At the beginning of July, the University of Lethbridge welcomed high school students from across Canada for the first time through Shad Canada, a program designated for students in Grades 10 and 11.

Upon their arrival, students were introduced to a real-world design challenge, which was shared across all Shad campuses in 2024. This year’s challenge poses the question: "How might we help people in Canada integrate affordable and reliable green energy sources into their everyday lives to create more sustainable communities?"

To tackle this challenge, which cultivates skills in solving urgent social and economic issues, students were organized into groups and expected to present a solution at the end of their stay. Activities and lectures were chosen to complement the comprehensive design cha…