30 years of sparking discovery
Geering Up celebrates a major milestone
Geering Up Engineering Outreach had no shortage of accomplishments to celebrate at their 30th birthday party on May 29. Through summer camps and educational programs, Geering Up has long provided a way for youth across British Columbia to investigate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a fun and educational environment. The occasion was an opportunity to reflect on Geering Up’s remarkable growth and look ahead to the next three decades.
"What makes Geering Up truly remarkable is its ability to inspire younger students to consider engineering as a future educational pathway, while also training our student instructors to be inclusive leaders essential for the future of the profession," said Faculty of Applied Science Dean James Olson. “Geering Up exemplifies our commitment to being a university for the future by offering transformative education and developing future leaders."
Grassroots beginnings
For founder Christine Hylands, the spark of inspiration for Geering Up came as she worked on her capstone project as a fourth-year UBC Mechanical Engineering student. With the encouragement of Dr. Ian Gartshore, Christine proposed a new way to get STEM out of the laboratory and into the community. Operating out of shared space in the mechanical engineering office, the program launched in 1995 by offering student-led workshops to schools across the Lower Mainland and, after positive reception from students, parents and educators, expanded with summer camps the following season.
In the twenty years following this, the grassroots initiative grew to include specialized programs for high school students, Indigenous youth, and girls in STEM. In 2014, Geering Up partnered with the Faculty of Applied Science, which kicked off a decade of exponential growth. The team grew to include UBC Okanagan, and programs expanded to new corners of the province.
Go where kids are
Geering Up now offers a wide selection of programming, from coding camps for elementary students to professional development opportunities for educators who want to embed STEM into the classroom. A particular focus is on barrier-breaking programs – opportunities for youth from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in the sciences. A “Go where kids are” approach has seen Geering Up make strides in its goal to connect students from equity-deserving groups to career pathways in engineering. Geering Up’s activities outside the Lower Mainland and Okanagan, or delivered to youth facing access or financial barriers, have grown 40% in recent years. The InSTEM initiative collaborates with Indigenous communities to create and deliver camps, workshops and internships.
Geering Up’s impact can be felt throughout the province. The programs now reach around 30,000 students a year, and around half of those participants identify as girls or gender diverse. Camps and workshops cater to kids as young as 6 all the way to teens on the cusp of entering university. Events have been held in up to 60 communities a year across BC, reaching as far north as Dease Lake.
This dedication to the promotion of science, engineering and technology to children and youth has not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, Geering Up received an Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight into Academia Magazine. A long-time member of the Actua network of STEM outreach organizations, the program has twice been recognized with an Actua Award of Excellence for its high-quality, long-term programming.
Looking forward
“What began in 1995 as a capstone project has blossomed into a transformative force in STEM education across British Columbia,” said Geering Up Senior Outreach Manager Andrew Jamison at the 30th birthday event. He pointed to the growing demand for accessible education in the sciences and noted that collaboration will be essential as Geering Up continues to grow. “With continued support from our donors, partners, and volunteers, we are poised to positively impact more BC youth, inspiring the next generation of thought leaders.”
Geering Up’s network of partners has allowed them to tap into diverse expertise and resources to deliver even more meaningful, engaging and innovative programming. The student staff, a dedicated group of tomorrow’s engineers who want to share their passion for their field of study with the next generation, now numbers 200. As Geering Up looks towards the coming decades, the mission remains the same as it did when Christine Hylands had her spark of inspiration: to show kids how fun, exciting and useful engineering and science can be.
2025 Summer Camps registration is now open. These dynamic camps feature hands-on experiments and creative projects that spark curiosity and foster a love for STEM.
