As I prepare to return to the classroom this fall as a teacher with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), I have been thinking about a rare perspective that is coming back with me.
For the past four years, I have been helping Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) bring Go Innovate Together (goIT), its career readiness and digital innovation program, into Canadian classrooms. As a STEM educator with more than 20 years of experience teaching K-12 students, I served as a liaison between TCS and school districts, including my own. This enabled me to help shape the program’s content and delivery during that time to continue to meet the needs of teachers and students as technology evolved.
I am proud of the roles I played in goIT, which helps students use design thinking and technology to develop solutions to real-world challenges. But what excites me most is returning to TDSB students with new tools, new examples, and a deeper belief in what they can do.
During my time as a goIT lead, the TDSB’s annual goIT Student Showcase became one of my favorite days of the year. The Showcase is the culmination of the students’ goIT experience and provides teams with an opportunity to design digital innovation concepts that address social or environmental challenges that could make the world a better place.
Students identify issues that matter to them, which are often rooted in their own communities. Then they research, collaborate and prepare to pitch their ideas to judges. At the Showcases, they share their concepts, take part in a friendly academic competition and celebrate the winners and runners-up. Many are already thinking about how to improve their ideas for the next year before they even walk out the door.
Behind the scenes, this event takes months to plan. For much of the year it lived in calendars, spreadsheets, emails and planning calls. Managing those aspects of the program dominated my days. To make the event feel seamless for students, I worked with TDSB, TCS and our host venues. Together, we coordinated judges, volunteers, transportation, food, medals and a complex, staggered agenda.
As many as 250 students present ideas at these TDSB year-end events, so we group students by age and run separate showcases. While one group pitches, the other completes a goIT module on emerging technologies. In recent years, participants have also had the chance to meet “Furhat,” TCS’ AI robot, delighting in his capabilities and learn more about artificial intelligence during their “off time.”
It is a lot to coordinate, but the energy in the room makes it all worthwhile. You can see students gaining confidence as they explain their ideas, answer questions and realize that adult tech industry professionals take their work seriously.
When I first stepped into this role, I understood goIT as an educator. I knew it could give students a clear introduction to the innovation and design process, a reason to think beyond the classroom and the confidence to use technology to solve real problems.
Over time, I also came to understand what it gives teachers. The TCS-TDSB partnership has never been about dropping a program into classrooms for a few days. It has been about building a supported, year-round learning experience that connects digital innovation, global citizenship, computer science and the UN Sustainable Development Goals in ways students can sustain. It provides:
- Ready-to-use learning experiences
- A structure for design thinking and digital innovation
- Connections to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Exposure to industry volunteers and real-world feedback
- Opportunities for students to practice communication and teamwork
Across the showcases and classroom experiences I supported, students showed how quickly they can connect solutions and technology to the world around them. Their ideas addressed food waste, hunger, mental health, cultural understanding and environmental responsibility, among many others.
Several digital innovation concepts proposed by goIT participants — FeedSecure, Oceanus and Penguin Prep — stand out in my mind for how students used goIT to turn personal concerns into practical, creative problem-solving. FeedSecure focused on tackling food waste and hunger. Oceanus helped users operate ocean cleanup drones. Penguin Prep helped students maintain momentum during teacher absences.
I also still think about the Grade 5 student who looked around a 25th-floor conference room at TCS Pace Port™ Toronto and said she wanted to do this “forever” as her career.
These moments stay with me because they show what happens when students begin to see technology as something they can shape, not just use. They also remind me why representation matters. When younger students, including girls who may not yet see themselves in STEM or technology careers, watch their peers pitch with confidence, the future can feel more accessible.
The topics change each year, but the pattern is consistent: students notice real problems, ask meaningful questions and build thoughtful digital solutions.
I am proud of the programs I managed, but even more grateful for the educators who opened their classrooms, the TCS volunteers who brought encouragement and a real-world perspective, and the students who reminded me why this work matters.
At each Showcase, students practice research, teamwork, design thinking and public speaking in front of authentic audiences. When a volunteer judge asks a thoughtful question, that brief exchange can help a student see that their idea belongs in a larger conversation about the future. It’s empowering.
Returning to the classroom feels less like leaving goIT behind and more like carrying it forward. I am returning to school with a stronger belief in what students can do when we create the right conditions for curiosity, creativity and confidence. I also return with the hope that more students will see technology as a way to serve their communities and imagine their own futures.
Congratulations to all the young innovators of goIT, past and future. As the world around us changes so rapidly, I am 100% sure of one thing: that they will continue to amaze and impress. They are all potential changemakers, capable, creative and needed.
My message to them is simple: Get out there and do it! Go innovate together!
To learn more about goIT, visit https://tcsempowers.tcsapps.com/amer/goIT