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Barrett STEAM Academy Launch Showcases Innovation to Learners and Families

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Teamwork, tech, and a whole lot of fun came together on October 18, 2025, as more than 150 guests gathered to celebrate the official launch of the Barrett STEAM Academy at Humber Polytechnic’s Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (CTI).

Fully supported by The Barrett Family Foundation, the Academy welcomed its first cohort of youth on September 13, 2025, with 100 learners split evenly between a junior session for students in Grades 6 to 8 and a senior session for students in Grades 9 to 12. The 12-week program aims to ignite curiosity and hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math and empower them to think critically, solve real-world challenges, and build future-ready skills through project-based learning.

“What makes this Academy so important is the access it provides,” said Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO, Humber Polytechnic. “The Barrett STEAM Academy opens that door much earlier, giving learners a head start, building their confidence, and helping them see themselves as future innovators.”

A touching moment came when parents of the learners personally thanked The Barrett Family Foundation for their vision and generosity. Many shared stories of how meaningful the opportunity has been for their children.

With capstone projects still on the horizon, the launch day offered plenty of hands-on excitement including a PuzzleBot Challenge, where families cheered as their robots raced to solve a Humber-themed puzzle and a Barrett CTI Scavenger Hunt, solving clues in labs across the building and collecting stamps for their Barrett STEAM Academy passports.

During the Academy, learners are exposed to real-world technology housed within the Barrett CTI such as the Festo Didactic Cyber-Physical Factory (CP Factory), where they are able to watch a smart factory operate in real-time and the SEW-EURODRIVE lab where they are able to observe mobile technology in action through the application of autonomous guided vehicles.

“The incredible learning opportunities offered at the Academy are made possible through industry connections that we were able to leverage due to the transformational support we received from The Barrett Family Foundation,” said Neal Mohammed, director, Barrett CTI. “On behalf of Humber, our learners, and our community, I extend my deepest gratitude to the Foundation for their generosity.”