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ICE Challenge

ICE Challenges: A Year in Review

April 30, 2026

This year’s ICE Challenges brought students face-to-face with real industry challenges. Explore how local partners helped inspire creativity, innovation, and career discovery across Waterloo Region.

ICE Challenges: A Year in Review

This year, we had the opportunity to bring ICE (Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship) Challenges to life alongside incredible partners across Waterloo Region.

These one-day, hands-on workshops connect senior high school students in Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs with real businesses and real challenges. Using a design thinking approach, students dive into problem-solving, explore different industries, and share fresh, creative ideas, while gaining a better understanding of potential career paths.

We were proud to partner with a range of local organizations who opened their doors, shared their expertise, and invested their time in supporting student learning. A sincere thank you to:

Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) - where students explored innovative ways to enhance quality of life for older adults.
Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) - where students tackled challenges related to patient experience and healthcare environments.
The Village of Winston Park - where students developed ideas to support community engagement and resident well-being.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada - where students were introduced to advanced manufacturing and problem-solved real production-related challenges.
KW Titans - where students explored fan engagement and marketing strategies within the sports industry.
Realign Health - where students considered ways to improve access to and awareness of health and wellness services.

Each of these partners played an important role in creating meaningful, real-world learning experiences for students across Waterloo Region. From healthcare and advanced manufacturing to recreation and community services, these challenges showcased the diversity of opportunities available to young people right here in our community.

As we wrap up this year’s ICE Challenges, we’re incredibly grateful to the organizations who helped make these experiences possible.

If you’re an educator interested in bringing an ICE Challenge to your students, or an organization looking to get involved, we’d love to connect.

Read more about this year’s ICE Challenges Here

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