Our Story

Established in 2013 by Smith Engineering at Queen's University, Connections Engineering Outreach aims to create new opportunities for the greater Kingston community to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). As one of the official Engineering Outreach programs of Smith Engineering, Connections collaborates closely with other outreach initiatives, including Indigenous Futures in Engineering and Black Youth in STEM. By providing experiential learning opportunities for students, teachers, and community members, we strive to spark curiosity and inspire a lifelong passion for STEM in all participants.

Mission

Our mission is to:

  1. Provide experiential opportunities for pre-university students to learn about engineering, with an additional focus on increasing diversity within the engineering profession. 
  2. Develop and share quality engineering education tasks that align with the Ontario K-12 curriculum
  3. Provide support and professional development opportunities for educators looking to integrate engineering and 21st century skills into their practice. 
  4. Develop positive relationships between Queen’s Engineering and the Kingston community. 

 
 

Our Partners

Connections is a network partner of Actua; a leading Canadian science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) youth outreach organization. Each year, the Actua network engages over 375,000 youth in 600 communities across Canada in transformative STEM learning experiences that build critical skills and confidence. Please visit www.actua.ca. 

Image of Actua National Funders for 2024-2025