How do you show students the complexity of Canada’s energy sector? You bring them inside one of the companies shaping it.
By Ken Hoffman
STEM Innovation Academy Energy Enrichment Lead and SW Junior High Science Lead
On Nov. 5, as part of Take Our Kids to Work Day, 81 STEM Innovation Academy Junior High students visited Imperial Oil’s Quarry Park campus for a full day of immersive, multi-disciplinary learning.
Throughout the day, Imperial Oil staff led students through a series of hands-on, future-focused learning sessions, including:
- The Importance of Data — how diverse forms of data guide planning, decision-making, and operational strategy
- Indigenous Partnership & Co-Ownership — exploring models of trust, collaboration, and long-term partnership
- Site Reclamation Modeling — hands-on exploration of land restoration, environmental planning, and long-term stewardship
- Corporate Structure, Trust & Partnership — how complex organizations coordinate work
- Law, Procurement, and Negotiation — how major projects move from concept to contract
- Team Building & Leadership — communication, coordination, and problem solving
- Engineering Design Challenges — real-world technical thinking
- Energy Operations — understanding upstream, midstream, and downstream roles
- Escape-Room Scenario — applied collaboration under constraints
- Lunch & Career Conversations — direct engagement with professionals
This day reflected exemplary corporate citizenship: Imperial Oil opened its doors at scale, mobilized staff across departments, and delivered an exceptionally rich learning experience for our students.
A special thank you to the Take Our Kids to Work Day committee at Imperial Oil (Quarry Park) for their planning, coordination, generosity, and commitment to youth career development.
STEMIA Journal 