Reflections on a First Year of ELITE Program for Black Youth Programming

Author: Tom Ndekezi

The ELITE Program for Black completes its first year and is now on to the second year of exceptional training, learning, and engagement

****

After 16 weeks of programming, 38 work placements, and over 21,000 hours of hands-on work experience, the Experiential Learning in Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ELITE) Program for Black Youth wrapped up its inaugural year of operation in 2021.

To reflect on a year of work, learning, and advocacy for Black youth, ELITE Program participants, staff, and partners came together on August 26, 2021, for an afternoon of presentations at the Program’s Final Intern Technical Workshop event. The afternoon saw program participants present their experiences from a summer spent working with organizations like the University of Alberta, Enbridge, Alberta Health Services, the City of Edmonton, and Token Naturals. The projects themselves ranged from interns testing traffic control systems used by fire departments to researching the receptors involved in the contraction of malaria. But despite the variety of topics highlighted across the dozens of presentations, one thing was clear from the mood of the day: after a successful inaugural year, the ELITE Program’s work is just getting started.

Read more first year reflections about the ELITE Program for Black Youth HERE.