Futures Day welcomed grade 10 and 11 students to campus on February 20th 2026 through a partnership of SHAD, U School, and The University of Alberta. This immersive, conference style event focused on career and academic exploration for the students in the areas of science, technology, math, engineering, entrepreneurship, and leadership. 

The Steadward Centre hosted a recurring workshop during Futures Day for student attendees highlighting the importance of accessible, inclusive, and universal design through hands-on experiences with our fitness equipment, sport and games, and adaptive strategies. This was a unique opportunity to engage with high school students that were passionate about STEM and leadership. 

"It was awesome to see the Steadward Centre, explore all the machines and talk about modifying machines to be accessible for all." 

High school students are an important interest group in our community outreach strategy; to encourage them to consider the role of inclusivity in our communities and for their innovation as future leaders. As the CEO of SHAD Tim Jackson stated about Futures Day, "...[students] left more confident, more curious, and more motivated about their futures...your impact will last far beyond a single day".