STEAM ICAC 2025 is tentatively scheduled for June 6th, 2024, from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. It will be located at the Canoe Landing Center in Toronto.

Itinerary

8:30 am – 9:30 am

Registration

9:30 am – 10:00 am

Opening Ceremony

10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Presentations & Workshops

5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Closing Ceremony


Highlights


Prompts

To advance human civilization to other planets, it’s crucial to gather accurate data on planetary systems. Since stars play a significant role in solar systems, gathering accurate information about them is essential. Thus, we often use star clusters as a controlled environment to study stars more effectively. However, star clusters are currently classified based on observational data such as size, age, and density. How can the classification methods of star clusters be improved in order to gain a deeper understanding of their life cycles and their role in galactic evolution?  What additional observations need to be collected for an improved classification method? How can we classify star clusters to draw useful conclusions from each classification category?

More and more cities around the world are becoming urbanized. However, a growing population means excess strain on the municipal infrastructure; this leads to a higher cost of living and worse quality of life. Thus, many cities have started expanding underground in order to meet the increasing demand for space. How can a suburban area expecting rapid urbanization utilize underground space to better the quality of life for the residents? Which services or components of the city should be moved underground? How can the underground and overground components of the city have seamless integration with one another? What sort of a city plan for constructing underground spaces in an urbanizing suburb is efficient, cost-effective and safe?

There are approximately 12,000 new cases of cerebral palsy annually. Furthermore, 80-90% of the individuals diagnosed with CP struggle with daily activities that require the use of fine motor skills such as eating, brushing, etc. Although there are many assistive technologies for individuals with CP, they are too task-specific. This is often inconvenient and makes it difficult for individuals to be independent. What kind of assistive technology can allow individuals with CP perform the wide range of movements needed for everyday life? What can be done to make this device versatile, discreet and easy to use?

Criteria

All criteria are marked out of 5 except sustainability which is marked out of 8. There are a total of 33 points that can be awarded.

Report

The report is properly organized and well structured with the problem, methodology and solution outlined clearly. Diagrams, descriptions and explanations are in-depth and are logically arranged to effectively communicate ideas. The report follows the 10-page limit (size 12 font in Times New Roman) and grammatical conventions while maintaining a high degree of coherence.

Presentation

The presentation is engaging throughout and clearly communicates ideas. Delivery is creative, with effective use of visuals and multimedia. The presenter(s) is/are well-paced and respond thoughtfully to questions.

Model

The model demonstrates precision and attention to detail, effectively applying concepts and ideas to communicate a feasible solution to the problem. The model is cohesive and logically organized to represent the solution appropriately.

Scientific Application

Relevant scientific concepts are thoroughly explained and correctly utilized, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the problem. The solution is efficient and well-researched, with thorough analysis of scientific principles.

Innovation

The project is original and creatively builds on existing concepts and ideas to create an effective design for the problem. The design considers various factors related to the project (social, economic, political, etc.) and reflects forward-thinking principles, anticipating future needs and developments.

Sustainability

Project planning involves the exploration of topics such as resource efficiency, long-term viability, sustainable use, etc. The model is also constructed sustainably with the thoughtful use of recycled materials and practices.