Techsploration on The Island

Techsploration has come to Prince Edward Island! In partnership with the PEI Business Women’s Association (PEIBWA) and with the generous financial support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Techsploration PEI launched a pilot project to introduce our award-winning program to schools in PEI. In 2022, Kinkora Regional High School became our first-ever Techsploration PEI School and participated in our core program model, which includes travel to Nova Scotia for major events in the spring and fall of each school year. Due to the success of their participation, our pilot project has been extended and we are thrilled to invite two more PEI participating schools!  

As Techsploration’s first PEI school to participate, Kinkora’s team spent a day onsite at Clear Build Solutions with their role model, owner and operator Michele Hoy. They experienced ‘life in the shop’ and learned about Michele’s career as both a business owner and manufacturer. Kinkora’s team then held a presentation for students at their school and were able to attend the 2-day Techsplorer Event at Acadia University in the spring, followed by the Alumnae Conference in Pictou, NS in the fall. 

PEI schools interested in participating will have the opportunity to travel to Truro, NS in May to participate in our Division ‘C’ Techsplorer Event. To confirm your participation, schools are encouraged to contact Techsploration’s Program Manager, Margaret Davidson by April 3rd for details. margaret.davidson@techsploration.ca. 

The goal of Techsploration is to introduce young women and non-binary youth to careers in science, engineering, trades, and technology. Its four-phase program is offered to students in grades 9-12 and is designed to help them realize the potential significance of math and science in their future careers. Techsploration’s approach is now considered a national best practice.

The program is broken down as follows: 

Phase 1: Techsploration Goes to Work 

A team from each school (consisting of 6-8 students and 1-2 teachers) attends a hands-on worksite experience with a role model. This role model is a woman working in one of the STEM fields. Think of it like a “take your kid to work” day where they get to learn the ropes and see what the career entails.  

Phase 2: Techsploration Goes to School 

The student team does a presentation on their role model at school and gets to meet other role models in a round-robin session. This is where small groups of students rotate through stations to ask questions and participate in hands-on activities. 

Phase 3: Techsplorer Events 

These are conferences that gather the teams together with teachers, role models, and other guests. They feature interactive presentations and provide a platform for a final presentation on their role models. 

Phase 4: Alumnae Conference 

This is a one-day event for grades 10-12 who have completed the Techsploration program. It provides an opportunity to get together with their peers and meet more role models in the STEM fields. These conferences also feature more workshops and provide alumnae with the opportunity to become mentors to younger grades in the future.