Congratulations to CHBE student, Emma Lunau Smith, who has been awarded one of the 2024 Actua Instructor Award, presented by RBC Future Launch. Emma is an Instructor with Actua through UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach, where she designs and leads hands-on STEM workshops for students across British Columbia.
We caught up with Emma to learn more about her award and exciting STEM outreach work.
What is your role as an Instructor with Actua/ Geering Up?
A key focus of my work was reaching diverse student populations, including Indigenous communities and French-speaking learners, ensuring all students see themselves reflected in STEM. I also shared real-world applications from my academic projects, such as my role as Team Lead, Safety Officer, and Captain of the UBC Chem-E-Car Engineering Design Team. Over the past four years, I’ve worked on chemically powered autonomous vehicles, helping our team win awards like first place in Canada and seventh globally at the 2024 AIChE International Chem-E-Car Competition.
I joined Actua through UBC Geering Up in the summer of 2024 as my first co-op position, leading STEM camps and in-school French workshops. Since then, I’ve remained involved in outreach, panel discussions, and mentorship, particularly in promoting female leaders in STEM and French-language programming.
These opportunities have allowed me to expand my impact beyond the classroom, helping students across the province gain confidence in their STEM abilities.
“For me, STEM education isn’t just about teaching concepts—it’s about showing students that science and engineering are tools for creativity, innovation, and problem-solving.”
How has this experience contributed to your personal and professional development?
This role has challenged, pushed, and helped me grow in unexpected ways.
- Quick thinking & adaptability: When a coding activity crashed, I had students become “human programmers” and code me like a robot instead.
- Science communication: I’ve learned to explain complex technical ideas in a way that’s engaging, clear, and tailored to different audiences.
- Bilingual STEM instruction: Teaching STEM in French has strengthened my confidence as a bilingual engineer.
- Leadership & collaboration: From coordinating Indigenous STEM outreach trips to integrating cultural knowledge into lessons, I’ve developed leadership skills that will carry into my engineering career.
More than anything, this role has deepened my understanding of STEM’s human impact. Engineering is about precision, laws, and ethics, but at its core, our work is about people.
Outreach has reinforced my belief that engineering should be accessible, inclusive, and driven by the communities it serves.
What inspired you to get involved in STEM education and outreach?
Growing up, I didn’t always see people who looked like me in STEM. As a young girl, I felt disconnected from the field, not seeing many female role models who shared my background or experiences. As a woman in chemical and biological engineering today, I understand how much representation matters. It’s hard to imagine thriving in a field when you don’t see others who share your identity or journey. That gap can make it difficult to believe a career in STEM is possible for someone like you.
Growing up with deaf grandparents and being active in the deaf community, along with being bilingual in English and French and understanding American Sign Language, are key parts of my identity. I know how valuable it is to communicate in multiple languages, especially in STEM, where collaboration is essential.
I’ve seen firsthand how a lack of representation impacts marginalized communities, particularly with communication barriers and access to resources. For young learners or individuals from these communities, seeing someone navigate multiple languages in engineering shows them that language is not a barrier to success—and that bilingualism, or even multilingualism, is an asset. I want to inspire people to embrace all aspects of their identities while pursuing their STEM passions. This is why I became involved in STEM outreach. I want to be the mentor I wish I had—someone who shows students that STEM is for everyone, regardless of gender, background, language, or experience. My goal is to break down the intimidating walls around STEM and prove that these subjects are accessible, and success is within reach for all
What do you enjoy most about teaching STEM to young people?
One of my favorite things is seeing young learners experience those “aha!” moments—that instant when something clicks, and they realize they can understand and apply a concept that once seemed impossible.
I also love the curiosity and creativity that young learners bring to STEM. They ask questions adults would never think of, and their ideas often challenge the way I approach engineering. One of my students once asked, “Why don’t we just constantly generate energy by rubbing balloons on our heads all the time?” I’ll admit, I haven’t thought of that solution, but it made me consider other portable ways to generate energy! Another student asked why, if we can code tiny Ozobots to follow colored lines and reach a destination, we haven’t made massive ones that could take us to our destination—so we could sit back and relax while they do the work. It’s a fantastic question—who doesn’t want a robot chauffeur? While we had to discuss the limitations of the technology, I absolutely loved how big they were thinking!
Beyond the humor, though, working with French-speaking students and Indigenous communities has been especially meaningful for me. I’ve seen firsthand how impactful it is when young students can learn in their preferred language or when they see their cultural knowledge reflected in STEM. It’s moments like these that remind me why equity and representation in STEM education are so crucial—especially for young learners. When students can connect with STEM in ways that reflect who they are, it empowers them to see themselves as capable, curious, and creative problem-solvers
Do you have a memorable moment from your time as an instructor?
One of my favorite moments was during a French-language workshop on engineering and energy. A student who had been quiet the entire session came up to me afterward and said, “I’ve never had a science class in French before. I can finally explain this to my family!”
That moment really resonated with me. As someone who attended French immersion, I understood how difficult it can be to learn STEM in a second language—and how frustrating it is to try to translate technical concepts for family members who don’t have the same background. It reminded me why linguistic accessibility matters in STEM education.
Another unforgettable moment happened at an Indigenous STEM (InSTEM) camp near Cranbrook, BC, when a thunderstorm flooded the entire campsite. Our tent collapsed from the sheer volume of water, and my co-instructor and I ended up sleeping in our car that night. By the next morning, we had adjusted our lesson plans, kept things running, and delivered an incredible week of programming.
That experience reinforced an important lesson for me—STEM isn’t just about knowing the right equations or theories. It’s about problem-solving, adaptability, and resilience. And sometimes, it’s about rolling with extremely unexpected challenges… like a monsoon in the middle of an outreach camp!
What advice would you give to someone considering volunteering with STEM outreach programs?
Absolutely go for it! STEM outreach is an incredibly rewarding experience that allows you to make a real impact while developing valuable skills in communication, leadership, and adaptability.
You don’t have to be an expert—you just need to be passionate about learning and sharing that excitement with others. STEM outreach is about breaking down barriers, sparking curiosity, and showing students that they belong in science and engineering.
As engineers, or anyone in STEM, our studies often focus on technical knowledge, laws, and ethics. But the most important thing we’ll do in our careers is help people. Understanding the human aspect of our work—the way it impacts communities—is one of the greatest lessons anyone working in STEM can learn.
This experience will challenge you, teach you, and change you. You’ll develop leadership, adaptability, and communication skills that will serve you in any career. But most importantly, you’ll get to see the impact of representation and mentorship firsthand. There’s nothing like watching a student’s eyes light up when they realize they can do something they never thought possible—or when they start seeing themselves as future scientists and engineers. That’s when you know you’ve truly made a difference.