Spring / Printemps 2017 25 Workshops for the Masses In 2015, the Winnipeg Public Library started a series of Adult Pro- gramming classes following the Makerspace trends seen in other venues across North America and contacted IEEE to participate and develop the material. The staff at the Millennium Library managed the logistics, registration, and purchased the parts, while IEEE Young Professional members were responsible for preparing and delivering content to a wide audience that ranged from high school students to retired seniors. The demand for the sessions was very high and all the workshops were sold out with waiting lists of people trying to attend. Thus, in an effort to offer more options, the library staff took on the responsibility of delivering content for the introductory level workshops reusing existing material, while IEEE members continue to develop and run more advanced workshops on embedded systems, 3D printing, and other technologies. Multiplying Factors through Teacher Workshops In April 2015, Dr. Witold Kinsner and Ms. Andrea Misner organized a full-day workshop for 26 high school physics teachers through the IEEE Teacher In-Service Program (TISP). The event combined hands-on activities building a solar robotic car intertwined with examples of activities to run in the classroom, safety elements, and pedagogical discussions for teaching electronics to young audiences. The activities were run by university professors, graduate students, and industry professionals who were able to share their passion and experiences teaching and learning about embedded systems. The workshop was a great success and a second iteration was scheduled for March 13, 2017. We can estimate hundreds of students benefited. The Impact of the Workshops By the time this issue of the IEEE Canadian Review is printed, it will have been six years since the first workshop. In that time, there have been 60+ workshops, 1000+ participants and 40+ volunteer instructors. In order to understand the impact, one must look beyond the numbers and evaluate the benefits to different stakeholders. At a high level, these can be summarized as follows. Theworkshopsareanoutreach tool that makes electrical and computer engineering more tangible through hands-on activities for pre-university students. For most students, this is their first and possibly only exposure to the subject in high school. Thus, it is important for them to have a positive memory that involves some success completing the first examples, a high-level appreciation for the field, magnitude of applications in everyday life, and research potential. Some students become very engaged and are excited to learn about more advanced workshops that will challenge their understanding of the subject in a university environment. As an example, while in Grade 11, Erik Johnson attended the 2011 Manitoba Space Camp, was encouraged to participate in some of the university workshops, later enrolled in the Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the UofM, joined IEEE, delivered workshops himself, and will soon be transitioning to the Young Professionals member grade. As mentioned in the examples of workshops, the activities through the IEEE Teacher In-Service Program (TISP) serve as professional development for teachers and help reach a wider audience. The THE RESEARCH DISCOVERY SPRING CAMP By Witold Kinsner The University of Manitoba (UofM) has developed a very good Engineering Access Program (ENGAP) for Indigenous high-school students to facilitate their transition to the Faculty of Engineering. The program is also very helpful to the students already in Engineering. In order to motivate students even more, we have also developed an annual one-week Research Discovery Spring Camp (RDisc) for Indigenous high-school students. It is administered through the ENGAP in the Faculty of Engineering under the umbrella of the Verna J. Kirkness Science and Engineering Education Program (VKP) (http://www.vernajkirk ness.org/). Grade 11 students from across Canada representing First Nations, Métis and Inuit are selected to come to our campus. We started the program with fewer than 20 in 2013, expanding to more than 80 students last year. The program at the RDisc is very diverse, with emphasis on hands-on experi- ence. Workshops include (i) exposure to research, (ii) building and testing of small smart robots (each student takes one home), (iii) Building of a small circuit and its analysis, (iv) computational workshop on Arduino, and (v) many demonstrations. Many seminars are interspersed among the workshops. Another form to reach Indigenous students in Manitoba was the two-day Peguis First Nation Science, Technology and Engineering Symposium offered at the University of Manitoba in the past. We provided many presentations on research at the UofM, including major workshops on robotics. Dr. Verna Kirkness graduated from the UofM in 1980 with a Master’s in Education after she completed her BA and BEd at the U of M as well. She is a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation, and a member of the Order of Manitoba and Order of Canada. She is a national leader in education in Canada who has inspired countless students and educa- tors in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. In her book (left) Kirkness has written about the history of Aboriginal edu- cation in Canada and her valuable efforts in supporting Aboriginal education’s develop- ment. Her book is published by the University of Manitoba Press: uofmpress.ca. To know more about the RDisc, contact Witold Kinsner: w.kinsner@ieee.org A Verna Kirkness Discovery Week participant concentrates on soldering a circuit-board connection. The workshops are an outreach tool that makes electrical and computer engin- eering more tangible through hands-on activ- ities for pre-uni- versity students