Healthy, eco-friendly food practices in schools

What a great way to start the new decade! UP4 is partnering with John Polanyi Collegiate Institute and Evergreen Brick Works to provide a class of Grade 11 students with the chance to learn new skills and make a positive change in their local community. Over the course of several weeks, students will learn how human-centred design works, how they can utilize it to be agents of positive and impactful social change in their communities, and how STEM can help them make this change happen. Stay tuned for pictures and program updates!

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Want to volunteer your time to help with this innovative workshop? Check out our volunteer flyer here to learn more.

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Interested in learning about how STEM supports students' innovative designs that promote sustainable, food-secure practices in our communities? Have your class participate in our collaborative program with Evergreen Brick Works.
Get in touch to learn more!

February - March 2020, Toronto

National Engineering Month 2020

In celebration of National Engineering Month, UP4 The Challenge will be hosting an event in collaboration with Visions of Science on March 14th. And best of all, it's open to the public! Don't miss this chance to learn about human-centred design, healty  and STEM in a fun and hands-on way. Visit our Eventbrite page here to learn more and register!  

March 14th 2020 at New Common in Toronto 

Ryerson Fellowship

Up4 The Challenge is happy to announce that we will be working with the Ryerson University once again as part of their Arts and Contemporary Studies fellowship program. Last year, we had the opportunity to work with two amazing students, Devany and Smyrna, and we are looking forward to collaborating with new students this spring!

Coming to Evergreen Brick Works Spring 2020

Sustainable, Food-Secure Cities Design Workshop

Evergreen Brick Works

November 4th 2019, Toronto 

We had thirty students from Lord Lansdowne Junior Public School join us at Evergreen Brick Works for this full-day workshop. After a fun and informative tour with Peter and Isaac, the students prototyped inspiring ways to make the school lunch experience better for their classmates. Their ideas were as diverse and creative as the participants!

Design Thinking Workshop

October 25th 2019, University of Ottawa

This workshop provided future science educators with an introduction to human-centred design and highlighted how the connection between STEM and social impact could be demonstrated to their future students. Participants came up with creative ways to improve the lunch experience for their partners. Their solutions included a portable slow cooker and much more!

Sustainable Cities Design Thinking Workshop

Evergreen Brick Works

June 16th 2019, Toronto

This half-day workshop introduced participants to the importance and challenges of designing sustainable, food-secure cities and guided them through a hands-on human-centred design process. Following a tour of Evergreen Brick Works led by Isaac Crosby, Lead Hand Urban Agriculture, participants created prototypes to redesign the school lunch experience.

Girls in Tech Conference (GITCon 2019)

Toronto University Schools

April 13th 2019, Toronto

This workshop involved a fun, fast-paced, hands-on design challenge in which our facilitators introduced participants to the importance and challenges of designing sustainable cities. After leading them through a user-centered design process, the girls were challenged to consider how STEM supports the social outcomes from their design.  Check out what happened at the 2019 Girls In Tech Conference!

Sustainable Cities Design Challenge Workshop

Evergreen Brick Works

March 24th 2019, Toronto

The half-day workshop, in celebration of National Engineering Month (NEM2019), introduced participants to the importance and challenges of designing sustainable cities, led them through a hands-on user-centred design process and a specially-developed STEM integration activity to empower an appreciation of how STEM supports social outcomes from their prototypes.

Seedy Sunday at Evergreen Brick Works

March 17th 2019, Toronto

We offered drop-in style, human centred design activities at Evergreen Brick Works during their annual Seedy Sunday event. Kids were challenged to create a physical prototype that would provide a convenient way to get fresh fruits and vegetables to students at school. Designs included portable coolers for veggie pops and an indoor garden supported by rainwater harvesting. Impressive!

Sustainable Cities Challenge 

John Polanyi Collegiate Institute & Evergreen

Feb-March 2019, Toronto

For our initial program with John Polanyi Collegiate Institute in collaboration with Evergreen Brick Works, we challenged students to create a healthier, more secure food environment within the school community. Participants loved learning about urban and Indigenous agricultural practices at Evergreen, the Three Sisters Soup for lunch, as well as building their prototypes!

Design Thinking Workshop

University of Ottawa

​November 2, 2018

Our workshop provided Bachelor of Education students with an introduction to human-centred design. They were guided though a hands-on, iterative problem-solving process drawing on empathy for meaningful, creative ideas. Students gained a greater awareness about how math and science fit within this interdisciplinary process and the potential for technology as a tool for positive change.

Fisher Summit Alternative School

in partnership with the Parkdale Food Centre 

October 2017 -  June 2018, Ottawa

Our initial three-week program led middle school students through a human-centred design process in which they had an opportunity to interview their neighbours who use the Parkdale Food Centre to better understand the challenge around food security. Their design ideas were so appreciated by our partners, that they spent the next few months implementing their ideas. More information about this program can be found here.