Since its launch in 2017, Virtual Ventures’ Linked> program—a groundbreaking collaboration between Virtual Ventures, (BGCO) and —has been empowering and inspiring youth to excel in the ever-evolving world of technology. With a focus on STEM education and leadership development, Linked> fosters curiosity, skill development, and confidence in underrepresented youth, equipping them for a digital future. This program aims to provide youth with positive role models and opportunities to become leaders in STEM. All while helping them develop essential life skills such as responsibility, problem-solving, team-building, and self-management. By offering hands-on experiences with technology and sparking an interest in entrepreneurship, Linked> encourages participants to explore new interests and build valuable skills through our 2 unique programs. 

is a 12-week after-school program that introduces BCGO youth to the foundational concepts of STEM, focusing on computational thinking and digital skills. Participants engage in hands-on activities run by our Virtual Ventures team, while Shopify volunteers provide mentorship, sharing their technical knowledge and inspiring young learners to dream big in the tech world.  

Linked> Leaders, targeted at older BGCO youth, is an 8-week program emphasizing leadership and skill development. Participants are trained to deliver STEM activities to younger club members, gaining employment and leadership experience in the process with the help of our team. This versatile initiative not only fosters leadership in older youth but also introduces younger members to the vast opportunities within the STEM landscape. 

A Mentor’s Perspective

To shed light on what it means to be a Linked> mentor and a role model for youth, Charles and Sofia from Shopify share their personal experiences as Shopify volunteers. 

Charles Bougard 

Charles Bougard, a Retail Technical Merchant Support at Shopify and former Linked> mentor reflects on his journey into the technology industry: 

“I wanted to be in a career/workplace that moved fast and seeks to push the envelope of what’s possible. For ‘Why Shopify’, it was to be around a community of individuals who seek constant personal and professional growth, shying away from the Status Quo as much as possible.”  

Charles’ involvement in Linked> was pivotal in his decision to continue his journey with Shopify. His passion for giving back is deeply rooted in his own experiences, having spent eight years working in public libraries, being exposed to technology in his teens through his summer camp experience at VV, and mentoring youth through Linked> programming.  

Charles saw firsthand how low digital literacy can limit people’s ability to navigate the digital landscape.  

Charles now works at Shopify, specializing in providing technical support for POS software and hardware solutions. 

Sofia Qureshi 

Sofia, a Computer Science student at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, is currently working at Shopify as a Dev Degree Intern in Infrastructure Engineering. Her journey into the STEM field was unexpected as she had the opportunity to participate in the CDL Apprentice Program at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, where she was exposed to emerging technologies and inspiring conversations, including one with the founder of Hackergal:

“There, I met the founder of Hackergal who had an inspiring conversation with us apprentices, which later became my initial catalyst for continuing to explore more opportunities in technology and coding.” 

For Sofia, the Linked> program resonates with her own transformative experiences as a mentor, and as a student in the STEM faculty. By utilizing her experiences mentoring in Linked>, she hopes to pay it forward, creating opportunities for youth to explore the possibilities within tech. 

Role models play a crucial role in our Linked> programs, inspiring youth to explore new possibilities and reach their full potential. By connecting underrepresented youth with mentors who share their knowledge, experiences, and passion for STEM, these programs help create a supportive environment where children and teens can envision their own success in the tech world. These role models provide guidance and motivation and demonstrate that with determination and the right opportunities, any goal is within reach. 

By: Emily D’Alessandro 

The post Empowering the Next Generation: Linked> Program with Shopify appeared first on Virtual Ventures.

As the 2024 camp season comes to a close, five of Virtual Ventures’ Junior Instructors are embarking on their academic journey at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University! This summer we had a team of 30 current �Ӱ�ԭ�� undergraduate students. We took the opportunity to ask these Junior Instructors about their choice to attend �Ӱ�ԭ��, and how their experience at VV this summer with fellow �Ӱ�ԭ�� students has shaped their perspectives as they enter the school year! 

Mia W

Mia W is back at VV this summer as a Junior Instructor, once again leading Engineering Jr! Last summer, Mia explored her interests in Architecture and Industrial Design programs at �Ӱ�ԭ��. This year, Mia was accepted into the Architecture program! 

“I took an Program at �Ӱ�ԭ��, which is a summer program where you go for 3 weeks, and you experience what it’s like to be a �Ӱ�ԭ�� student. You get to do fun studio projects, and we learned about multimedia in a �Ӱ�ԭ�� facility which was really cool. I knew I really liked �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Architecture program. It was a no brainer when I was applying to university. �Ӱ�ԭ�� Architecture was my top program and school I wanted to go into even though there are a lot of other architecture schools. I knew just from going to that summer camp I wanted to go to �Ӱ�ԭ��.”  

Mia worked with Rory, Alex, and Julie in Engineering Jr this summer. Rory and Alex are in their second and third year in Engineering at �Ӱ�ԭ��. When asked about memorable experiences at VV this summer, Mia mentioned her coworkers’ insights and guidance she received.  

Brianna

This is Brianna’s first year as a Junior Instructor at VV, working with Engineering Sr and Nybbles. Their fellow instructors—Alexis, Reid, Scott, and Sam—are upper year students of various Engineering programs at �Ӱ�ԭ��. We’re thrilled to share that Brianna has been accepted into the Mechanical Engineering program here at �Ӱ�ԭ��! 

“I personally love working here at VV, it’s an amazing experience. It’s also perfect cause you get to see all your classes, and you get to talk to people who have been to �Ӱ�ԭ��. You understand how the �Ӱ�ԭ�� spirit works, and you also get to understand how �Ӱ�ԭ�� works as a whole. You also get a lot of advice about where your classes are, what kind of professors you like, what kind of things you should try really hard on, and overall, what to look for in your first year.” 

Working with Nybbles and Engineering Sr this summer, Brianna was able to explore the many design teams throughout the Engineering Design Centre. Specifically, both camps toured , and spoke to a few members of the team.  

Fawaz

Fawaz is a brand new Junior Instructor this summer at VV! He worked with various camps, including Programming, Engineering Jr, and General camps. When reflecting on his time at �Ӱ�ԭ�� and how it has influenced his view of university life, he emphasizes the incredible support and collaboration of the VV instructor team. 

“I met a bunch of cool, different people, which is what I’d imagine university would be like in terms of having different people in your classes at different times, you have your own separate schedule. So, meeting other people is a big defining factor of what university is.” 

Fawaz is entering his first year of Civil Engineering at �Ӱ�ԭ��.  

Ashwin

Ashwin is a returning Junior Instructor this summer! Similar to last year, Ashwin worked with our General camps, Sprockets and Explorers. He worked closely with Liz, Aleksey, and Sarah – three Engineering and Design students. When asked about his time returning to VV as a Junior Instructor, he mentions the opportunity VV gives for high school students. 

“This is my second year of being a High School Instructor and these two years have given me the opportunity to get really familiar with the campus and I’ve been able to find new places and things to do around campus, like clubs, that I am very excited to join when I become a student.” 

He also reflects on how his perspectives have changed as he approaches the school year. Working on campus for two years, Ashwin mentions his advantage of immersing himself in the �Ӱ�ԭ�� campus. 

Ashwin is entering Aerospace Engineering this fall. 

Trent

Trent is also a returning Junior Instructor! Last year, Trent worked with Engineering Sr, whereas this year he assisted Game Design. He was teamed up once again with Connor, a fifth-year Aerospace student, along with Mia, a second-year Electrical Engineering student. When discussing his choices for post-secondary, Trent noted his experience in the �Ӱ�ԭ�� community. 

After two summers at VV, Trent has chosen �Ӱ�ԭ�� to pursue his studies in Mechanical Engineering! 

By: Emily D’Alessandro 

The post Junior Instructors Take on University Life appeared first on Virtual Ventures.

With the 2023 summer camp season coming to an end the Virtual Ventures team has been reflecting on the past 29 years of STEM outreach! Over the years VV has seen many different youth throughout their journeys in STEM. This season there are several instructors who have come full circle having taken part in VV as a camper and returning as an instructor. Meet some of our amazing instructor team!

Grace

Grace is one of VV’s university instructors entering her second year of Aerospace Engineering at �Ӱ�ԭ��! This summer Grace taught Programming camp and all girl’s technology camp, Codemaker Girls! Grace is passionate about encouraging girls to see themselves in the STEM fields. This inspired her to join the VV team as an instructor after being a camper in VV’s animation camp in 2017.

“Seeing women in STEM at Virtual Ventures camp when I was younger and at �Ӱ�ԭ�� was really cool. I want to make sure that girls know they have a place in STEM as well”.

Grace enjoys showing different STEM topics in a fun way and helping kids see what possibilities they have to pursue STEM. In the future Grace would like to work for the Canadian Space Agency and contribute to getting rid of debris in lower Earth orbit. 

Connor

Connor is a returning university instructor heading into his final year of Aerospace Engineering at �Ӱ�ԭ��. He taught Game Design Sr summer 2022 and is teaching Engineering Sr this summer. Connor attended Virtual Ventures as a camper for many years participating in a variety of camps.

“VV was my childhood, I’d be asking my parents to go to VV to reinforce my interest in STEM. I really liked learning about programming at camp which wasn’t a part of the curriculum when I was younger”.

Connor hopes to become a teacher and teach secondary math and science. This goal and his passion for STEM led him to join the VV team as an instructor. “I’ve always really enjoyed teaching. I really looked up to my instructors as a camper, seeing what engineering students could do as a part of their job while in school was awesome and it was really cool seeing students get to teach other people”.

Zane

Zane attended VV for a number of years as a camper, participating in Terabytes, Engineering Sr and Innovators camp. As a high-school instructor this summer Zane taught Engineering Sr, Programming and Game Design. When asked why he wanted to return to VV as an instructor Zane shares, “VV inspired me with a love of STEM, I want to contribute to that for another generation of kids”. Zane will be pursuing Economics at Western University this fall.

Mia

Mia has been a part of Virtual Ventures for many years! She started off with VV in Explorers camp in grade one and has returned every year since. As a camper she participated in general camps, Game Design, Engineering camp and Girls camps. Mia joined the VV team to give back to the Virtual Ventures community, “It means a lot to me because I grew up at camp every single year and have so many good memories”.

Mia is a returning high-school instructor and helped with many camps this summer including Engineering Jr, Nybbles and Explorers.

“I find it really cool because I started out in Explorers and now I am teaching Explorers, its a full circle moment as I am now teaching the same content I learned at Virtual Ventures”.

Mia is interested in pursuing Architecture or Industrial Design at �Ӱ�ԭ��.

By: Halle Blowes

The post Camper to Instructor appeared first on Virtual Ventures.

The Virtual Ventures summer instructor team began their school workshop journey around Ottawa on May 15th! The instructor team is made up of 20 current university students from various engineering, science and design programs at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University.

In under two months, while preparing for summer camps, the VV team travelled across Ottawa to deliver in-person workshops on different curriculum-related STEM topics. All workshops are taught by two VV instructors who share their passion for STEM with each class they encounter. The workshops focus on technology and engineering and use programs such as Scratch, TinkerCAD 3D Modelling, and TinkerCAD codeblocks! Classes were able to use a variety of technology including LEGO Mindstorms, Makey-Makeys, Micro:bits, Ozobots and Spheros!

Instructors delivered workshops at 45 different schools across Ottawa and in 3 different public libraries. The VV team hosted a STEMazing Saturday program at the Centennial and Beaverbrook Ottawa public library locations for youth grades 1-8. As well, we expanded our STEM workshops outside of Ottawa with instructors travelling to Perth to deliver LEGO Robotics at the Perth Public Library! The instructors were able to visit 84 different classes reaching an incredible total of 3688 students from kindergarten to grade 8! The VV team is so thankful for all the support from our educators in the Ottawa area. We look forward to continuing to bring STEM education to more classrooms in the fall! 

To book a school workshop, view our workshop page here!

By: Halle Blowes

The post Around Ottawa in 60 Days appeared first on Virtual Ventures.