High school students from the GTA are participating in the da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (D.E.E.P.) in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the U of T this fall. In a series of 3-hour sessions that include lab activities, design projects, and discussions, students have the opportunity to explore some of the cutting-edge research that’s going on in Engineering at U of T, such as software design and bone tissue engineering.
“Students usually don’t often have an understanding of what engineering really is until they are well into their first year of undergraduate studies,” explains Lisa Romkey, coordinator of D.E.E.P. “This program gives them a preview to engineering while complementing their current studies and meeting like-minded students with similar interests.”
D.E.E.P. courses are taught by graduate students from the faculty who are passionate about sharing their knowledge. Many of them continue to pursue academic studies, and teaching D.E.E.P. gives them a chance to explore this option in practice. Although developing and delivering a course is hard work, it is “very rewarding to inspire young minds in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.”
High school students get exposed to topics, research, and people in engineering that they would not normally have access to prior to their undergraduate degree. Justin Yan, a grade 12 student from Agincourt Collegiate Institute, is currently taking Technical Drawing for Engineering and Architectural Design. “The best part of DEEP is that there is no homework,” says Yan. “I’m really beginning to consider engineering as a future career.”
