Science and Technology Students

The ELITE Program for Black Youth & the Fred Otto DiscoverE Program

Investing in the engineers of the future. The ELITE Program and DiscoverE are empowering Black youth with hands-on engineering experiences at UAlberta.

Andie Hrenchuck - 4 February 2025

A group of six diverse children, wearing casual clothing and backpacks, pose in a classroom setting. Some wear name tags, and one child holds a small plastic bag while another gestures towards the camera. A hot plate sits on the table in front of them. The children appear to be engaged in a hands-on learning activity.

Participants in the inaugural partnership between the ELITE Program for Black Youth and the Fred Otto DiscoverE Program engage in hands-on STEM learning at the University of Alberta. Through immersive camps, these young minds explored engineering disciplines, building skills and confidence for future success.

Summer 2024 marked the first year in an amazing new partnership between the ELITE Program for Black Youth and the Fred Otto DiscoverE Program. The two organizations joined forces to support a group of 10 Black youth in completing four weeks of immersive programming at the University of Alberta’s North Campus. Participants from grades 1-9 attended four unique week-long camps to explore everything engineering has to offer. From biomedical engineering to chemical and materials engineering to robotics, these campers got to try it all!


Children who do not see themselves represented in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics will start to self-select out of STEM subjects as early as 12 years old. Hands-on exposure to these subjects at an early age helps kids develop problem-solving abilities, encourages deeper thinking, and improves leadership and teamwork abilities. These are foundational skills that help youth to be successful in future pursuits. 


Through this partnership, the ELITE Program and DiscoverE are creating opportunities for youth to explore their interests in STEM and providing broader exposure in new communities. This ecosystem of programming will create a robust pipeline of experiential learning in STEM for Black youth from their elementary schooling to undergraduate studies.


Looking forward to summer 2025, the second year of the partnership will see the number of participants more than double! The high volume of applications to participate in this second year of the program has clearly demonstrated the need for this type of outreach.