07/27/2026
Good Roots takes off! This past May, the Smith Engineering Indigenous Futures in Engineering initiative hosted dozens of youth from remote communities across northern Ontario and Quebec. The youth participated in a wide variety of STEM activities and checked out what post-secondary education life could look like.
Kayla Ford, Program Lead for Smith Engineering’s Indigenous Futures in Engineering, has grown the program over the last two years, using her relationships from across Canada, even connecting students displaced from their homes in Kashechewan with science-based activities.
"Growing up in Tyendinaga, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a strong community, a rich culture, and people who cared deeply about one another," Ford says. "My community taught me the importance of relationships, resilience, responsibility, and giving back. Those teachings continue to guide the work I do today and shape how I approach this program."
While Ford credits her community for providing a strong foundation, she recognizes that many Indigenous students have limited exposure to certain educational and career pathways simply because those opportunities are not always visible or accessible.
For Ford, it all comes back to the name of the program, and its fundamental goal to not only deliver STEM content, but foster a spirit of excitement and ambition among its students. "We need good roots," she says, "because if a kid doesn't have a solid foundation, just like a tree — if those roots aren't solid — how do we expect them to stand?"
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4fzuxR1
