin a business, the impact can be huge."

Key, however, is for students to receive a first-rate education in mathematics and engineering, so they have the skills needed to build the gadget that everyone in the world wants to buy.

"I'm so, so optimistic about this province right now," said Bisson. That's something the technology manager with the University of Waterloo's Intellecutal Property Management Group, Scott Inwood, has seen first-hand. Inwood, who also acted as panelist at the summit, explained that Waterloo has a reputation for the amazingly profitable business spinoffs that have been created from its strong academic core.

There are three things the University of Waterloo has done to encourage an entrepreneurial way of thinking, Inwood said. Firstly, he said that the university focused on science and math education - because those are the streams that generate products, systems or concepts that lead to businesses. Secondly, the university moved ahead with a co-operative education program, which matches students with real-life businesses in their chosen field in order to move their creativities toward solution-based entrepreneurial ideas. Thirdly, the university allowed inventors to own the intellectual property developed at the school.

The school has been working on this since 1957, Inwood said. "It takes time, but it grows. As students see success it becomes contagious."

Michelle Porter
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday April 8th, 2008
Appeared on page B3

Government supports Shad Valley youth enrichment program

April 4, 2008

FREDERICTON NB and WATERLOO ON– Funding of $200,000 to support the development of New Brunswick high school students, who have been identified as top performers, innovative thinkers, and future leaders, was announced today by Education Minister Kelly Lamrock.

The five-year funding commitment is being made to Shad Valley International. The Waterloo, Ontario based organization offers summer enrichment programs to students currently completing grade 10, 11 or 12. The four week program helps students develop an entrepreneurial mindset; encourages them to consider fields of study that will increase Canada’s innovation capacity; and motivates them to take advantage of their advantage.

“Through our education plan, When kids come first, New Brunswick is focused on the importance of promoting enrichment opportunities to its students, to help them develop a passion for learning and to ensure they are equipped to fully-deliver on their talents and capabilities,” Lamrock said. “Shad Valley is a place where some of our young future leaders can recognize, harness and strengthen their talents, and providing this opportunity is vital to the future of innovation in the province.”

Since 1985, the relationship between New Brunswick and Shad Valley has provided hundreds of Anglophone and Francophone students with the opportunity to benefit from the enrichment program.

This year, approximately 40 students will participate in the Shad Valley program during the month of July at one of 12 host universities across Canada. Students then have the opportunity for a hands-on work experience through student internships during the month of August.

“Achieving self-sufficiency for New Brunswick means that all people have the opportunity to be exemplary workers, leaders and citizens,” said Lamrock. “The leaders of tomorrow will not only be innovators from a local standpoint, but also from a global standpoint.”

For the five-year period of the funding investment, the Department of Education together with the school districts has committed to providing a minimum of 10 internships each summer, with a number of others hosted at top companies throughout the province.

Over the past three years, up to 40 per cent of New Brunswick Shad Valley participants have been introduced to the workplace, obtaining valuable training and skills.

“To prepare students for the national and multi-national business arena, they must be able to communicate their ideas in the expanding world market,” the minister said. “The Shad Valley program has a track record of developing the entrepreneurial skills and unleashing the passion of top students to make a difference in their careers”.

New Brunswick has established itself as being competitive from a national perspective in terms of its vision and foresight in planning for the future by investing in and mentoring its youth. In terms of identifying Shad Valley participants, New Brunswick is in the top third of the country and the top 25 per cent for number of internship placements.

“This five year plan solidifies New Brunswick’s commitment to providing leadership and innovation opportunities for students,” said Barry Bisson, President of Shad Valley International. “As well, it raises other provinces’ awareness and encourages them to provide their youth with the same competitive advantage that New Brunswick students have: the chance to be part of a life-directing, life-changing experience and to take their places as the leaders of tomorrow.”

Shad Valley International is a not-for-profit registered charity. The award-winning Shad Valley program was launched in 1981, and is hosted at 12 leading Canadian universities each summer. Over 600 high-potential students benefit from the Shad Valley experience each summer and Shad currently boasts a network of over 10,000 Shad Valley alumni, including 18 Rhodes Scholars, and countless award winning business and academic leaders.

08/04/04

Hello and welcome to the Shad Valley International blog!

As this is our first post, we would like to introduce you to the blog and what we hope it will do. Here members of the Shad community can read about the most recent stories, news releases, updates, and events happening around Shad Valley. You can also contact us directly if you have a good idea that you want written about, and you can reply to different topics to voice your opinion.

Have fun reading about Shad and visit us often!

- The Shad Valley team