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News releases

2023

27
Nov

Gift the spark that helps young scientific minds shine

From November 27 to December 6, during its 10th annual Week of the White Rose event, Polytechnique Montréal will be celebrating a decade of progress in promoting emerging women engineers. During the week, it invites members of the public to make a symbolic, inclusive gesture by giving the gift of virtual white roses to help the next generation of women engineers. [...]

From November 27 to December 6, during its 10th annual Week of the White Rose event, Polytechnique Montréal will be celebrating a decade of progress in promoting emerging women engineers. During the week, it invites members of the public to make a symbolic, inclusive gesture by giving the gift of virtual white roses to help the next generation of women engineers.

The campaign, which takes its name from the white roses that have become emblematic of events in remembrance of the tragedy of December 6, 1989, encourages the blossoming of scientific talent and openness to sciences, technology and engineering among young girls, so as to further stimulate their interest in these disciplines.

All funds raised during this commemorative week will go to support Folie Technique, Polytechnique Montréal’s science camp. Specifically, they will enable young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend science discovery activities and explore their passion for this field with confidence and optimism.
 
TEN YEARS OF WHITE ROSES, TEN YEARS OF PROGRESS
Polytechnique Montréal is marking this 10th anniversary of the campaign by highlighting how far we have come in recent years in developing the next generation of women engineers. In 2020, Polytechnique reached a milestone when it awarded more than 30% of its bachelor’s degrees to women, an achievement unmatched by Québec’s other engineering faculties and schools.

Maud Cohen, Polytechnique’s President, is delighted by this progress and emphasizes how important it is to keep on encouraging girls to take their place in engineering, which remains a male-dominated field: “Between 2010 and today the number of our women graduates has more than doubled, which clearly shows that more and more young women are embracing engineering as a career choice,” she says. “Fostering their interest in science from childhood is fundamental to building on this impressive momentum. From the climate crisis to healthcare, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, engineering is central to the major challenges of society, and the contributions of women are key to meeting them.”

ONE VIRTUAL WHITE ROSE, MULTIPLE PATHS TO A CAREER IN SCIENCE
Every white rose will go to support the work of Folie Technique, which is committed to initiating children aged 7 to 17 to the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with special emphasis on outreach to young girls.

“The funds we raise from the white rose campaign are essential to fulfilling our mission,” explains Julie Doucet Lamoureux, Executive Director, Folie Technique. “This past summer, more than 37% of our science campers were girls. Besides making it possible for us to welcome more and more of them every year, the public’s generosity gives us a unique opportunity to continually enhance the activities we offer them.”

Over the past 10 years, more than $225,000 in funds received during Week of the White Rose appeals have helped support Folie Technique’s mission. Nearly 300 young girls have received bursaries enabling them to attend a summer camp, more than 800 science workshops have been given in schools, and over 12,500 young people have been reached via all activities combined.

For many attendees, accessing Folie Technique activities has had a transformative and profound impact, as this 14-year-old girl explains: “The White Rose bursary allowed me to attend the Folie Technique camp, where I learned so many exciting new things. It truly inspired me to consider enrolling at Polytechnique. I’m hoping to attend the camp again next year!”

With this 10th Week of the White Rose, Polytechnique Montréal hopes to help evolve perceptions and eliminate the stereotypical idea that “science is for boys.” With the financial support of the public, more and more young girls will be able to nurture their passion.

TO GIVE THE GIFT OF ROSES
Members of the public are invited to purchase one or more virtual white roses by visiting https://roseblanche.org/en.
  • $20 pays for transportation for one girl to attend science day camp for one week;
  • $65 pays for lunches for one girl during a week-long camp;
  • $150 pays for two student facilitators from Polytechnique to lead an in-class science workshop at a school in a disadvantaged community;
  • $350 pays for a bursary allowing a young girl to attend a week-long summer science day camp.

COMMEMORATIVE ACTIVITIES

Awarding of the Order of the White Rose Scholarship

On December 4 at 11 a.m., Polytechnique Montréal will host the 9th Order of the White Rose ceremony. On this occasion, a $50,000 scholarship will be awarded to a Canadian female engineering student wishing to pursue graduate studies in Canada or abroad.

Photo exhibit at Polytechnique
From November 29 to December 8, in the tunnel linking the Polytechnique main building to the Lassonde Buildings, the Association étudiante de Polytechnique and PolyPhoto present an exhibit honouring the 14 women who lost their lives on December 6, 1989. Fourteen women members of the Polytechnique community, both employees and students, agreed to pose in tribute to the memory of the deceased. The inspiration for the exhibit was the desire for people to know more about these 14 exceptional women. The portraits were taken on a Pentax 67 II film camera with a 105 mm lens, using Ilford Delta 100 film, which is how PolyPhoto would have photographed these 14 women in 1989.

Laying of rose wreaths at the Polytechnique commemorative plaque
December 6 at 8:30 a.m., wreaths of white roses will be laid in front of the commemorative plaque by representatives of Polytechnique, its student associations, faculty and staff. Throughout the day, people who wish to gather for a moment of contemplation are invited to do so at the plaque, which is located outside on the south-west wall of Polytechnique’s main building.

Light beams on Mount Royal
On December 6 at 5:10 p.m., the time the first shots were fired, 14 beams of light will illuminate the sky above Montréal. The beams will be lit one at a time on the Belvédère Kondiaronk lookout, at a few seconds’ interval as the names of the 14 victims are read out. Each year, the City of Montréal and Polytechnique’s Comité Mémoire reactivate this installation created by Moment  Factory that keeps alive the memory of the young women who died. For more information: relationsmedias@montreal.ca .

To learn more about the commemorative activities organized by Polytechnique Montréal, visit https://www.polymtl.ca/december6

ABOUT POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
Established in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research universities, and is located on the Université de Montréal campus – North America’s largest Francophone university campus. With over 60,000 graduates and over 120 academic programs, Polytechnique has trained 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)’s current membership. It offers some 120 training programs. Polytechnique Montréal is also distinguished by its more than 300 talented professors and 10,000 students, Its overall annual budget is $300 million, including $100 million reserved exclusively for research.

ABOUT FOLIE TECHNIQUE
Folie Technique is a non-profit organization created in 1991 by engineering students from Polytechnique Montréal. It offers young people the opportunity to explore the world of science, math, engineering and technology through creative, interactive and accessible activities. Each year, Folie Technique activities reach more than 20,000 young people aged 7 to 17.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

  • Julie Doucet-Lamoureux, Executive Director, Folie Technique
  • Maud Cohen, President and CEO, Polytechnique Montréal
  • Polytechnique Montréal students

RELATED LINKS
Week of the White Rose video
Week of the White Rose website  
Folie Technique website
Order of the White Rose website
Women and Engineering website
December 6 web page

MEDIA INFORMATION AND INTERVIEWS
Annie Touchette
External Communications Manager
514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca
 

2022

28
Nov

9th Edition of the Week of the White Rose and Commemoration of December 6, 1989 at Polytechnique Montréal

By offering virtual white roses to a person of your choice, you’re helping to cultivate the next generation of women in engineering. From November 28 to December 6, Polytechnique Montréal is inviting its entire community, past and present, as well as the general public, to pose this symbolic and inclusive gesture through the transactional site roseblanche.org. [...]

Montréal, November 28, 2022 – The 9th Edition of the Week of the White Rose is taking place from November 28 to December 6. For the occasion, Polytechnique Montréal is inviting its entire community and the general public to make a symbolic and inclusive gesture by offering virtual white roses as a means of encouraging young women to go into engineering.

The campaign is named after the flowers used to commemorate the tragic events of December 6, 1989. White roses now represent the blossoming of female interest and talent in the fields of science, technology and engineering.

Each rose purchased on the roseblanche.org transactional website is a donation supporting Polytechnique Montréal’s Folie Technique, an organization that runs science workshops and a science-based summer camp for thousands of girls every year.

Polytechnique Montréal created the Week of the White Rose in 2014 in the hopes of building a more inclusive society that is better prepared to overcome the challenges it faces. Since then, more than $170,000 have been raised for Folie Technique. During the summer of 2022, approximately 60 girls received scholarships to girls to attend a week of camp and more than 2,160 elementary school students were given the chance to attend science workshops.

How to donate

The purchase of virtual roses on the roseblanche.org website funds the following activities:
  • 1 rose ($10): a lunch for a young girl during a week of day camp.
  • 14 roses ($50): the purchase of materials for a science experiment for a "100% girls" group.
  • 25 roses ($200): a girl's participation in Folie Technique's summer science camp.
Folie Technique, one of Canada’s oldest science camps

Created in 1991 as a Polytechnique Montréal student initiative, Folie Technique is one of Canada’s oldest science camps. The organization aims to introduce children and youth to the world of science and engineering by sparking their interest and allowing them to explore their abilities—regardless of their gender, socio-economic situation or geographic location. The camp provides opportunities to more than 20,000 youth every year, through its summer science camp and various science workshops. Girls who participate in these activities are encouraged to challenge stereotypes about women and science, and to increase their confidence in their ability to succeed in these fields.

Polytechnique Montréal: a driving force for women in engineering

While Québec and Canadian averages for female engineering graduates hover around 23%, Polytechnique reached an historic milestone in 2020 with 30.2% of its undergraduate engineering students being women (in 1989, women were only 17% of Polytechnique's student body).

This breakthrough is the result of the institution’s consistent efforts the over the past three decades to encourage the next generation of women in engineering. Folie Technique, and the support it receives from Week of the White Rose, are all a part of this effort.

Polytechnique's achievement proves that Engineers Canada's national goal of increasing the rate of newly licensed female engineers to 30% by 2030 is indeed achievable.

Statistics about the evolution of the number of female students at Polytechnique, as well as the list of initiatives implemented by Polytechnique are available on the Women in Engineering page.


– 30 –



OTHER COMMEMORATIVES ACTIVITIES

Order of the White Rose Scholarship

On Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11 a.m., Polytechnique will hold the 8th annual Order of the White Rose Scholarship ceremony. The event is by invitation only and will be held in person in the main Polytechnique building. This scholarship recognizes an exceptional Canadian female engineering student who chooses to pursue graduate studies and is awarded a $30,000 scholarship.

Laying of Rose Wreaths on Polytechnique’s Commemorative Plaque

On Tuesday, December 6, at 8:30 am, a wreath of white roses will be placed on the commemorative plaque that honours the victims of the December 6, 1989 attack, placed by representatives of Polytechnique and its student associations. All members of the Polytechnique community (students, staff, alumni) and the general public are invited to be present at the memorial for a moment of contemplation, at any point during the day. The plaque is located outside, on the south-west wall of Polytechnique’s main building.

Light beams on Mont Royal

For the 9th consecutive year, light beams will illuminate the Montréal sky to keep alive the memory of the young women who died on December 6, 1989. In a presentation created by Moment Factory, 14 light beams will be lit, one at a time and a few seconds apart, as the names of the 14 victims are called at 5:10 p.m. The display will be live-streamed on Polytechnique's social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter et YouTube.

White Ribbon distribution

From November 28 to December 6, 2022, white ribbons will be distributed at the main entrances of Polytechnique Montréal buildings.

Association étudiante de Polytechnique Photo exhibition

The Polytechnique student association and PolyPhoto present, in collaboration with PolyCopie, an exhibition in tribute to the 14 women who lost their lives on December 6th 1989.

Fourteen women members of the Polytechnique Montreal community pay tribute to the 14 women whose lives were taken that tragic day. This exhibition was motivated by the desire to make these 14 exceptional people known.
The photos were taken on a Pentax 67 II silver camera, with a 105 mm lens, on Ilford Delta 100 film since this is how PolyPhoto would have illustrated these 14 women in 1989.

The exhibition will be presented in the tunnel linking the main and Lassonde buildings from December 5 to 9, 2022.

About Polytechnique Montréal

Established in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research universities, and is located on the Université de Montréal campus – North America’s largest Francophone university campus. With over 57,000 graduates and over 120 academic programs, Polytechnique has trained 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)’s current membership. Polytechnique Montréal is also distinguished by its more than 300 talented professors and 10,000 students. Its overall annual budget is $300 million, including $100 million reserved exclusively for research.

About Folie Technique

Folie Technique is a non-profit organization created in 1991 by engineering students from Polytechnique Montréal. It offers young people the opportunity to explore the world of science, math, engineering and technology through creative, interactive and accessible activities. Each year, Folie Technique activities reach more than 20,000 young people aged 7 to 17.

Interviews available
  • Julie Doucet-Lamoureux, Executive Director of Folie Technique
  • Student associations:
    • Association étudiante de Polytechnique (AEP)
    • Association des étudiants aux cycles supérieurs de Polytechnique (AECSP)
  • Student committees: Poly-Fi, Poly-L and GéniElles
  • Folie Technique camp leaders

Media contacts and interview requests
Annie Touchette
514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca

Documentation

2021

25
Nov

Week of the White Rose and December 6, 1989 commemorations at Polytechnique Montréal

By offering virtual white roses to a person of your choice, you’re helping to cultivate the next generation of women in engineering. From November 30 to December 6, Polytechnique Montréal is inviting its entire community, past and present, as well as the general public, to pose this symbolic and inclusive gesture through the transactional site roseblanche.org. [...]

Montreal, Thursday, November 25, 2021 - By offering virtual white roses to a person of your choice, you’re helping to cultivate the next generation of women in engineering. From November 30 to December 6, Polytechnique Montréal is inviting its entire community, past and present, as well as the general public, to pose this symbolic and inclusive gesture through the transactional site roseblanche.org.
 
The campaign takes its name from white roses that have become commemorative symbols of the tragic events of December 6, 1989. These blooms have also come to highlight the opening of science and engineering to women of all backgrounds, which leads to a more inclusive society, better able to face scientific and technological challenges. Since its inception in 2014, Week of the White Rose has raised over $100,000 - enabling thousands of young girls to attend science workshops and participate in Folie Technique summer science camp.
 
Thanks to Week of the White Rose, science outreach organization Folie Technique  is able to host more young women from underserved backgrounds in its science and engineering outreach activities, to help develop their interest in these disciplines.
 
How to contribute

The purchase of virtual roses on the roseblanche.org website funds the following activities:
  • 1 rose ($10): a lunch for a young girl during a week of day camp. 
  • 14 roses ($50): the purchase of materials for a science experiment for a "100% girls" group.
  • 25 roses ($200): a girl's participation in Folie Technique's summer science camp.
 
Folie Technique celebrates its 30th anniversary
 
Born in 1991 of an initiative from Polytechnique Montreal’s engineering students, Folie Technique is considered one of Canada’s oldest science camps.
 
The organization aims to introduce all young people to the universe of science and engineering by stimulating their interest, and allowing them to discover their inherent abilities - regardless of their place of residence, socio-economic situation, or gender. It reaches over 20,000 young people annually, offering them various activities such as a summer science camp and numerous science workshops.
 
Girls who participate in these activities are encouraged to challenge stereotypes about women and science, and to increase their confidence in their ability to succeed in these fields.
 
Polytechnique Montréal: a driving force for women in engineering

While Québec and Canadian averages for female engineering graduates hover around 21%, Polytechnique reached an historic milestone in 2020 with 30.2% of its bachelors’ level engineering students being women (in 1989, women were only 17% of Polytechnique's student body).
This breakthrough is the result of the institution’s consistent efforts the over the past three decades to encourage the next generation of women in engineering. Folie Technique, and the support it receives from Week of the White Rose, are all a part of this effort.
The 30.2% milestone demonstrates through Polytechnique Montréal, that Engineers Canada's national goal of increasing the rate of newly licensed female engineers to 30% by 2030 is indeed achievable.
Statistics about the evolution of the number of female students at Polytechnique, as well as the list of initiatives implemented by Polytechnique can be consulted on the Women in Engineering page.


– 30 –


OTHER COMMEMORATIVES ACTIVITIES

Order of the White Rose Scholarship

On Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 11:00 a.m., Polytechnique will hold the seventh annual Order of the White Rose Scholarship ceremony. The event is by invitation only, in person, in the main Polytechnique building. This scholarship recognizes an exceptional Canadian woman engineering student who chooses to pursue graduate studies and is awarded a $30,000 scholarship. 

Laying of Rose Wreaths on Polytechnique’s Commemorative Plaque

On Monday, December 6, at 8:30 am, a wreath of white roses will be placed on the commemorative plaque that honours the victims of the December 6, 1989 attack, placed by Polytechnique students and staff. All members of the Polytechnique community (students, staff, alumni) and the general public are invited to be present at the memorial for a moment of contemplation, at any point during the day; note that physical distancing guidelines must be followed. The plaque is located outside, on the South-West wall of Polytechnique’s Main Building.

Light beams on Mont Royal

To keep alive the memory of the young women who died on December 6, 1989, 14 light beams will illuminate the sky above Mount Royal on December 6, 2021 at 5:10 p.m., the time the first shots were fired. Beams will be lit one at a time, every few seconds, as the names of the 14 victims are called. Due to the pandemic, there will be no gathering on Mount Royal this year. The public is nevertheless invited to observe a minute of silence as the beams are lit.  There will be live streaming of the occasion on Polytechnique's social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

40 women/40 weeks

The theme of "At Polytechnique Montréal, engineering is also female" is addressed in this series of video clips featuring 40 female professors and educational masters who are pursuing a career in the field of engineering. Series videos are available here: https://www.polymtl.ca/femmes-genie/40-femmes-40-semaines

White Ribbon distribution

From November 30 to December 6, 2021, white ribbons will be distributed at the main entrances of Polytechnique Montréal buildings.
 
Association étudiante de Polytechnique Photo exhibition
 
As a tribute to the 14 victims of December 6, 1989, Association étudiante de Polytechnique and the PolyPhoto student committee, in collaboration with the Polytechnique Services de  reprographie, are presenting a photo exhibit in the tunnel linking the main and Lassonde buildings, starting November 30. Fourteen women members of the Polytechnique Montreal community pay tribute to the 14 women whose lives were taken that tragic day. Next to each portrait, one can learn more about the woman whose name is written on the picture by reading a short biography. This exhibition, which was presented for the first time in 2019 during the 30th anniversary of the feminicide, was motivated by the desire to make these 14 exceptional young women known.
 
About Polytechnique Montréal

Established in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research universities, and is located on the Université de Montréal campus - North America’s largest Francophone university campus. With over 55,000 graduates and over 120 academic programs, Polytechnique has trained 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)’s current membership. Polytechnique Montréal is also distinguished by its 294 talented professors, more than 9,930 students, and overall annual budget of $275 million, and close to $105 million is reserved exclusively for research.

About Folie Technique

Folie Technique is a non-profit organization created in 1991 by engineering students from Polytechnique Montréal. It offers young people the opportunity to explore the world of science, math, engineering and technology through creative, interactive and accessible activities. Each year, Folie Technique activities reach more than 20,000 young people aged 7 to 17. 


MEDIA CONTACTS AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS

December 6 and Week of the White Rose
Annie Touchette
514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca
Order of the White Rose Scholarship
Marie-José Bégin
514 994-0802
marie-jose.begin@polymtl.ca


DOCUMENTATION

2020

30
Nov

Week of the White Rose and December 6 1989 Commemorations at Polytechnique Montréal

For the 7th edition of the Week of the White Rose, which takes places from November 30, to December 6, 2020, Polytechnique Montréal is appealing to its community as well as the general public, inviting them to offer virtual white roses, thereby helping to build the next generation of female engineers. [...]

For the 7th edition of the Week of the White Rose, which takes places from November 30, to December 6, 2020, Polytechnique Montréal is appealing to its community as well as the general public, inviting them to offer virtual white roses, thereby helping to build the next generation of female engineers.
 
Each year, this fundraiser gives young girls from less affluent backgrounds the opportunity to participate in Folie Technique activities, to pique their interest and foster passion for the sciences and engineering.
 
Since its establishment in 2014, the Week of the White Rose has raised over $100,000 – a sum that enables thousands of young girls to attend in-class science workshops, and to participate in Folie Technique science summer camp. This non-profit organization can’t keep up with the demand, however, and “100% girls” groups are so popular, the organization struggles to meet its many registration requests.
 
How you can help
  • 1 rose ($10): Pays for a female summer camper's lunch for a day, when they attend Folie Technique.
  • 14 roses ($50): Pays for science experiment equipment for a “100% Girls” group.
  • 25 roses ($200): Pays for a young girl to participate in Folie Technique science summer camp.
Applying for a Folie Technique summer camp bursary

To submit an application, parents and teachers can send an email to: folietechnique@polymtl.ca wherein they briefly describe the candidate and indicate the reasons why the student wishes to attend Folie Technique summer camp.

Women and Engineering

While they represent over half of Canada’s population, women are still underrepresented in engineering – where there are stimulating, well-paid jobs. According to Engineers Canada, less than 13% of practising engineers are women. In 1988, during the anti-feminist attack, women comprised 17% of Polytechnique’s student body. As of Autumn 2020, women are just over 29%  of Polytechnique’s student body, and reach parity in certain specialities such as biomedical engineering and chemical engineering. To view the statistics that demonstrate the evolution of the women engineering students at Polytechnique, or to learn more about measures that have been implemented to encourage female students, please visit: Women and Engineering.

- 30 –

OTHER COMMEMORATIVES ACTIVITIES

Order of the White Rose Scholarship

Thursday, December 3 at 9:30 am, Polytechnique will hold the sixth edition of the Order of the White Rose award ceremony. This $30,000 scholarship honours and encourages a Canadian female engineering student who intends to pursue graduate studies anywhere across the globe.

Journalists who want to attend the live virtual ceremony and take part in the question period and individual interviews (to take place immediately after the ceremony), should send their contact information to the following address to receive a connection link: media@lab-espacecreatif.ca.

The media and general public can attend the virtual ceremony live or in differed time, at the following address: https://youtu.be/eHqii6AucdM.
 
40 women /40 weeks
 
For 40 weeks, and starting on International Women’s Day - March 8, to December 6, 2020 - Polytechnique Montréal has published a series of video clips starring professors and master educators, all working in engineering. 
Answering question posed by interviewer Catherine Perrin, these women engineers address the theme Polytechnique Montréal: Engineering in Her Voice -  these women share their passion for teaching and research, while explaining how they’ve helped transform the world using scientific advances in their varied engineering specialities such as: sustainable development, cyber security, energy, artificial intelligence, water quality, health, the environment, aerospace, and telecommunications.

These women professors and master educators were so enthusiastic about the project, that additional clips will be posted during the week of December 6, 2020. Watch the video clips here: https://www.polymtl.ca/femmes-genie/40-femmes-40-semaines

Virtual Concert

As part of the LE QG Festival, Québecois pianist and composer Viviane Audet will perform a special concert in support of the Week of the White Rose, and to celebrate the launch of her new album Les filles montagnes. Ticket sales will be donated to Folie Technique.
 
Laying of Rose Wreaths on Polytechnique’s Commemorative Plaque
 
On Sunday, December 6, at 8:30 am, a wreath of white roses will be placed on the commemorative plaque that honours the victims of the December 6, 1989 attack, placed by Polytechnique students and staff. All members of the Polytechnique community (students, staff, alumni) and the general public are invited to pass by the memorial for a moment of contemplation, at any point during the day; note that physical distancing guidelines must be followed. The plaque is located outside, on the South-West wall of Polytechnique’s Main Building.
 
About Polytechnique Montréal

Established in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research universities. It ranks first in Quebec in terms of the scope of its engineering research activities, and is located on the Université de Montréal campus - North America’s largest Francophone university campus. With over 52,500 graduates and over 120 academic programs, Polytechnique has trained 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ)’s current membership. Polytechnique Montréal is also distinguished by its 285 talented professors, more than 9,000 students, and overall annual budget of $255 million, nearly $100 million of which is reserved exclusively for research activities.

About Folie Technique

Folie Technique is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by Polytechnique Montréal’s engineering students. It offers young people the opportunity to explore the worlds of science, mathematics, engineering and technology by engaging in creative, interactive, and accessible activities. Folie Technique activities reach over 20,000 youth aged 7 to 17 each year.
 
DOCUMENTATION
 
Week of the White Rose website: https://roseblanche.org/en
Women and Engineering website: https://www.polymtl.ca/femmes-genie/en/
Folie Technique website (in French only): http://folietechnique.com/
December 6 website: https://www.polymtl.ca/december6/
Clip (in French only):  Témoignage d’une enseignante au sujet de la Semaine de la rose blanche
Clip (in French only):   Merci des jeunes campeuses de Folie Technique
 
Media Inquiries
 
Annie Touchette
Senior Advisor, Communications and Public Relations Service
Polytechnique Montréal
514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca
 

2019

27
Nov

The Future Blossoms in our Hands: Sixth Edition of Polytechnique Montréal’s Week of the White Rose

With the approach of December 6, a solemn day of remembrance of the fact that 30 years ago, anti-women attack occurred, Polytechnique Montréal invites the general public to participate in symbolic and meaningful events that will take place during the Week of the White Rose. [...]

With the creation of the Week of the White Rose in 2014, Polytechnique Montréal sought to encourage and foster scientific, technological, and engineering talent in girls who may not have otherwise been introduced to such fields. This fundraising initiative owes its name to the fact that white roses have become a symbol of Polytechnique’s commemorative events.

During the Week of the White Rose, virtual white roses can be sent to anyone you wish, via the roseblanche.org/en transactional site. Every rose purchased becomes a donation to Polytechnique Montréal’s science camp Folie Technique, whose mission is to offer young women and girls from underprivileged communities the chance to get involved and interested in science-based activities.

Send a white rose and help the future bloom

Polytechnique Montréal invites community members as well as general public and interested companies, to send virtual white roses to their friends, families and clients. This seemingly small gesture makes a significant impact throughout the rest of the year.
  • 1 rose ($10): Pays for transportation for a girl to attend science day camp.
  • 14 roses ($50): Pays for science experiment equipment for a “100% girls” group.
  • 25 roses ($200): Pays for a girl to attend science summer day camp for one week.
Since its establishment, the Week of the White Rose has raised over $65,000 – a sum that translates into enabling close to 8,850 girls to attend in-class science workshops, or to participate in Folie Technique science summer camp. Currently, demand outweighs this non-profit organization’s ability to deliver, and the highly popular “100% girls” camps are barely able to register all interested campers. Thanks to support received, Folie Technique expects to be able to offer seven “100% girls” summer science and engineering camps in the summer of 2020.

“I’m so grateful for Folie Technique – my girls were able to go to summer science day camp for free. Not only were they able to discover how great the sciences are, but they were also able to widen their social circle, and become close with positive and motivated camp counsellors whose enthusiasm for science was infectious. Being a girl does not dictate your interests, and Folie Technique camp really reinforces the notion that everyone and anyone can be interested and do well in science.”

- Annie Savoie, Education Student, mother of two young girls who attended Folie Technique Science summer camp

Women and Engineering

Even though they represent half of the Canadian population, women are still underrepresented when it comes to undertaking a career in engineering – despite an abundance of unique careers and well-paid jobs. According to Engineers Canada, a mere 13% of licensed engineers are women. In 1989, the year of the attack, women were fewer than 17% of Polytechnique’s student body. As of Autumn 2019, women make up just over 28% of the current student body, and have reached parity or surpassed men’s participation in certain engineering specialities, such as biomedical and chemical engineering.

To view statistics regarding the evolution of the number of female students at Polytechnique, or to learn more about implemented initiatives, please visit the website: Women and Engineering.

While events reach their peak each year during the week preceding December 6, the Week of the White Rose transactional website remains functional all year long; virtual white roses can be purchased at any time, for any occasion.

With the Week of the White Rose, Polytechnique demonstrates that it will never forget this tragedy, but also that it is firmly focused on the future.

Other commemoratives activities

Order of the White Rose

Thursday December 5, 2019 at 11 a.m., Polytechnique Montréal will celebrate its fifth awarding of the prestigious Order of the White Rose. This $30,000 bursary honours and encourages a Canadian female engineering student who intends to pursue graduate studies anywhere across the globe. An official media invitation will follow shortly.

Laying of Rose Wreaths on Polytechnique’s Commemorative Plaque

Friday December 6 at 8:15 a.m., rose wreaths will be laid on the commemorative plaque, placed by Polytechnique students and staff. All members of the Polytechnique community (students, staff, alumni) and the general public are invited to pass by the memorial for a moment of contemplation at any point during the day. The commemorative plaque is located on the south-west wall of the Main Building, outside.

Light Beam Ceremony on Mount Royal

To honour the memory of the young women whose lives were cut short, the Comité Mémoire, in collaboration with the City of Montréal, invites the public to gather at 5:00 pm on December 6, at the Mount Royal chalet, Belvedere Kondiaronk. At 5:10, the exact time that the first shots were fired, 14 light beams will shine over the Montréal skyline (designed by Moment Factory). As the names of each of the 14 women who were killed is said aloud, a beam of light is lit in their honour. For the 30th anniversary, 14 engineering universities across Canada, from Vancouver to Halifax, will each shine a light beam in homage. After a minute of silence, a 150-person choir will sing two musical pieces to conclude the ceremony.

Book Launch: "Ce jour-là – Parce qu’elles étaient des femmes"

Friday December 6th at 9:00 am, Polytechnique will host the official launch of the book "Ce jour là – Parce qu’elles étaient des femmes." An initiative of the Comité Mémoire (an organization of volunteers), and supported by Polytechnique. A timely work that calls upon us to remember, written by former Devoir journalist Josée Boileau and published by Éditions La Presse, the book will be first available in French (English-language publication launching early 2020). The book contains archival photos, a factual description of the events that unfolded, an analysis of the 1980s as an historical period, and eye-witness accounts of those who experienced the trauma themselves. An official media invitation from the Comité Mémoire will follow shortly.

About Polytechnique Montréal

Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal, a technological university, is one of Canada's largest engineering education and research institutions, and ranks first in Québec in terms of the scope of its engineering research activities. It is located on the Université de Montreal campus, the largest French-language university campus in the Americas. With over 50,000 graduates to this day, Polytechnique Montréal has educated 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec’s current membership. Polytechnique offers more than 120 programs, taught by 280 professors and welcomes 9,000 students yearly, and has an annual operating budget of $260 million, including a research budget of $100 million.

About Folie Technique

Established in 1991, Folie Technique is a non-profit organization that was the brainchild of Polytechnique Montréal engineering students. It gives youth the chance to explore the amazing worlds of science, math, engineering, and technology, all while enjoying creative activities that are both interactive and accessible. Each year, Folie Technique reaches over 20,000 youth between 7 and 17 years of age.

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INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES
  • Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, Polytechnique Montréal Board of Directors Principal and President; Polytechnique’s first-ever Civil Engineering graduate
  • Julie Doucet-Lamoureux, Folie Technique Director
  • Victoria Houle, Folie Technique – former camper and now camp counsellor; Polytechnique Montréal mechanical engineering student

DOCUMENTATION

Week of the White Rose website: roseblanche.org/en
Women and Engineering website: polymtl.ca/femmes-genie/en
Folie Technique website: folietechnique.com
December 6 website: polymtl.ca/december6
Video clip – A teacher talks about the importance of the Week of the White Rose
Video clip – Campers thank Folie Technique

Submitting an application for summer science camp:

To submit an application to attend Folie Technique’s summer science camp, please send an explanatory letter via email to: folietechnique@polymtl.ca In your letter, briefly outline what qualifies you as a candidate, and note the reasons why you would like to attend a week of Folie Technique Camp free of charge. For more information.

MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION

Annie Touchette
Senior Advisor, Communications and Public Relations
Polytechnique Montréal
514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca

Andrée Peltier
514 846-0003
514 944-8689
apeltier@videotron.ca
 

2017

24
Nov

December 6 commemoration: Fourth edition of Polytechnique Montréal’s Week of the White Rose takes place from December 1 to 8, 2017

Polytechnique created the Week of the White Rose in 2014 to encourage the “blooming” of scientific talent and awaken an interest in science, technology and engineering in young girls who otherwise might not be attracted to these disciplines. The campaign takes its name from the fact that the white rose has become the symbol of Polytechnique’s commemorative activities over the years. [...]

As December 6 approaches and Polytechnique Montréal prepares for the annual day of remembrance of the tragic events of 1989, the institution invites members of the public to make a meaningful, symbolic gesture by taking part in the Week of the White Rose.

Polytechnique created the Week of the White Rose in 2014 to encourage the “blooming” of scientific talent and awaken an interest in science, technology and engineering in young girls who otherwise might not be attracted to these disciplines. The campaign takes its name from the fact that the white rose has become the symbol of Polytechnique’s commemorative activities over the years.

The Week of the White Rose provides the opportunity to give the gift of virtual white roses to anyone, through the whiteroseweek.org site. Each purchase of roses is a donation to Folie Technique, Polytechnique’s science day camp. The funds raised provide girls from less affluent communities with the opportunity to take part in science awareness activities.

Give the gift of white roses and let the future bloom

Polytechnique invites members of its community and the general public, as well as corporations, to give loved ones or clients the gift of virtual white roses. It is a gesture that brings joy while sowing the seeds of a brighter future.

  • One rose ($10) pays for transportation for a girl to attend a science activity.
  • A bouquet of 14 roses ($50) funds a science activity in an elementary school classroom.
  • A bouquet of 25 roses ($150) pays for a girl to attend a week-long Folie Technique science day camp in the summer.

Since its creation, the Week of the White Rose has raised approximately $50,000 and enabled some 5,000 young girls to be part of classroom science workshops and attend the Folie Technique camp. However, demand far outweighs this non-profit organization’s supply: there are long waiting lists for these popular “all-girl” groups.

Although they make up more than half the population, the number of Canadian women undertaking careers in engineering remains low. According to Engineers Canada, less than 12% of practising licensed engineers in the country are women. In 1989, at the time of the Polytechnique tragedy, women accounted for 17% of the student population at the school. As of 2017, nearly 28% of Polytechnique students are women, and there is gender parity in many specialized fields, such as biomedical, chemical, industrial and geological engineering.

While donations reach a peak during the week leading up to December 6, the Week of the White Rose transactional website is always live, making it possible to purchase a gift of white roses at any time of the year.

With the Week of the White Rose, Polytechnique reaffirms that it will never forget, but at the same time will always look to the future.

 OTHER COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS

Order of the White Rose scholarship ceremony

On Friday, December 1, at 11 a.m., Polytechnique will hold the third annual Order of the White Rose scholarship presentation ceremony, during which a deserving Canadian woman engineering student wishing to pursue graduate studies will receive the $30,000 award. A media advisory will be issued shortly.

Placing of bouquets of roses at the commemorative plaque

On Wednesday, December 6, at 8:30 a.m., bouquets of white roses will be placed at the commemorative plaque by Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, Principal and Chair of the Polytechnique Board of Directors; François Bertrand, interim CEO of Polytechnique; Yann Blanchard, President of the Polytechnique students association; and Nikolay Radoev, Vice-President, External Affairs, of the Polytechnique graduate students’ association. Staff, students and members of the public are invited to gather and reflect at the site throughout the day. The commemorative plaque is outside, on the southwest façade of the main building of Polytechnique.

Beacons of light on Mount Royal

To perpetuate the memory of the young women who lost their lives in 1989, the Comité Mémoire, jointly with the City of Montréal, invites members of the public to gather at the lookout on Mount Royal on Wednesday, December 6, at 5 p.m. For the fourth year in a row, the skies above Montreal will be lit by Moment Factory’s light installation between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. After a brief word of welcome and a minute’s silence, the 14 beacons of light will be lit one by one as the 14 victims’ names are read aloud.

About Polytechnique Montréal

Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering teaching and research institutions. It is the Québec leader for the scope of its engineering research activities. It is located on the campus of Université de Montreal, the largest French-language university campus in the Americas. With over 47,500 graduates, Polytechnique Montréal has educated nearly one-quarter of the current members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. The institution offers more than 120 programs. Polytechnique has 260 professors and 8,300 students. It has an annual operating budget of $213 million, including a research budget of $75 million.

About Folie Technique

Folie Technique is a non-profit organization established in 1991 at the initiative of engineering students at Polytechnique Montréal. Its mission is to give young people the opportunity to explore the worlds of science, mathematics, engineering and technology through creative, interactive and accessible activities. More than 20,000 young people aged 7 to 17 take part in Folie Technique’s activities every year

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AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS

  • Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, Principal and Chair of the Board of Directors of Polytechnique and the school’s first woman graduate in civil engineering
  • Folietechnique’s Representatives

DOCUMENTATION

Week of the White Rose website: whiteroseweek.org

Thank-you video from young Folie Technique campers

 

INFORMATION

Interview requests

Annie Touchette
Polytechnique Montréal
514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca

Information

Andrée Peltier
514 846-0003
514 944-8689
apeltier@ca.inter.net

2016

30
Nov

Third edition of Polytechnique Montréal’s Week of the White Rose takes place November 29 to December 6, 2016

As December 6 approaches and Polytechnique Montréal prepares for the annual day of remembrance of the tragic events of 1989, the institution invites members of the public to make a meaningful, symbolic gesture by taking part in the Week of the White Rose. [...]

Giving a gift of virtual white roses to encourage the “blooming” of promising talents and stimulate an interest in the sciences that might not otherwise have emerged: that is the mission Polytechnique Montréal had in mind when it created the Week of the White Rose in 2014.

Over the years, the white rose has become the symbol of Polytechnique’s commemorative activities. During this annual fundraising campaign, Polytechnique invites members of its community and the general public, as well as corporations, to make a donation by giving loved ones or clients the gift of virtual roses through the whiteroseweek.org site. All funds raised go to Folie Technique, Polytechnique’s science day camp, to provide girls from less affluent communities with the opportunity to take part in science awareness activities.

Give the gift of white roses and let the future bloom

  • One rose ($10) pays for transportation for a girl to attend a science activity.
  • A bouquet of 14 roses ($50) funds a science activity in an elementary school classroom.
  • A bouquet of 25 roses ($150) pays for a girl to attend a week-long Folie Technique science day camp in the summer.

Since its creation, the Week of the White Rose has raised approximately $40,000 and enabled more than 3,200 young girls to be part of classroom science workshops and attend the Folie Technique summer camp. However, demand far outweighs this non-profit organization’s supply: there are long waiting lists for these popular “all-girl” groups.

Although they make up more than half the population, the number of Canadian women undertaking careers in engineering remains low. According to Engineers Canada, less than 12% of practising licensed engineers in the country are women. In 1989, at the time of the Polytechnique tragedy, women accounted for 17% of the student population at the school. As of 2016, nearly 28% of Polytechnique students are women, and there is gender parity in many specialized fields, such as biomedical, chemical, industrial and geological engineering.

While donations reach a peak during the week leading up to December 6, the Week of the White Rose transactional website is always live, making it possible to purchase a gift of white roses at any time of the year.

With the Week of the White Rose, Polytechnique reaffirms that it will never forget, but at the same time will always look to the future.

 

OTHER COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS

Order of the White Rose scholarship ceremony

On Monday, December 5, at 2 p.m., Polytechnique will hold the second annual Order of the White Rose scholarship presentation ceremony, during which a deserving Canadian woman engineering student wishing to pursue graduate studies will receive the $30,000 award. A media advisory will be issued shortly.

Placing of bouquets of roses at the commemorative plaque

On Tuesday, December 6, at 8:30 a.m., bouquets of white roses will be placed at the commemorative plaque by Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, Principal and Chair of the Polytechnique Board of Directors; Christophe Guy, CEO of Polytechnique; Clara Levy-Provençal, interim President of the Polytechnique students association; and Joël Girard-Lauzière, President of the Polytechnique graduate students’ association. Staff, students and members of the public are invited to gather and reflect at the site throughout the day. The commemorative plaque is outside, on the southwest façade of the main building of Polytechnique.

Beacons of light on Mount Royal

For the third year in a row, the skies above Montreal will be lit by 14 beams of light on the evening of December 6, in remembrance of the victims. Those who wish to gather and reflect may do so near the beacons in front of the Chalet on Mount Royal, near the summit in Mount Royal Park. A news release will be issued shortly by the City of Montreal.

 

About Polytechnique Montréal

Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s leading engineering teaching and research institutions. It is the largest engineering university in Québec for the size of its graduate student body and the scope of its research activities. With over 45,700 graduates, Polytechnique Montréal has educated nearly one-quarter of the current members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. The institution offers more than 120 programs. Polytechnique has 250 professors and over 8,200 students. It has an annual operating budget of more than $210 million, including a research budget exceeding $70 million.

 

About Folie Technique

Folie Technique is a non-profit organization established in 1991 at the initiative of engineering students at Polytechnique Montréal. Its mission is to give young people the opportunity to explore the worlds of science, mathematics, engineering and technology through creative, interactive and accessible activities. More than 20,000 young people aged 7 to 17 take part in Folie Technique’s activities every year.

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AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS
Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, Principal and Chair of the Board of Directors of Polytechnique and the school’s first woman graduate in civil engineering
A young Folie Technique camper
Julie Doucet Lamoureux, Executive Director of Folie Technique

Thank-you video from young Folie Technique campers

INFORMATION
Interview requests
Annie Touchette
Polytechnique Montréal
514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca

Information
Andrée Peltier
514 846-0003
514 944-8689
apeltier@ca.inter.net

2015

27
Nov

Second edition of Polytechnique Montréal’s Week of the White Rose will be held from November 30 to December 6, 2015

December 6 – “It is by believing in roses that you make them bloom.”
- ANATOLE FRANCE [...]

The Week of the White Rose was established by Polytechnique Montréal last year with a mission: to give virtual roses and help promote the “blooming” of promising talent and to stimulate an interest in the sciences that might not otherwise have emerged. By creating a hope-filled annual event on the 25th anniversary of the dark tragedy that forever marked the institution, Polytechnic reaffirmed that it would never forget, but at the same time would always look to the future.

Polytechnique Montréal is once again calling on its entire community and the general public to buy virtual white roses. This fundraiser gives young girls from disadvantaged and multiethnic backgrounds the opportunity to develop a positive attitude toward science and engineering.

A first successful edition: 2,700 students reached!

The first edition of the Week of the White Rose raised some $25,000, helping to provide scholarships to 20 young schoolgirls to attend Polytechnique’s Folie Technique science day camp. Another 70 girls participated in the camp’s Codemakers activity, in partnership with Google, to learn more about computer programming. In addition, 1,500 elementary school girls participated in classroom science workshops and more than 1,000 female high school students attended interactive mathematics workshops. The Week of the White Rose also enabled the holding of an after-school science club, while seven classes from elementary schools located in disadvantaged areas of Montréal had the opportunity to host a robotics club.

“Two of my 5th-grade students won a scholarship to Folie Technique camp this year thanks to their science fair project,” says Julia Laporta, an elementary school teacher in Montréal. “Donations to the Week of the White Rose provided tangible help for them to discover the world of science, realize their potential, develop interests and come into contact with the university milieu. But most of all, they realized that all this is accessible to them, and they learned more about the various engineering sectors and about the qualifications required to become an engineer.”

As the Holiday season approaches, companies are also being asked to offer white roses as a corporate gift. Last year, instead of sending a traditional calendar for the new year, one Québec company made a $2,000 donation to the Week of the White Rose. The company’s customers welcomed the gesture and the initiative enabled several girls to participate in science activities during the year.

The Week of the White Rose provides an opportunity for a collective moment of reflection, contemplation and remembrance that offers renewed vigour and gives the next generation of engineers the energy and strength they need. While the activities culminate every year during the week leading up to December 6, the Week of the White Rose transactional web site is always live, making it possible to purchase virtual white roses at any time of the year.

 

About Polytechnique Montréal

Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s leading engineering teaching and research institutions. It is the largest engineering university in Québec for the size of its graduate student body and the scope of its research activities. With over 43,000 graduates, Polytechnique Montréal has educated nearly one-quarter of the current members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Polytechnique provides training in 15 engineering specialties, and has 265 professors and more than 8,000 students. It has an annual operating budget of over $200 million, including an $80-million research budget.

About Folie Technique

Folie Technique is a non-profit organization established in 1991 at the initiative of engineering students at Polytechnique Montréal. Its mission is to give young people the opportunity to explore the worlds of science, mathematics, engineering and technology through creative, interactive and accessible activities.More than 20,000 young people aged 7 to 17 take part in Folie Technique’s activities every year.

On the 25th anniversary of the tragic events of December 6, 1989, Polytechnique Montréal presented the very first edition of the Week of the White Rose. This annual fundraiser, to benefit Polytechnique Montréal’s science camp, Folie Technique, is aimed at giving girls from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to take part in science awareness activities, through the sale of virtual white roses.