What is CDE?

The Conference for Diversity in Engineering (CDE) aims to develop knowledge surrounding the variety of individuals, cultures and perspectives found within engineering communities. CDE further aims to instill a notion of positivity and togetherness in creating spaces that value the differences between groups of engineering students and professionals. It is offered as one of the annual conferences of the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES).

 

To our team, CDE is a conference of conversation, reflection, and inspiration. The sessions team has been working hard to bring you a set of workshops that create discussion between delegates, inspire deep thought, and give delegates actionable items to take home and implement positive change in their own environments.

 

Our theme is "Be Brave, Feel Safe, Take Up Space". Safety and comfort is a path forged by others that have oftentimes not felt safe themselves. Feeling safe, especially for members of equity deserving groups, can come at the cost of wanting to take up space. At CDE, we hope to foster both brave and safe spaces. We hope  delegates feel comfortable speaking up and share their perspectives, even when they might be outside the norm, uncomfortable, or challenging. In contrast, we also recognize that CDE is also a place of community and connection and also hope to provide spaces for you to be genuinely yourself and reflect on what that means to you.

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The conference is split into three streams, which invite delegates to create safe spaces in different aspects of their lives: at home, at work, and at school. Each stream will present a series of workshops focusing on different aspects of these environments, and we hope that attendees frequent workshops from all three to achieve a balanced perspective on EDI. More detailed descriptions of the streams and a sneak peek of some workshop offerings are below!