Access
Open the route into STEM for students who have not had the same starting line.
Southpointe Academy / STEAM Collective
デザインクラブ
SPA Design Club
Shaping futures of STEAM. A year-round student collective at Southpointe Academy where students in grades 5–12 design, build, compete, and lead.
“Formanus Futura” — we shape the future
/ Sponsors
Our sponsors
スポンサー
Harvard Student Agencies
Competition sponsor
Harvard Student Agencies supports student innovation and entrepreneurship, including competitions focused on creating solutions for microchips and next-generation technology. The more people who register, the more funding we receive as a club to support competitions, research, and project costs.
Use our referral code: GORDON-95. If you use the code when registering, you receive a discount.
Referral code: GORDON-95
Progressive Automations
Motion systems sponsor
Progressive Automations is a highly reputable provider of motion-control and automation hardware, known for reliable actuators and precision components used in real-world engineering applications.
Based in Richmond, BC, their linear actuators and motion control parts are among the highest-quality options available for fabrication, robotics, and prototype development.
/ 01
About Design Club
デザインクラブについて
Founded in 2026, Design Club is a year-round club where students receive the opportunity to innovate almost anything.
The goal of this club is to equip students from grades 5–12 with the skills and connections to succeed in the field of STEM — a field where there is a real need for adaptability and experience.
These initiatives drive our mission of lifelong learning and global academic excellence.
2026
Founded
5–12
Grades welcome
03
Program pillars
$20K
ERA prize pool
01
Mentorship
This program will provide students with opportunities to meet with PhD mentors through webinars and learn a multitude of skills necessary to succeed in a changing world.
Research-driven curriculum
Regularly updated with the latest advancements, such as building your own artificial intelligence.
Technology integration
Access to advanced tools and resources.
02
Competitions
After mentorship, students will need to prove their skills. We will enter competitions throughout the year ranging from regional to national merit. As a result, we expect commitment from students joining the program — however, competitions are completely optional throughout this program.
Fundraising & financial aid
As a club starting off, we will do our best to fundraise as much as possible in order to cut costs for our students.
Open to everyone
We accept anyone as long as you are able to participate in events.
03
Leadership & community
Because this club is a large project, it will require support from students of diverse backgrounds and disciplines. Hackathons will require students with a coding background; writing the brochure required writers. Everyone apart of this club will be supporting local initiatives, such as the recycling challenge that helps fundraise for future causes.
/ Mission
Our goal
STEM has historically not offered equal access, representation, or opportunity to everyone.
Design Club exists to make engineering feel reachable: learn, build, compete, and explore with real support.
Through workshops, projects, competitions, mentorship, and technical resources, students can discover new interests and feel that they belong in STEM.
Engineering should be an opportunity open to everyone.
— Gordon
Support
Mentors, peers, and club systems keep projects from feeling like solo missions.
Build
Workshops and resources turn an idea into something students can test and improve.
Belong
Students should be able to see themselves as builders, researchers, and leaders.
/ 02
Why STEM competitions matter
なぜ競技会か
01
STEM competitions are rare
Most STEM competitions require lots of funding and a large student body — the Conrad Challenge, for example, requires more than 10 members. As a student collective, we have a huge advantage: funding from collaborative fundraising and the necessary resources in order to compete.
02
Innovation is defining the decade
In a world revolving around artificial intelligence and automation, STEM is becoming an increasingly vital domain. Understanding the implications of STEM can open many doors to high-paying opportunities and job security in today’s status quo.
03
The results speak for themselves
Our experienced mentors have won numerous competitions. Their experience will be passed down to our students.
Innovation thrives where curiosity meets opportunity. Our mission is to transform knowledge into solutions that benefit global communities.
— Prof. Aaron Loeb, Ph.D.
/ 03
Competitions & conferences
大会とカンファレンス
What and how
Scroll through the path from first showcase to national challenge. Competitions are where ideas get tested, revised, and understood by people outside the room.
STEM competitions offer students the opportunity to showcase innovative products, receive feedback, and learn from industry-level professionals.
Harvard Student Agencies
Official sponsor for competition outreach and student access. If you use our referral code when registering for their competition, you receive a discount.
Referral code: GORDON-95 | Register via my referral link
Conrad Challenge
August 27 – April 24. Trips and paid patents.
Flagship
YSC Showcase
Youth Science Canada showcase. $5,000 prize pool.
Starter
Skills Canada BC Regionals
Cabinet making and automotives. February 26. Winners access Nationals.
Regional
Science Fair
Regional science fair entry, open to all members.
Open
Ingenious+
National youth innovation challenge.
National
Fundraising and community service
We have decided to join the Electronic Recycling Association’s competition, with a prize pool of $20,000, to support future STEM competition costs.
Students can provide broken hardware to support the national recycling organization. Funding earned from ERA will become bursaries for parts, projects, and competition entries.
/ Sponsors
Our sponsors
スポンサー
Harvard Student Agencies
Competition sponsor
Harvard Student Agencies supports student innovation and entrepreneurship, including competitions focused on creating solutions for microchips and next-generation technology. The more people who register, the more funding we receive as a club to support competitions, research, and project costs.
Use our referral code: GORDON-95. If you use the code when registering, you receive a discount.
Referral code: GORDON-95
Progressive Automations
Motion systems sponsor
Progressive Automations is a highly reputable provider of motion-control and automation hardware, known for reliable actuators and precision components used in real-world engineering applications.
Based in Richmond, BC, their linear actuators and motion control parts are among the highest-quality options available for fabrication, robotics, and prototype development.
/ 04
Principal investigators
主任研究員
Ethan Circle
Lead Principal Investigator
Leads the club’s engineering vision, technical direction, and project mentorship across design, prototyping, robotics, and fabrication while evaluating student creations for novelty and technical merit.
Achievement Highlights: VEX Worlds Top 15, VEX Design Champion, VEX Build Champion.
Gordon
Founder
Founded the club and sets the long-term vision, culture, and strategic direction for student innovation and competition work.
William
Vice President
Brings a passion for design and every branch of science to the club, supporting leadership operations and helping members turn complex problems into buildable, well-engineered solutions.
Achievement Highlights: Multiple-time Michael Krooks Physics Prize recipient, BC Award winner at science fair.
Jason
Director of Social Media
Leads the club’s social media presence, creating regular posts that highlight projects, competitions, workshops, achievements, recruitment opportunities, and upcoming events.
What is novelty
The best innovations are unique and original — which is what makes them novel.
Why make novelty
Novelty is what makes innovations useful. Imagine a million copies of a single innovation — it doesn’t change anything. A part of this club is to make something useful, but more importantly to make a change in the world. Consequently, our Principal Investigators review student creations, assess their originality, and help ensure each project has a distinct, meaningful contribution.
Who are the experts
We will do our best to contact experts in many disciplines, such as artificial intelligence, to join our hosted webinars. It is up to students to attend meetings and ask questions that might benefit their project.
At the same time, our Principal Investigators will evaluate submitted ideas and creations to help determine whether they are novel, feasible, and aligned with the club’s innovation goals.
/ 05
Leadership & opportunities
リーダーシップ
Design Club is building a student-led team dedicated to creating accessible opportunities in engineering, research, innovation, and competition. Applications for leadership, mentor, and investigator positions will be opening soon.
Vice President / Operations Lead
Seniors
Supports the President and manages the club’s day-to-day operations, meetings, project timelines, member coordination, and internal organization.
› Expected to attend and help direct meetings unless stated otherwise.
Director of Competitions
Seniors
Researches competition opportunities, manages registration and deadlines, organizes competition teams, and helps members prepare for events such as Skills Canada, science fairs, and engineering challenges.
› Expected to find an opportunity every 2 months and provide a general overview for students.
Secretariat of Outreach
Seniors
Builds relationships with universities, engineering organizations, companies, researchers, and community partners. Responsible for contacting organizations, professors and PhD researchers to develop mentorships, workshops, guest-speaker opportunities, and partnerships.
› Expected to host a webinar at least once every 3 months. Suggested to collaborate with the Director of Competitions.
Director of Sponsorship & Fundraising
Seniors
Leads sponsorship outreach and fundraising initiatives to support equipment, competition fees, engineering projects, and the club’s future robotics program.
› Expected to host hardware collection initiatives for the Electronic Recycling Association and collaborate with the Secretariat of Outreach.
Social Media Managers
All ages openings
Manages the club’s social media presence and creates regular posts highlighting projects, competitions, workshops, achievements, recruitment opportunities, and upcoming events. Multiple positions are open and highly recommended.
› Expected 1 post every 1.5 weeks. Needs to be professional and somewhat informative.
Engineering Mentors
All ages openings
Multiple mentor positions will be available for students with experience in specific technical areas.
CAD & Mechanical Design Mentors
All ages openings
Teaches members CAD, 3D modelling, mechanical design, prototyping, and engineering design principles. Multiple openings are available for students who can support beginners.
Coding & AI Mentors
All ages openings
Supports members working on websites, Python, JavaScript, Arduino logic, AI experiments, debugging, and interactive project demos.
Electronics & Robotics Mentors
All ages openings
Helps teams with circuits, sensors, motors, microcontrollers, wiring, testing, and robotics troubleshooting during build sessions.
Research & Pitch Writers
All ages openings
Writes project summaries, competition pitches, research notes, grant blurbs, and clear documentation that helps technical ideas make sense.
Prototype & Fabrication Assistants
All ages openings
Supports hands-on building, material prep, simple fabrication, testing logs, iteration notes, and cleanup after prototype sessions.
Event & Workshop Assistants
All ages openings
Helps set up workshops, welcome members, organize supplies, track attendance, photograph progress, and keep sessions running smoothly.
Some considerations. If you do not find any role that interests you, feel free to talk to Gordon about new role openings that might suit your interest. As a design club, we appreciate any form of innovation — including your own ideal leadership roles.
Inconsistent participation in meetings, violation of rules, misconduct, and disrespecting members may result in leadership roles being removed.
No single type of experience defines a strong applicant. We are looking for leaders who are curious and willing to learn.
With great power comes great responsibility.
— Spider-Man
/ Strategic plan
Three pillars to success
三つの柱
01
Design and redefine
Members begin by developing original ideas and transforming them into practical designs, prototypes, or engineering solutions. Through feedback from peers, mentors, and industry professionals, students strengthen their technical skills, improve their work, and learn how to approach challenges through an iterative design process.
02
Compete and achieve
Members apply their knowledge and skills through engineering, science, and design competitions. Competition provides students with opportunities to work toward clear objectives, solve problems under real-world constraints, collaborate effectively, and demonstrate their abilities beyond the classroom.
03
Lead and contribute
Members are encouraged to take leadership roles within the club and the broader STEM community. Through mentoring, project management, outreach, and team leadership, students develop the ability to support others, organize meaningful initiatives, and create opportunities for future members to succeed.
Partnerships — As a club starting off, we understand that starting an organization alone is difficult. We do not have the funding necessary, the newest technology, or access to many competitions. Hence, we have decided to collaborate with organizations that support diverse student bodies and mentors with experienced backgrounds to teach us the skills necessary. Thank you to Harvard Student Agencies and the organizations that have sponsored and supported us. If you use our referral code, GORDON-95, when registering through the Harvard Student Agencies competition link, you receive a discount.
/ 06
Our team
チーム
A student-led engineering collective building projects, mentorship, and competition-ready innovation.
Mr. Halushka
MYP Design Teacher & Technology Coordinator
Mr. Halushka is the MYP Design teacher and Technology Coordinator at Southpointe. He is passionate about design and technology, and loves helping students turn their ideas into reality — whether through problem-solving, creating, or building something new. He believes every student has amazing potential waiting to be discovered, and he is excited to support the Design and Engineering Club and work with members to make something awesome happen.
Ethan Circle
Engineering Lead
Leads the club’s engineering vision, technical direction, and project mentorship across design, robotics, prototyping, and fabrication.
Gordon
Founder
Founded the club and drives the long-term strategy, culture, and student innovation goals.
Jason
Director of Social Media
Runs the club’s social channels, posting the projects, competitions, workshops, and achievements that keep members and families up to date.
William
Vice President
Entering Grade 11 at Southpointe Academy, William brings a passion for design and every branch of science to the club. He is a multiple-time recipient of the Michael Krooks Physics Prize and a BC Award winner at science fair, and he is drawn to the challenge of turning complex problems into buildable, well-engineered solutions.
Cayden
Director of Competitions
Entering Grade 11 at Southpointe Academy, Cayden pairs a strong interest in the sciences with a commitment to social activism. As Director of Competitions he researches opportunities, organizes teams, and helps members prepare for events such as Skills Canada, science fairs, and engineering challenges — drawn throughout to work where scientific rigour meets questions of equity, access, and community impact.
Evan Chen
Director of Media
Evan is deeply dedicated to the arts and consistently innovative in his craft, having taken on leadership roles in media and at numerous Model UN conferences. As Director of Media he looks forward to capturing the best highlights from every event and delivering 4K photography for the club’s competitions.
/ 07
Hall of fame
栄誉の殿堂
This is where we celebrate our winners. Every member or team who places in a competition, wins an award, or hits a major milestone gets featured here — expect new posts quite frequently as the competition season picks up.
Hall of Fame opening soon
Check back often
Our first wave of results is on the way. As members place in competitions and earn recognition, their achievements will be posted here.
/ 08
Getting started
Anyone can join. We accept any student in grades 5–12 as long as you are able to participate in events — no prior STEM experience required. Talk to Gordon to get your name on the list.