Tech Stewardship
Practice Program
Bend the arc of technology
towards good.
Become a Tech Steward.
20hrs | Online | Free
Registration for Winter 2022 is closed
Technology is transforming our world - for better and worse.
Now more than ever, those of us involved in the creation and application of technology need to consider the social, ethical and environmental impacts of our work. Join a growing movement of tech stewards who believe better is possible.
Program Overview
This program is open to all undergraduate students currently enrolled at a Canadian post secondary institution, and is particularly relevant for those in engineering and technology related programs.
A series of simple reflective exercises designed to overlay your experiential and work integrated learning opportunities, such as co-op, internships, practicum, or design teams.
-
FOUNDATION - Introduction to core concepts.
Estimated 6hrs to be completed before January 31, 2022. -
PRACTICE - Integrate Tech Stewardship into your work.
Estimated 1hr per week between Feb and mid-April, 2022. -
COMPLETION - Final reflection and collect micro credential.
Estimated 4hrs to be completed before May 7, 2022.
Earn A Micro-Credential
What leaders are saying
“Today’s students are highly attuned to the challenges ahead – addressing climate change, energy transitions, food security, social inequity, and more. They are looking to engineering studies as a toolkit to navigate these complex problems. Tech Stewardship adds a critical lens by which to understand their multi-dimensional nature and build a supportive network so we can meet these challenges together.”
Marcia Friesen, Dean, University of Manitoba Engineering
“The creators and designers of technology have the right to interrogate the ethics of what they are developing. But our ethics only extend as far as our lines of inquiry. More responsible technology starts when we grant ourselves and each other the permission to inquire.”
Martin Ryan, Strategy & Stewardship, ServiceNow
“Diversity and inclusion is critical to both the means and ends of tech stewardship. To start we must combat the ‘myth of rationality’ in engineering and tech fields that has for too long created a headwind against substantive change.”
Marisa Sterling, P.Eng. – Past President, Professional Engineers Ontario
“To find regenerative paths forward, there is an opportunity to dance with different ways of knowing. Instead of choosing sides, we can enter a reflective space that welcomes a third presence where we combine insights from both.””
Melanie Goodchild – Co-Founder, Turtle Island Institute
Registration for Winter 2022 is now closed
Free to all current undergraduate students in a Canadian post secondary institution thanks to generous support from the Government of Canada and RBC Future Launch through the Business & Higher Education Roundtable.
For future offerings including Summer 2022, see FAQ below.
Funding Partners
Facilitation Partners
Academic Partners
Facilitators
Mark Abbott (he/him)
Director, Tech Stewardship
Mark Abbott, P.Eng., MBA, is an Ashoka Fellow who currently serves as the founding director of the Tech Stewardship Initiative and the Engineering Change Lab. Both initiatives are based at MaRS Discovery District, the world’s largest urban innovation hub. Tech Stewardship are the practices that help bend the arc of technological development towards benefit for all. The goal of the Engineering Change Lab is to make Tech Stewardship the new normal in the engineering community. Previously, Mark served as a member of the Executive Team at Engineers Without Borders Canada for several years. Before that, Mark spent fourteen years working for a heavy industrial consulting engineering firm based in Vancouver.
Mark Franklin (he/him)
Practice Leader at CareerCycles & Co-Founder of OneLifeTools
Mark Franklin, MEd, PEng, spent 10 years in engineering before shifting into career development. "People often ask me about my career change from engineering to career development. Really I never left engineering! In my work leading CareerCycles and OneLifeTools I “redeployed” my systems thinking and structured problem solving skills to focus on the 'wicked problems' of dissatisfaction and disengagement." Much of Mark's work is with engineers and others with technical professions, and leading employers who are looking for Tech Stewards (whether they use that term yet or not!). Mark has been involved in the Engineering Change Lab for several years.
Maj Dafinone (she/her)
Manager, Partner Solutions Group, MaRS Discovery District
Maj currently serves as a manager within the Partners Solutions Group at MaRS Discovery District. She has worked globally in engineering and business development roles spanning multiple sectors including chemicals, oil & gas and cleantech. Prior to joining MaRS Discovery District, Maj worked with Bain & Company, Bloom Energy and Bayer Material Science. During her time at MaRS, she has been involved with developing partnerships, and helping corporate, government and institutional partners with innovation adoption. Maj has a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University, a Master’s Degree in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University.
Tech Stewardship Network
A Diverse Group Of Leaders
Throughout the program, we will introduce you to a diverse group of Tech Stewards with different professional backgrounds working in different sectors (industry, academia, government, professional associations, and civil society) - but all unified in their goal of helping shape technology for the benefit of all!
FAQ
-
When will I have access to TSP program?
The TSP program for Winter 2022 is now closed for registration . Please see Summer 2022 FAQs
-
How will the program be delivered? And how will I be evaluated?
The program is free, online, and approximately 20 hours over 18 weeks. It is designed as a light and flexible overlay to the existing experiential and work integrated learning opportunities offered by your school. Your practice will consist of a series of reflections, intention setting, and micro behavioural stretches. Although it is possible to complete most of these reflections individually, you will be encouraged and supported to connect with others at each step.
The program consists of a series of reflective questions that don't have right or wrong answers. Therefore, there won't be any tests. Instead we'll simply be checking that you've taken the reflection process seriously. -
Does this count as credit at my academic institution?
The micro credential is being offered by the Tech Stewardship Network in partnership with your school. While it does not count as credit towards your academic studies, it is designed to serve as a complement to your studies, setting you apart with leading employers.
A microcredential (according to the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario HEQCO) is a representation of learning, awarded for completion of a short program that is focused on a discrete set of competencies (i.e., skills, knowledge, attributes), and is sometimes related to other credentials. Read more here -
What if I don't have an appropriate experiential learning or work integrated learning opportunity coming up?
Recognizing that COVID is making it harder than ever to find work opportunities, we have included an option for you to complete a series of four interviews with practicing Tech Stewards so that you can learn through their experience in lieu of integrating tech stewardship into your own work opportunity. So please feel free to go ahead and register if you're interested.
-
Who developed the concepts behind this program?
Starting in 2015, a coalition of diverse engineers, technologists and creators began meeting around the question: how can we ensure technology is beneficial for all? So far, over 350 leaders from 150 organizations have contribute deeply to shaping tech stewardship as a response, and thousands more have contributed. This program is a next step in that journey, and is being offered by the Facilitation and Academic partners who's logos are listed above.
-
Is this just for engineers and technical folks? Is it just about digital technology?
No, the program is open to all undergraduate students in Canadian post-secondary institutions. However, it has been designed with a focus on those completing a program in a technical field like engineering, computer science, etc.
The program is not only about digital technology. It is to support anyone who's involved in the creation and application of all technology (physical, digital, biological). This includes in traditional sectors (i.e. mining) and emerging fields (i.e. crypto in finance). -
Is this program available in French?
Not yet - but we're working on it! This is a pilot program and our goal is to have a full French version as soon as possible. Please let us know if you're waiting for a French version and we'll let you know as soon as it's ready.
-
Still have questions?
You can contact the TSP Program Manager here