About Us
GEERing Up! UBC Engineering & Science for Kids is a non-profit organization with the mandate of promoting science, engineering and technology to youth across the Greater Vancouver Area.
Affiliated with the University of British Columbia, GEERing Up! is designed, organized and operated by UBC students. We endeavour to show program participants how fun, exciting and useful engineering and science can be, using interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities. The students hear the words, see the examples, and do the rest!
Our goal is to provide this incredible learning experience to as many youth as possible. We offer workshops at elementary schools in the Lower Mainland from May to June and camps at UBC’s Point Grey campus from July to August. In all our programs, GEERing Up! is committed to:
- Hands-on, interactive programming that inspires curiosity and creativity - the building blocks of innovation;
- Programs delivered for youth by youth;
- Local community involvement and engagement;
- Focusing on learning and the development of essential skills;
- Excellence and quality;
- Accessibility for all youth - especially those typically underrepresented in science and engineering through Aboriginal Outreach, Girls Only! programs, Special Needs Integration Support, and bursaries; and
- Building sustainability into all programs for a lasting impact.
Download GEERing Up!'s 2008 final report
Download GEERing Up!'s 2007 final report
Download GEERing Up!'s 2006 final report
Download GEERing Up!'s 2005 final report
Our Vision and Our Mission
Our Vision: To provide all of the children and youth of British Columbia with the opportunity to investigate engineering, science, and technology in a fun, educational and safe environment.
Our Mission: GEERing Up! UBC Engineering & Science for Kids is a non-profit, student-run organization dedicated to promoting science, engineering and technology to the children and youth of British Columbia through fun, innovative and hands-on experiments and projects. GEERing Up! also strives to reach all children and youth, regardless of gender, ethnicity, culture or socio-economic status, with special outreach for those groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. GEERing Up! provides valuable work experience to its employees, and enriches the University and community.
Back to TopOur History
In early 1995, Dr. Ian Gartshore, then Associate Dean of Students in the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC, brought YES Camps to the attention of Christine Yeung, a UBC Mechanical Engineering student. An interest in having a YES camp at UBC was sparked, and Christine and several other students incorporated the planning of camp project ideas into a design project for one of their courses.
During the summer of 1995, a volunteer committee was formed with the intention of designing and implementing a YES camp called GEERing Up! UBC Engineering for Kids for the summer of 1996. Their goal was to show youth in the community that engineering was not just building bridges and driving trains, but incorporated fun science concepts in order to design and construct structures, chemicals, vehicles, and computers.
From our beginnings in 1995, GEERing Up! has evolved from an idea to its current form, with in-school workshops in May and June, and Summer Camps in July and August. YES became YES-VACC, which then became Actua, a national network of science, engineering and technology camps. We launched our Aboriginal Outreach and all-girls programs in 2000, which have both become huge successes. In 2002, GEERing Up! changed the subtitle of its name to UBC Engineering and Science for Kids to reflect the change of focus from engineering to both pure and applied sciences.
With continued support, we will grow to meet the demands for high-quality, educational programs for youth. Over the past several years, we have offered several Girls Only! programs, which were received with great success. In 2004, we were proud to launch our Junior Engineer Leadership Training Volunteer Program. In 2005, we offered a second week of Aboriginal Outreach, provided free workshops to schools in areas with low incomes, and introduced a Special Needs Integration Support Instructor. The summer of 2006 marked the debut of Tech camp, where campers gained hands-on experience with computer-based projects.
The summer of 2007 will mark GEERing Up!’s 12th year of success engaging youth across the Greater Vancouver area. We have developed the resources and skills necessary to deliver programs that are fun, innovative, and relevant to the formal school curriculum.
Back to TopActua
Actua’s mission is to build science literacy among Canadian youth by providing them with positive hands-on experiences that inspire them to become learners for life and develop self confidence, creativity and critical thinking skills. Membership in Actua gives GEERing Up! the opportunity to access Actua’s vast resource base and support through programs such as member funding (for programs such as girls’ camps, Aboriginal Outreach and bursaries), training, national conferences, project development materials, and the opportunity to network with other Actua members.
Click here to visit Actua on the web: Actua
2009 Local Funders Thanks to BC Hydro Powersmart, The Jade Project, UBC Mechanical Engineering, APEGBC, Urban Systems, Fluor, ms. infinity, and GET to CAMP.