Black youth outreach – Faculty of Engineering
Two young women smiling, holding hair oil containers that they created in a STEM program

Black youth outreach

Black Outreach STEM Series (BOSS) is an enriching educational program for Black Youth in grades K-12, led by the Engineering Student Recruitment and Community Outreach unit in the Faculty of Engineering.

Inviting Black youth to become innovative leaders in STEM

Through the facilitation of culturally relevant engineering workshops, students can celebrate their Black identities and make meaningful connections to STEM education.

BOSS breaks down stereotypes and fosters a sense of belonging in STEM, where Black folks have been historically underrepresented.

Two boys give peace signs to the camera.

Our program

BOSS breaks down stereotypes and fosters a sense of belonging in STEM, where Black folks have been historically underrepresented.

These workshops provide mentorship opportunities, engaging conversations, and the ability for youth to see themselves as potential post-secondary students.

These workshops resonate with the daily lived experiences of Black youth, which helps them connect and relate the subject matter to their own lives and communities.
BOSS Registration with Mac Eng Outreach
Two hands holding a piece of technology.

Explore our workshops

Workshops connect concepts such as haircare to chemical engineering, community building to civil engineering, and music production to electrical engineering.

Some examples of these workshops include:

  • Hair Care Series Workshop
  • Kente Cloth Design Workshop
  • STEM in Sports workshop
  • Community Design Challenges
  • Bionic Arm

For more information, and to book a workshop on campus, please contact BOSSEng@mcmaster.ca

Download our workshops

  • Hydro-electro flow project

    Students will use simple household products to complete a design challenge! The goal of this challenge is using a large or medium sized container. You will split the container into 2 sections and in the middle create a dam that will prevent water from crossing over to the other side.
    Download workshop

  • Juicy Genes – genetic engineering project

    Students will use simple household products to extract DNA from strawberries. Students will get to physically see DNA strands (which is usually not seen with the naked eye)!
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  • Kente cloth design take home kit project

    Students will learn about the historical significance of the Kente cloth and create their own cloth using weaving strips and yarn based on their own personalities and beliefs. Included in your kit is a card that describes the meaning behind the colours that are mainly used in Kente designs!
    Download workshop