Join us this summer for dynamic professional development opportunities designed for educators across BC.
Discover innovative approaches to embedding the Engineering Design Cycle (EDC) into your classroom. Walk away with ready-to-use, practical lessons that will engage your students and enrich your teaching practice. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and get inspired!
Workshop Dates: JULY – AUGUST 2025
See below for specific dates
Available Times:
9:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Sign-in starts at 8:30
Cost: FREE! *Please reach out if you require a travel bursary.- UBC Vancouver Campus
Specific room & location TBA
Summer Pro-D Sessions
| Sessions | About | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Making EDCs Engaging & Purposeful
Grades: 4-7 |
Want to spark curiosity and critical thinking in your students? This hands-on workshop will show you how to transform Engineering Design Challenges (EDCs) into rich, inquiry-driven projects. You’ll learn how to move beyond small, isolated design challenges and use the ADST Design Cycle as a springboard for larger, real-world projects that connect across subjects and matter to your students.
Discover how to craft meaningful guiding questions that link STEAM learning to authentic issues, making projects more engaging, relevant, and impactful. Walk away with practical strategies to deepen student engagement, creativity, and problem-solving—ready to use in your classroom! |
July 24th 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM |
| Rethinking Assessment: Valuing Process Over Product in EDCs
Grades: 4-7 |
How do we assess Engineering Design Challenges (EDCs) in a way that values learning over just the final product? This hands-on workshop will explore practical strategies for assessing problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and iteration—key skills developed through EDCs. With a focus on formative assessment, you’ll learn how to shift from grading outcomes to supporting student growth through meaningful, process-based evaluation. Walk away with tools to make EDC assessment more reflective, engaging, and impactful!
|
July 29th 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM |
| Designing Impactful Educational Games with Scratch
Grades: 6-10 |
Discover how video games can be powerful tools for purposeful storytelling and scientific exploration in the classroom. Using Scratch, teachers will explore Gamification, Game-Based Learning (GBL), and Digital Storytelling to create games that engage students in meaningful learning experiences.
Through hands-on activities, participants will design and prototype educational games, gaining practical strategies to integrate game-based learning and game design into their teaching. Let’s unlock the power of learning through play!
|
August 20th 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM |
| The Power of Play: Making Math Fun with Games & Activities
Grades: 3-7 |
Want to make math more engaging for your students? Math isn’t just about finding the right answers—it’s about discovering patterns, solving puzzles, and playing with numbers! In this interactive workshop, we’ll take learning beyond the classroom with engaging outdoor math activities and learn how to level up lessons with puzzles and games that spark curiosity.
You’ll leave with fresh, hands-on ideas to energize your math curriculum and make learning more dynamic, memorable, and fun for your students Note: This workshop will include time outside, participants should be prepared for mild-moderate activity outside and dress appropriately for the weather. |
August 25th 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Our summer series is FREE!
Are you an educator in the lower mainland? Refer your colleagues to our upcoming Summer Pro-D Sessions! If they register and include your name and email in their registration survey, you'll be entered for a chance to win 3 free classroom workshops for your students next workshop season (Jan-Apr 2026)!
1. Will lunch be provided?
Yes, lunch will be provided! Please inform us of your dietary restrictions on the registration form.
2. Where can I park?
You can park at the Health Sciences Parkade for $20 per day. If you require a travel bursary, please reach out to pro-d.geeringup@ubc.ca.
3. What should I expect?
Each Pro-D session will be a combination of hands-on, or technology-based workshops, discussions and guest speakers. You should be prepared to engage in the content, as we demonstrate activities that can be used in your classroom by doing them!
4. Why should I attend?
70% of tomorrow's jobs will require STEAM skills, but less than half of high school students graduate with the pre-requisite STEAM courses (Skills Competencies Canada). BC's new ADST curriculum heavily integrates computer science and applied science skills to help address that gap. Geering Up workshops aim to help educators satisfy BC’s new ADST curriculum by providing them the opportunity to investigate STEAM in fun, innovative, and hands-on projects which can then be brought into their own classroom. Our workshops allow teachers to build future skills, gain tools, and knowledge, allowing them to inspire their students to explore a future in STEAM!
5. Do I need to bring any materials, or prepare ahead of time?
For the tech session, participants will need a computer with internet connection. There will be no downloading of any software or programs. Most if not all other materials will be provided by the Geering Up Team. An email with more information about the content and any additional preparation will be sent before your scheduled session.
Have more questions?
You can reach us at pro-d.geeringup@ubc.ca.
