Inspiring student experience

INSPIRING STUDENT EXPERIENCE: Learning outside the classroom

Clubs and teams are not just an integral component of the Queen’s learning experience; they’re where many of our students form lifelong friendships and career skills. Competitive design teams, outreach programs, conferences, clubs, and student-led campus businesses all provide invaluable teamwork, leadership, project planning, design, marketing, and communication skills. They build community and confidence. Donors, including some of our newest alumni, are helping to ensure that competitive design teams, like the Baja SAE Team and the Solar Design Team, have the resources they need to push the limits of their imagination and succeed at competitions. Contributions also support student outreach efforts, including Science Quest summer camp, FIRST Robotics, and Queen’s Engineers Without Borders.

QYEA: Young grads demonstrate their commitment to Queen’s

Queen’s is renowned for its wide variety of student teams and clubs—and nowhere is that more evident than within the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. Students are engaged in everything from designing cars and autonomous sailboats to robotics technologies and energy efficient houses. It’s all part of the rich learning experience at Queen’s, and it’s possible in part because of funding from young alumni who want to ensure that tomorrow’s students have the opportunities to learn and grow.

Queen’s Young Engineering Alumni (QYEA) was established in Toronto in 2011 with a goal to help young graduates engage in professional development and networking activities while learning the importance of investing in the future of Queen’s Engineering. Members have the opportunity to join the group’s GPA Society by donating back to the Faculty of Engineering through QYEA.

QYEA member and current co-chair Vikram Bhatia, Sc’13, says that the group’s many events and activities are a great way for young alumni to network. “Our events feature inspiring speakers and the opportunity to hear from and

Student design teams QYEA judges at the Gael’s Den

talk with successful engineers and entrepreneurs,” he says. “We’re also creating opportunities for executive coaching sessions with alumni mentors to help new grads learn from the best.”

QYEA is also giving back to Queen’s through the GPA Society’s Gael’s Den, an annual event for student groups to present their pitch with the hope of receiving funding for a specific project or activity. “Student clubs and teams are an integral part of the Queen’s education,” says Bhatia. “They are key to developing important interpersonal and teamwork skills, and an amazing way to meet people that you may not otherwise meet on campus.” Through fundraising and by matching alumni donations, the GPA Society has raised over $40,000 since 2014, which has funded a wide range of projects, including the Queen’s Space Engineering Team, the Queen’s Business and Technology Conference, and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE).

Bhatia notes that QYEA also gives young graduates a chance to be role models to current students. “Queen’s provides students with excellent opportunities to develop strong leadership skills both within and outside the classroom,” he says. “As graduates, we can demonstrate that leadership by giving back to the very experiences that have helped us become who we are.”

Classes give back to the student experience

The Science ’70 Student Initiatives Fund was developed in 2006 to support the initiatives of current Queen’s Engineering students and enhance their university experience. Class volunteers David Field and Wally Palmer note that their time at Queen’s was enhanced by the generosity of the alumni who preceded them, and that the fund is an opportunity to continue the tradition of giving back to Queen’s. Class gifts in this fund are directed towards student clubs and teams that offer significant learning opportunities beyond the classroom. During the past year, the fund supported both the Queen’s Concrete Canoe Team and the Queen’s “ ” We have come a long way since the Science’70 Fund was activated in 2006. Whenever possible, we try to meet team members and learn about their experiences. We get to really see the impact of our giving! — David Field, Sc’70, and Wally Palmer, Sc’70

Rocket Engineering Team (QRET). Bradley Taylor, Sc’13, PhD candidate, and a member of the Rocket Engineering Team, says that the financial support from the Science ‘70 Student

Initiatives Fund was critical to the growth of the team, which expanded from five members to nearly thirty in its second year. “As a new team, it can be difficult to acquire external sponsorship since there is little promotional content available, and there has not yet been an opportunity to develop the tradition and strong community ties that some of the older Queen’s Engineering design teams have already established,” he says. “This support was especially crucial to QRET’s success, because it provided the team with the financial flexibility to begin work early in the year.”

Science ‘70

Ways to give

ONLINE

Please visit www.givetoqueens.ca/ engineering to make a secure online donation. We are pleased to accept onetime gifts and pledges by credit card.

BY PHONE

Call 613-533-6000 x75248 or toll free at 1-800-267-7837 x75248 to make a credit card donation by telephone.

BY MAIL

Cheques made payable to Queen’s University – Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science can be sent to:

Department of Development

Queen’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Beamish-Munro Hall Queen’s University Kingston, ON K7L 3N6

IN PERSON

Please present your gift to the Development office on Queen’s campus in Beamish-Munro Hall, Room 200.

MATCHING GIFTS FROM YOUR EMPLOYER

Double your dollars! Many companies have a program that will partially or fully match your gift to Queen’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. To find out if your employer has a matching gift program, please contact your human resources department or visit www.matchinggifts. com/canada/queens.

GIFTS OF SECURITIES

There are considerable tax advantages to making a gift of appreciated securities (stocks and bonds). You and your broker can electronically transfer these types of gifts into the Queen’s account. Please contact us for details at 1-800-267-7837 x75248.

GIFT PLANNING

Planning for a gift through your will, or a gift of a life insurance policy, are thoughtful ways to support Queen’s Engineering and leave a legacy while maximizing tax and other benefits. We would be pleased to speak to you and your financial planner about your gift plans.

Linda Pearson

Executive Director, Gift Planning linda.pearson@queensu.ca 1-800-267-7837 x77196

INTERNATIONAL GIVING

U.S.-based alumni and their relatives can donate directly to Queen’s University and receive an income tax receipt. For further details, please contact us or consult your financial planner.