SDA-for-SDGs Summer School

Name: SDA-for-SDGs Summer School
Start: 2026-05-25T00:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-05-29T23:59:59-04:00

May 25 - May 29

Monday May 25^th 2026 — SYMPOSIUM Day

Inaugural SDA-for-SDGs Symposium Day, with program updates, panel sessions, keynote address from Evan Thomas (University of Colorado), student presentations, and poster session.
Date: Monday 25^th May 2026
Time: 9:00am – 4:15pm
Place: Galbraith 202/Myhal 380

Tuesday May 26^th 2026 — Systems Mapping and Modelling for Sustainable Development Goals Workshop

System mapping is a system thinking tool that is frequently used in fields such as public health and environmental policy to describe complex, multi-stakeholder problems. Once a system is mapped, conceptual modelling tools like causal loop diagrams can be used to investigate how system elements interact and evolve over time, which can lead to emergent synergies and trade-offs between goals. Students will apply system mapping and modelling techniques to describe and analyze complex sustainable development problems with technical, social and environmental aspects. Students will develop a system map of their research problem, getting feedback from peers. They will identify interactions and feedbacks between system elements that can accelerate or slow progress towards sustainable development goals. The emphasis will be on problem definition not problem solution, though it is expected that maps will point to potential paths for solution.
Date: Tuesday 27^th May 2026
Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Place: Myhal 380
System Mapping Academy

Wednesday May 27^th 2026 — Co-Design for the SDGs Workshop

This 4-hour interactive workshop introduces students to the principles and practice of co-design in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The session begins with perspectives from an academic researcher and a field practitioner, who will discuss how participatory approaches and systems thinking are applied when designing technologies and programs for real-world SDG challenges. Students will then participate in a hands-on co-design exercise, working in teams to develop elements of a Sensing, Data, and Analytics for the SDGs (SDA-for-SDGs) training program. Through structured activities, teams will identify key skills needed for SDG work, design learning modules or training experiences, and consider how community stakeholders and practitioners can be meaningfully involved in the training process. The workshop concludes with group presentations and reflection on how engineering education can better prepare students to address complex sustainability challenges.
Date: Wednesday May 27^th 2026
Time: 10:00am – 3:20pm
Place: Myhal 380

Thursday May 28^th 2026 — Setting up IOT Devices Workshop

The goal of this workshop is to introduce students to concepts of the Internet of Things (IoT) computing, such as sensors, actuators, edge devices, and (time permitting) cloud. The workshop features hands-on exercises for setting up an IoT deployment. Exercises are done with a Lab Kit that includes microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, an edge device, and electronics. Students will be exposed to IoT publish/subscribe protocols and be given an introduction to power-profiling of IoT devices. The workshop does not assume prior experience with microcontrollers or electronics. Participants with significant experience have the opportunity for practical exercises on advanced topics (e.g., AWS cloud, Google cloud, LoRa communication).
Date: Thursday May 28^th 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Place: Myhal 380
IoT Workshop details

Friday May 29^th 2026 — CREATE Policy Workshop

Engineering innovations are central to addressing many of the most pressing societal challenges yet technically sound solutions often fail to scale without supportive policy and governance frameworks. This workshop is designed to help engineering graduate students understand how policy decisions are shaped and how their research and technical expertise can inform real-world decisions at national and global levels. By bridging engineering practice, sustainability transitions, and science policy processes, the workshop equips participants with practical tools to translate technical knowledge into policy-relevant insights and to engage effectively in shaping solutions aligned with societal priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Date: Friday May 29th, 2026
Time: 9:30am – 4:15pm
Place: Galbraith 202 or Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/247658738154995?p=YVC5JUaWiMNCuNvw6f
Meeting ID: 247 658 738 154 995
Passcode: dn79fK6w

Details