13 students successfully completed the final leg of the STEM Executive Education (SEEd) Canada Program from August 3 to 17, 2026 in Ontario, Canada. 

The group took part in an enriching two-week experience featuring hands-on activities, university visits, and community-based innovation initiatives.

At Mohawk College, they experienced university life and learned about their options after senior high school. They explored how Canada’s college and university pathways prepare students for further study, work, and life in a diverse community.

Hands-on activities were a key part of the program, where students studied microbes, honeybees, robotics, engineering design, programmable logic controllers, 3D printing, and electric vehicles. These activities showed them how science, mathematics, engineering, and technology work together to solve real problems.

Their learning continued outside the classroom,  where they visited Mohawk College’s green building facilities, McMaster Engineering, the University of Toronto, and Mohawk Aviation.The aviation and aerospace activities inspired several students to consider related courses and careers. The 3D printing sessions also showed them how technology can turn an idea into a working model.  These visits gave them a closer look at sustainability, research, higher education, and industry.

The students applied what they learned through a capstone project using the design thinking process. Working in teams, they identified areas for improvement at the De La Salle Santiago Zobel School Vermosa Campus, explained the value of their proposed innovations, developed ideas, built prototypes, gathered feedback, and presented their solutions. They also considered whether their ideas were practical, sustainable, ethical, and useful to the people they aimed to serve.

One of their capstone entries, entitled HIVEX: A Biomimetic Sanitizing Entry System Based on Apis mellifera (Honeybee) Hive received the Best Capstone Project award. Jared Kenneth Galang (DLSZ 2027), Maxine Antoinette Tomas (DLSZ 2027), and Anna Kristina Valero (DLSZ 2027) developed the project. The team based its design on the movement and organization of a honeybee colony. Their project showed how an idea from a biology workshop could become a practical solution. It reflected the program’s goal of turning global learning into local impact.

The program also strengthened the students’ sense of community and global citizenship. At the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, they had an opportunity to meet and greet Consul General Kristine Leilani R. Salle (DLSZ 1989). Her journey from DLSZ to public service encouraged them to stay focused, act with purpose, and use their education to serve others as Lasallian Leaders for God and Country.

An awarding ceremony marked the end of the program. SEEd completers Maxine Antoinette Tomas and Markus Gabrel Dela Cruz Lebria (DLSZ 2027) shared their reflections on the lessons, challenges, friendships, and discoveries that shaped their experience.Their messages reflected the goals of the SEEd Trifecta: to develop confident young people who can connect ideas across subjects, communicate clearly, lead with empathy, and apply their learning beyond the classroom.

The 13 students were accompanied by Mr. Gerald Ferrer, Math Unit Head. They returned to DLSZ with more than memories of Canada. They gained a clearer view of possible college, career paths and developed a deeper understanding of how STEM can address real-world challenges.

Through SEEd Canada, they learned to look beyond today’s problems, prepare for challenges that may arise, and design solutions for the future.