Ontario Tech Engineering student Rushda Khan and Engineering Outreach Team earn national awards
Awards were presented at a special ceremony in Ottawa
March 8, 2024
Ontario Tech University boasts a top-tier Engineering program, now ranked among Canada’s Top 10. Its Engineering Outreach initiatives have garnered widespread acclaim nationally, recently earning two prestigious awards from Actua, an organization dedicated to advancing STEM education for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students.
At Actua’s February 7 national conference in Ottawa, the Ontario Tech Engineering Outreach team’s All Girls program received Actua’s 2023 Experience Award for national girls programming. Rushda Khan, a second-year Software Engineering student and Senior Program Instructor with the Engineering Outreach team also won the 2023 Actua Instructor Recognition Award. It is the second consecutive year that an Ontario Tech instructor was chosen for this award.
Khan was a high school instructor with Engineering Outreach before becoming an undergraduate engineering student at Ontario Tech, offering definitive proof that Engineering Outreach’s hiring of high school students is a great way to build an enduring interest in engineering. Khan has also been awarded multiple scholarships including the university’s OPG Women for STEM Scholarship.
In addition to the two national awards, the Engineering Outreach team was also nominated for a 2023 Actua Excellence Award.
About Ontario Tech’s Engineering Outreach
The Ontario Tech Engineering Outreach group visits dozens of local schools and organizations every year to share exciting learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that not only inspire students, but also empower and support teachers with their STEM curriculum strategies. Engineering Outreach’s mobile design lab delivers creative coding and maker workshops for elementary students. High school students get to explore concepts in automation, electricity, automotive engineering and artificial intelligence.
Through in-person and virtual programming, the team’s passion for making STEM accessible and engaging has grown to influence more than 30,000 youth annually across Durham Region and beyond.
Quotes
“These awards acknowledge Ontario Tech Engineering Outreach’s strong partnerships, remarkable program growth, and unwavering dedication to sparking girls’ curiosity and confidence in STEM at every stage of their educational journeys. Our team works exceptionally hard to make hands-on STEM education and digital literacy accessible and engaging for thousands of inspirational young minds, particularly youth from underrepresented communities.”
-Dr. Hossam Kishawy, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ontario Tech University
“My time at Engineering Outreach has not only given me the privilege of empowering and inspiring young girls towards STEM education, but has also given the young girl I once was the confidence boost she needed to be brave enough and pursue engineering for post-secondary studies. Since the beginning, Engineering Outreach has been a space for growth, problem-solving, and teamwork — where you aren't afraid to make honest mistakes because there will always be someone there to help you regain your footing and set you on your way. I aspire to use my platform, education, and skills to bring lasting changes in inclusivity and accessibility of STEM education, helping youth develop perseverance and problem-solving curiosity that will stay with them long after my role in the classroom is over.”
-Rushda Khan, second-year Software Engineering student, Ontario Tech University
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