For 35 years, McMaster Engineering’s Venture Camp has introduced youth to the world of STEM. Each summer, current McMaster Engineering students share their love of STEM with campers and inspire the next generation of engineers through engaging, hands-on learning.
Recognize Venture’s 35th anniversary by supporting the next generation of diverse STEM leaders with a gift to the Venture scholarship. Your generosity will help create a future where curious children, regardless of their families’ financial barriers, have the chance to participate
Learn more about what Venture means to past instructors and McMaster alumni, Shelby Amponsah, Pasquale Frappa, Gabrielle Bouchard, Martin Scherer, Nick Lahey, Rodney Gabay, Jackie Spackman, Alison Bayzat, Adam Rocque, Dave Colangelo, and more to come!
Shelby Amponsah ’23, BTech
2019 & 2020 (Instructor), 2021 (Educational Facilitator), 2022 Co-Director, 2023 & 2024 (Outreach Team Lead)
What does Venture mean to you?
Being a part of Venture has been integral to my growth as an individual and as a STEM professional. From a personal standpoint, the work I was (and am still) a part of at Venture means a lot in terms of being a role model for youth, specifically historically under-represented youth in STEM. Venture to me is a safe space for curious students to explore their passions for science and engineering, and it was really impactful for me to see their passion come to life!
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
My favourite Venture memory is definitely going out into community to do outreach for under-serving groups and communities. Regarding an actual camp memory, definitely when I was an instructor in 2019 and teaching the Grade 2s (as I was 1/2 of the last instructor pair to ever teach the Gr. 2s). Being able to do so many different projects with them and watching their excitement for the projects was amazing! I also really enjoyed the camaraderie with my fellow instructors all the fun we had in the summer including spending a weekend camping!
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
Skills/lessons from Venture that have stayed with me through my career is the development of my leadership skills, especially from the camp director role, to my public speaking skills. Before Venture I was very nervous struggled to present in a manner where the information flowed and could not present without reading off the paper. Now, I am much more confident in my presentation skills with my professors giving me comments about how my skills have grown. Presenting at Venture has also given me the skill to take jargon-filled explanations and bring them to a level that is more commonly understood – hence building those important communication skills STEM professionals need when communicating with external partners and stakeholders.
Venture in one word?
Inspirational
Pasquale Frappa ’21, BEngMgt Mechanical
2017 (Curriculum Coordinator) & 2018 (Director)
What does Venture mean to you?
As someone fortunate enough to experience Venture from nearly every angle, first as a camper, then as a junior counsellor, as an instructor, curriculum coordinator, and ultimately as director, Venture Engineering and Science played an integral role in shaping who I am today.
It started with the instructors who inspired me. Their passion for STEM was contagious, and it set me on a path I never looked back from. When the time came to choose where to pursue my post-secondary education, the decision was easy, McMaster Engineering. Venture had already given me familiarity with the campus, a deep love for STEM, and the confidence to believe that engineering was where I belonged.
From there, Venture continued to teach me. I grew through collaboration, sharpened my problem-solving instincts, and developed the leadership skills needed to guide teams of fellow engineering peers and run the program itself. Along the way, I built friendships that have lasted well beyond those summer months and I had the privilege of inspiring a new generation of young students to discover the same passion for STEM that was once sparked in me.
For all of these reasons, Venture means everything to me. I am forever grateful to everyone who taught, supported, and believed in me throughout the many years I had the honour of being part of this program.
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
There is no shortage of memories to choose from. Off the hop, the travelling workshops stand out. Visiting elementary schools across the GTA and working through hands-on projects with students during their school day was always a rewarding experience. Then there was camp itself, filled with exciting activities and creative projects that brought out the best in every student. I also had a soft spot for reading the end-of-week surveys. Whether I was an instructor or director reading about the experiences my instructors had created, those responses never failed to put a smile on my face.
But if I had to choose one favourite memory, it would be watching the students grow over the course of the week. Every weekly session of camp started the same way. Some students would walk in quiet and hesitant, unsure of what to expect or where they fit in. As instructors, it was our job to draw the best out of every single one of them and ignite a genuine enthusiasm for STEM. By the end of the week, seeing those same students come out of their shell by raising their hands, jumping into discussions, collaborating with peers they had just met, and walking away with new friendships never got old. That transformation, week after week, is what made Venture so special and is my favourite memory.
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
Venture gave me far more than just a love of STEM. It gave me a skillset I carry into my career every single day.
Problem solving was a part of everything we did, from designing curriculum that worked for classes of students from K to 8, to troubleshooting on the fly when a project or workshop didn’t go as planned. Collaboration was equally important. Running a program like Venture required everyone to pull in the same direction, and learning how to bring a team together is something that has stayed with me in my professional life beyond Venture.
Perhaps the most lasting lesson was compassion. At Venture, every student came in with a different background, a different comfort level, and a different spark waiting to be lit. That same mindset of meeting people where they are and drawing the best out of them shapes the way I approach my family, friends, colleagues and my work today.
At its core, Venture taught me that the best results come from people who feel inspired and supported. That lesson has stayed with me and always will.
Venture in one word?
Empowering
Gabrielle Bouchard ’13, BEng Civil Engineering
2010 (Curriculum Coordinator) & 2012 (Outreach Coordinator)
What does Venture mean to you?
Life long friends, cherished memories, a place to grow. Working at Venture was the first time I got to be creative and have ownership of my work. I think that knowing how this felt before starting my career was really important for me. I never wanted to be a worker bee. I always wanted that feeling I had at Venture– to work somewhere I could bring my creativity, enthusiasm, and leadership.
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
I have too many favorite memories to list! It was pretty incredible to have the opportunity to start Venture’s first Indigenous outreach program. I had the opportunity to work with the kids in dozens of First Nations communities across southern Ontario as part of Venture’s first Indigenous outreach program, and to work with Inuit kids in Nunavut with Actua. These experiences fundamentally changed the way I see the world.
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
(1) I learned dozens of ways to keep children quiet/entertained (very useful now that I’m a mom). (2) I gained really incredible presentation skills. Speaking in front of a room of 13 year olds who don’t want to be there has a way of making you unafraid in every other room. (3) From creating workshops, I learned how to execute– from just an idea to brining together room full of people building something together.
Venture in one word?
Growth
Martin Scherer ’06, BEngSociety Software Engineering
2002 (Instructor), 2003 (Director of Programming) & 2004 (Director)
What does Venture mean to you?
Venture means a place where kids can discover their interests in STEM. Venture means a place where kids who are already passionate about STEM can have an environment where they can have the opportunity to be excellent.
Most importantly, Venture is a means to help demystify a post-secondary campus and show to both parent and child that this is a place where they are welcomed and belong.
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
I always loved the chemistry shows and soldering activities.
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
Working with people of different backgrounds is something I learned at Venture and that has served me well in my former career as an Outreach Manager at The University of Waterloo and in my current role as a special projects officer for the faculty of Waterloo Engineering. The ability to explain ideas and theories to a broad audience has been one of the skills that I make use of daily.
Another lesson I learned is what it means to be committed to your team and the importance of following through.
These leadership skills I learned as an instructor and later as a director have been part of the foundation of my professional and personal lives.
Venture in one word?
Opportunity
Nick Lahey ’04, BSc Physics
2002 & 2003 (Instructor) & 2004 (Director)
What does Venture mean to you?
I owe so much of who I am professionally today to Venture. You could say that my years spent there, both as a counsellor and, later, as a coordinator, were the catalyst for my entire career in education. I began my university journey in Engineering, but my time with the camp reshaped my trajectory. It was through delivering STEM outreach during classroom school visits and leading in the camp environment that I discovered my passion for Science education. Venture was the place that showed me my true calling, changing the course of my professional life.
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
While the true highlight of my time at Venture will always be the incredible team of people I was lucky enough to work alongside—a crew that made the experience just as unforgettable for the staff as it was for the campers, there is one specific moment that stands out.
During my first year running classroom school visits, we kept a logbook of memorable student quotes. On one of my very first outings, I was breaking down the complexities of gravity, explaining why objects fall toward the ground instead of floating upward. Right in the middle of the explanation, a student had a sudden moment of clarity. He looked up, shook his fist dramatically in the air, and yelled, ‘That’s why it happens?! STUPID GRAVITY!’
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
As a counsellor, Venture taught me that complex scientific concepts become accessible when they are hands-on, contextual, and integrated. Testing out pedagogical ideas on energetic camp kids proved that engagement happens when theory meets reality.
As a camp coordinator, I started to develop my leadership ethos. I quickly realised that impactful leadership is not about top-down control; it is about leading through collaboration and empowering others to bring their own strengths to the table. You cannot micro-manage a summer camp, and you certainly cannot micro-manage a school faculty. Building collective capability and trust became foundational to how I lead.
More than 20 years later and half a world away as an Assistant Principal in New Zealand, these are still the core values I rely on daily. Whether I am guiding staff through major national curriculum shifts or collaborating on the strategic integration of our school farm, the roots of my leadership stretch back to those McMaster summers. For that, I will be forever grateful.
Venture in one word?
Foundation
Rodney Gabay ’07, BSc Biology
2005 (Instructor), 2006 (Curriculum Coordinator) & 2007 (Director)
What does Venture mean to you?
Venture is the place where my career in education really began. It was the first time I felt that mix of excitement, challenge, and purpose that comes from working with young people. Those summers showed me how much I enjoyed teaching, creating hands‑on learning experiences, and being part of a team that cared about making science fun.
As I moved from instructor to curriculum coordinator to camp director, Venture became the place where I learned how to lead, how to trust my instincts, and how to support others so they could do their best work. A lot of the way I run my department today can be traced back to those early lessons.
More than anything, Venture represents growth. It shaped me at a time when I was figuring out who I wanted to be as an educator, and its influence is still with me every day.
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
My favorite Venture memory is one I can still picture almost 20 years later. We ran a project where campers built Spider‑Man cutouts and attached straws to the hands, threading a long string through them which was then attached to the ceiling of the room. Using the principles of friction, two campers would race their Spider‑Men by pulling the strings as fast as they could.
The energy in the room was unforgettable. The cheering, the determination, the friendly competition, and the pure joy on the kids’ faces as their Spider‑Man “climbed” the rope was unforgettable. It was such a simple activity, but it captured everything I loved about Venture: creativity, hands‑on science, and kids discovering how fun learning could be.
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
Venture was truly the beginning of my career in education. My first summer in 2005, working as an instructor, helped me realize how much I loved teaching and working with kids. It pushed me to develop my communication skills and gave me the confidence to lead a classroom for the first time.
In my second summer, as a curriculum coordinator, I had the chance to explore my creativity by designing hands‑on projects that made science exciting and accessible. That experience taught me how to think like both an educator and a learner — a balance I still rely on today.
By my final summer in 2007, serving as Camp Director, I learned how to lead a team of diverse, talented, and incredibly smart individuals. Managing staff, supporting instructors, and creating a positive environment for campers taught me leadership skills that translated directly into my current role as Science Department Head at a Toronto high school. Many of the ways I mentor teachers and build department culture today can be traced back to those summers at Venture.
Venture in one word?
Legendary
Jackie Spackman ’11, BEngScty Materials Engineering
2008 & 2009 (Instructor)
What does Venture mean to you?
Excellent STEM education for kids to be exposed to exciting concepts and careers they would not normally experience!
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
Some of the kids in my Comp & Tech class coding their own video games – some with great detail including sprites they drew themselves! The spark in their eye and the excitement for a project in a youth with great potential is always fulfilling.
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
Being able to break down complex concepts into simpler, teachable bites is such a valuable skill. Engineering teams often have to coordinate with sales, logistics, management and other non-technical departments, so being able to communicate necessary technical details to laypeople is essential.
In my personal life I have continued working with youth as a volunteer with Scouts Canada. I’ve been a Beaver Leader for 4 years and my years at Venture well prepared me for this age group!
Venture in one word?
Bright
Alison Bayzat ’17, ’19, BEngScty Electrical Engineering & MASc Software Engineering
2013 (Instructor) 2014 (Curriculum Coordinator) & 2015 (Director)
What does Venture mean to you?
When I was in high school McMaster Engineering Community Outreach had LEAP (Learning Enrichment Advancement Program), focused on providing students a two-week introduction into STEM fields. This was my first adventure into the world of engineering, although initially attending for biomedical engineering, I discovered my interest in electrical engineering and computer science. When I returned to my final years of high school, I shifted focus to computer science and FIRST Robotics, receiving admission to McMaster University to study Electrical Engineering & Society with a minor in Computer Science and later Software Engineering.
While at McMaster it was important to me to work to inspire the next generation, just as this program and its leaders did for me. Throughout my time at McMaster I had the opportunity to work as an Instructor, Computer Science Curriculum Coordinator and ultimately as the Director of Engineering Youth Programs. During my time as the Director of Venture, we were able to create new learning opportunities for students, expanding the program to include Codemakers in partnership with Actua and Google and Yes SHE Can focusing on engaging women in STEM. Throughout my education and career, I have had the continued privilege to lead within similar STEM engagement programs and spend time with future innovators!
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
Looking back on my years with Venture, my favorite memory is leading travelling STEM workshops throughout the community, reaching a wide audience across elementary and high school students to inspire the next generation!
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
One of the most important skills I developed at Venture was learning how to create and present content for a wide range of audiences. Whether it was a group of young learners, parents, or fellow engineers, I had to adapt my communication style and make technical ideas accessible, this has stayed with me throughout my career and has been critical in every role I’ve taken on.
Venture in one word?
Future
Adam Rocque ’17, BEng Computer Engineering
2013 (Instructor), 2014 (Assistant Director Operations) & 2015 (Instructor)
What does Venture mean to you?
Venture is a massive opportunity – for campers and counsellors alike. For the campers, it reframes STEM entirely. It’s not equations on a page, it’s designing solutions to real problems, discovering something new, and having a blast while doing it!
For the people running it, it’s a crash course in the skills that formal engineering education often misses – time management, interpersonal communication, and learning to actually convey complex ideas clearly. Engineers have an edge in knowledge – but without the ability to communicate it, it can dull.
Venture sharpens that edge.
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
It happened after my Director role with Venture. I was presenting my capstone project during McMaster’s public day – several of engineering and work experience culminating in one massive project.
A young man came through with his family, touring the school as a prospective undergrad. When I got a closer look, I recognized him immediately – he’d been one of my campers in my very first year as a counsellor, and I’d had the privilege of watching him grow through the program over the years.
He told me McMaster was his top choice – and that what he’d experienced at Venture had a lot to do with that decision. It was a quiet reminder of why this work matters, and one I carry with me still.
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
Presentation and public speaking. Doing science workshops in schools every day forces you to hold a room, adapt on the fly, and make technical content land for any audience.
Building out the Codemakers curriculum also gave me my first real taste of leading a team and owning a department’s direction end to end – setting goals, managing people, and being accountable for the output. Those two things – communicating well and leading with intention – show up in everything I do professionally.
Venture in one word?
Inspiring!
Dave Colangelo ’06, BArtsSc
2001 (Instructor), 2002 (Director) & 2004 (Instructor)
What does Venture mean to you?
My time at Venture as a counsellor and director were really special. I made a lot of great friends that I’m still in contact with today. Venture presented us with an opportunity to put what we were learning in the classroom into practice in a unique and challenging way: we had to figure out how to translate complex ideas from physics, chemistry, electronics, computer science, and biology into simple, hands-on projects that would children would get excited about.
What’s your favourite Venture memory?
The CO2 powered racecars that we made one year. Campers got to choose between 3 different models, assemble and decorate their cars, then race them down the hallway in the engineering building. We created a custom starter that would puncture the C02 cartridges in two cars at the same time so that they would simultaneously take off down the racetrack lined with kids going wild.
What skills or lessons from Venture have stayed with you in your career?
How to distill and translate complex theories into simple hands-on activities that bring those concepts to life. Also: how to manage a classroom!
Venture in one word?
FUN