Twenty-three teachers from across the Greater Toronto, Hamilton, and Niagara regions, and as far as Sainte-Genevieve, Quebec enrolled in the week-long materials science bootcamp, hosted by the McMaster University School of Material Science and the American Society for Metals (ASM).

Our company began sponsoring this materials science boot camp for teachers six years ago. This sponsorship has allowed teachers to attend the camp at no cost and bring supplies back to their classes. 

On Wednesday, July 12, the camp came to ArcelorMittal Dofasco for a tour of Steelmaking and the No. 6 Galvanizing Line. An area of interest amongst the teachers was Dofasco’s transition towards net carbon and the decarbonization project.  

“Many of them were shocked that there are engineers/scientists who focus on developing technologies to make steel more efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable for an industry that has been in existence for so many years,” said Vanessa Mazzetti-Succi (Project Manager, Automotive) who led the tour.

“The key to building a pipeline of talent within STEM, in particular material sciences, is to ensure our educators can instill this excitement in our young students by understanding what jobs are possible if they like this type of work," said Vanessa, who started in Steelmaking Refractories at Dofasco following her graduation from McMaster’s Materials Science and Engineering and Management program.

“When I was in high school, I was lucky to have strong, supportive educators to encourage me into the field of math and science and be able to mentor me in the different disciplines or exciting possible career opportunities that could exist after studying this discipline."

Most of the week-long camp was spent at McMaster University, where ASM instructors facilitated hands-on activities with metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites.

Teachers participated in experiments and demonstrations, such as an iron wire experiment, nitinol experiment, metal rolling experiments, and making cement hockey pucks with reinforcements. Dr. Hatem Zurob is the camp organizer, chair of ASM Materials Camp Canada, and Chair of McMaster's Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

“The opportunity to visit ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s steelmaking facilities and hear first-hand about the transformation towards carbon-free steelmaking was eye-opening and inspiring," said Dr. Zurob. 

In addition to Dofasco's decarbonization journey, emphasis was also placed on decarbonization within the manufacturing sector and how important young talent is to achieving net-zero.

At the end of the week, teachers left with a full array of demonstration materials and detailed instructions on how to use them within their classroom. 

Teachers raved about the experience and were very grateful. In a thank you letter to our company, one teacher wrote, “Thank you so much. There was so much to learn and a lot to bring back to my students. Hope to see you in a year!” 

Another wrote, “Thank you so much for the contributions you have made to make this camp happen. This has been such a valuable experience and I can't wait to share this with my students!” 

Teachers from the GTHA and beyond are now prepared to elevate their classes. “ArcelorMittal Dofasco has inspired generations of students to pursue careers in Engineering and Technology," Dr. Zurob said. “We are very fortunate to have a strong supporter of STEM in our community."

Richard Do Couto (Senior Specialist, Corporate Responsibility) says the materials science boot camp represents ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s commitment to “deliver on our Sustainable Outcome No. 9: Pipeline of talented scientists and engineers for tomorrow.”

Our materials science boot camp doesn't stop at the end of those five days, Richard says. In addition to the week-long boot camp, Dofasco continues to engage students in STEM through offering materials science camps throughout the year in elementary and high schools across the region, as well as summer camp activities and teacher workshops during professional development days. 

"In a world full of Kardashians [and] Snapchat…there is no better time than now, to promote that STEM is cool with the young minds of today to become changers and shapers of tomorrow,” says Vanessa Mazzetti-Succi (Project Manager, Automotive).