By Emily Keller

shad canada

Manning high school student launches petition after cancellation of 2020 Shad Program

Mar 25, 2020 | 5:30 AM

A Grade 11 student in Manning has started a petition after a prestigious summer program for students was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Shad Canada is a month-long summer program run at 19 universities in the country, that offers students various labs and workshops. The students accepted are also to work on a project where they design a solution to a real-world problem, such as food security or water management. Shad accepts 1,000 students a year.

Kara Walisser says she does support their decision to cancel this year’s program, and that all Grade 11 students accepted into the 2020 Shad program will no longer be able to attend, but is bothered that Grade 10’s accepted this year will have another chance.

“This is actually the first year that Shad hasn’t allowed Grade 12 students to apply to their program, so basically what’s happening is that all the Grade 10’s that were accepted this year automatically get a place in next year’s program, but we are being denied this opportunity and we are not allowed to attend the Shad programming.”

She says Shad has told them they will offer the Grade 11’s online programming, but she believes it is still unfair that her and other successful applicants will not be able to partake in the in-person programming at all.

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“They’re saying that deferring admission, so allowing us all to go next year, would have significant ramifications on their capacity for the next several years, however, everyone is suffering from COVID-19. Businesses, our economy, everything. So, really, it’s not really fair to us Grade 11 students who have put so much effort into being accepted into the program and applying, and now we don’t get to attend at all.”

Her petition can be viewed here.