A program that is all about developing innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership among Canada’s best and brightest youth is underway with two local students involved.

The SHAD program is an intense one month session for 700 students, taking place at 12 universities across Canada.

St Joseph-Scollard Hall’s Temitope Akintola was thrilled when she found out she was accepted into the program.  “I like science and technology and it takes you out of your tiny bubble of what school teaches because it (involves) real life applications.”

Akintola was accepted into the session at Carleton University in Ottawa.

She’s heading into grade 12 in the fall.

Chippewa Grade 10 student Victoria Zhou was also accepted into the program with her session taking place at the University of New Brunswick.

In an interview in early June, President Barry Bisson said the program is focused on STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts and math to help these students see and reach their full potential.

He also says upon completion of the program, the students will gain access to a powerful peer-to-peer network of some 15,000 SHAD alumni, which can help the students in a number of ways,  “looking for an internship, or looking for venture capital for their start-up, or talent for their company, or their thinking of doing a PhD in nanotechnology they can reach out to the alumni community and get advice and help on whatever their need is.”