Patrick Fernet

Established in 1995, ISPAJES is a one-year course designed to develop 12 competencies for high school students using a worldwide new product development technique called “concurrent engineering”. At the beginning of the year, students receive a request from a customer to design, build and develop a new product according to specifics needs. Through group sessions and entrepreneurship, students attending the course are able to innovate beyond their natural capabilities due to the systematic methods of concurrent engineering. For its achievement, ISPAJES has received 10 prestigious prizes in Canada, including the 2002 Michael-Smith award.

Project – In 2009, students attending ISPAJES have received an order from a customer to design, build and develop a “carbon footprint” prototype capable of reducing CO2 emissions in their school by one ton per year and to obtain carbon credits for greenhouse gaz emissions reductions according to the principals of the Kyoto protocol.

ISPAJES is the only independent program in Quebec designed to develop 12 competencies for high school students. Teachers participating in the program receive formal training on the methods of “concurrent engineering” and also receive periodic support from university students and engineering faculty teachers.