City of Kingston and BGC South East partnership culminates in Jr. Mayor’s Innovation Challenge Showcase

Yesterday, Mayor Bryan Paterson joined BGC South East representatives, City councillors and staff, youth and their parents to witness the inaugural Jr. Mayor’s Innovation Challenge Pitch Showcase. 

Inspired by the Mayor’s Innovation Challenge, which has been running for eight years for post-secondary students, this youth version for grades 7+ offered participants the chance to work in teams and go through the Engineering Design Process to develop solutions to problems that impact the community. Students spent the last 12 weeks developing their innovative ideas which culminated in presentations to the Mayor and other leaders and professionals in last night’s showcase.

"It was truly inspiring to see the energy, creativity, and passion these young innovators brought to the Jr. Mayor’s Innovation Challenge," says Mayor Bryan Paterson. “Engaging youth in this kind of hands-on problem solving is exactly how we build a stronger, more connected Kingston for the future."

Last night, attendees saw projects that included a robot designed to reduce hospital wait times, a net-zero community centre and a trash-collecting device to help keep our community clean. The event and the projects highlighted how engaged youth are on important issues and how much it matters to have their voices represented.

“This partnership was a perfect fit for the Club’s STEM & Robotics Centre and our growing focus on educational initiatives,” says Bruna Guarino Moraes, Associate Director, STEM & Strategic Initiatives. “Youth came each week full of ideas and curiosity, showing that with the right tools and mentorship, they can create solutions that are truly innovative. We are excited to expand these STEM programs and reach even more youth in Kingston.”

The City has been exploring ways to bring the Mayor’s Innovation Challenge to a younger demographic to provide more opportunities for youth engagement. BGC South East emerged quickly as a partner with the expertise to facilitate youth programming and came on board enthusiastic about providing this experiential learning opportunity to students. Through this programming, youth were guided by experienced engineers and educators to help them develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, project management, communication and presentation skills, all in a fun and engaging environment.