ShiftKey Labs

Academy Up: DevOps Foundations Certification (1/4)
2024-11-05 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Excited to share that we’re launching a new certification program in DevOps November! Led by Zainuddin Saiyed, this program offers you the chance to learn the basics of DevOps and get hands-on experience.
This free certification program is offered through ShiftKey Academy Up, generously supported by Cognizant.
📅 Dates: November 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, Room 134
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register now: https://bit.ly/4eJE3j6
Note: Attendance is required for all sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Find Your Co-Founder: Tech & Entrepreneurship
2024-11-06 - 2024-11-07 | Dalhousie and SMU
Come Join us for the Find Your Cofounder: Tech & Entrepreneurship Event on November 6th, 7th & 8th co-hosted by Shiftkey, DalInovates, and the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre.Each session day is unique (and in a different location!), so you are welcome to attend all three or just the days that interest you. Expect delicious food from local entrepreneurs and thought-provoking discussions on all 3 days!

Here’s what you’ll get from this:

How to Talk Tech: how to talk tech to non-tech startups and why entrepreneurship is so important in the tech industry
November 6, 2024 | 6:00PM-7:00PM | Arthur L Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, Sobey Inspiration Hub (SH212)

Tech in Entrepreneurship: exploring the importance of tech in entrepreneurship and what entrepreneurial skills are vital for tech and non-tech startups
November 7, 2024 | 6:00PM-7:00PM | Goldberg Computer Science Building, Room 127

POSTPONED*: Find your CoFounder: Panel discussion with this week’s speakers, Q&A, and networking (dinner included!)

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and learn! See you there!

Register now: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy Up: Data Analytics with Python Certification (4/4)
2024-11-06 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Excited to share that we’re launching a new certification program in Data Analytics and Python this October and November! Led by Sahil Chawla, this program offers you the chance to learn the basics of Python and get hands-on experience.
This free certification program is offered through ShiftKey Academy Up, generously supported by Cognizant.
📅 Dates: October 16, 23, 30, and November 6
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, Room 127
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register now: https://bit.ly/47CEFEm
Note: Attendance is required for all sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Academy Up: DevOps Foundations Certification (2/4)
2024-11-12 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Workshop: Internet of Things
2024-11-15 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax) | Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
This workshop will introduce participants to the fundamentals of building Internet of Things (IoT) systems and establishing effective device communication, using the innovative Monogramming approach—a shell script-based programming method tailored for IoT programming. Students will gain practical experience in setting up IoT hardware and leveraging shell scripts to create efficient, streamlined communication protocols between devices. This approach offers a unique pathway to mastering the essential skills of programming for connected systems. Whether you’re new to IoT or looking to deepen your understanding, this workshop is a great opportunity to explore the world of smart, connected systems.
Prof. Ohno: Dr. Hiroyuki Ohno is a Professor at Kanazawa University, Japan, where he also serves as the Director of Information Infrastructure Division, Information Media Center and Senior Researcher at Keio Research Institute at SFC. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Master and Bachelor degrees in Control Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology. He is also the founder of the Raspberry Gate and Guardian initiative that aims at securing Raspberry Pi devices. Previously served as a lecturer at the Graduate School of Tokyo Institute of Technology, with appointments at the Communications Research Laboratory of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (now NICT) and the Cabinet Secretariat. Has held the current position since 2006, engaging in research on emergency communications, information security, and manufacturing support. In recent years, he has been advocating for “Monogramming,” dedicating himself to its practice and promotion. He is also actively conducting research in the fields of quantum computing and quantum communication. Dr. Ohno is a collaborator of Dr. Srini Sampalli and is a frequent visitor to the MYTech Lab in the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University, where he mentors and advises students on IoT research.
Story behind the approach: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QQw3fK2hy9bcFOAHFCMKf3fMQeLkwxE0R4ejlJgotk0/edit?usp=sharing

📅 Date: November 15, 2024
⏰ Schedule:

10:00AM-12:00PM: Part 1
12:00PM-1:00PM: Lunch (provided)
1:00PM-3:00PM: Part 2

📌 Location: Room 1016, Rowe Management Building
✍️ Register now: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Workshop: APIs
2024-11-18 18:30 - 19:30 (Asia/Kolkata) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Join us on November 18th for an API Development session where we’ll dive into the fundamentals of APIs, exploring how they enable communication between different systems through HTTP requests, endpoints, and REST architecture. We’ll also test out LLM APIs to interact with Generative AI models, offering hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI technologies.

📅 Date: October 21st, 2024
⏰ Time: 6:30PM-7:30PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, 430
Register Now: https://bit.ly/4f2waVD

LaTeX Workshop & Competition
2024-11-19 17:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
LaTeX is a key skill for both budding and seasoned computer scientists alike. This workshop gives an interactive overview of using LaTeX for typesetting assignments, posters, presentations, diagrams, theses, and conference submissions through a series of typesetting challenges. No knowledge of LaTeX is required for this beginner friendly workshop but those experienced with LaTeX should expect to learn techniques that will increase their productivity. After giving an interactive tutorial, participants will be presented with a series of typesetting competitions to show off their newly learned LaTeX prowess. All participants must bring their own computer.
📅 Date: November 19th, 2024
⏰ Time: 5:30PM to 8:30PM
📌 Location: The Goldberg Computer Science Building
✍ Registration: bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy Up: DevOps Foundations Certification (3/4)
2024-11-19 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Workshop with Linux Society: Vim Workshop
2024-11-20 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Vim is an excellent lightweight code editor that can be put to great use, if you know how to use it effectively. Learn the basics of how to install and navigate Vim and gain an understanding of more advanced features that enable you to work more efficiently. You will gain an understanding of how Vim works and know enough to be able to dig into further details yourself. We will also cover some commonly used plugins to customise and improve your Vim experience.

📅 Date: November 20th, 2024
⏰ Time: 5:30PM to 7:00PM
📌 Location: The Goldberg Computer Science Building
✍ Registration: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy Up: DevOps Foundations Certification (4/4)
2024-11-26 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Academy UP: SQL Foundations (1/4)
2025-01-06 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Excited to share that we’re launching a new certification program in SQL in January! Led by Vishwa Patel, this program offers you the chance to learn the basics of SQL and get hands-on experience.
This free certification program is offered through ShiftKey Academy Up, generously supported by Cognizant.
📅 Dates: January 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, Room 134
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register now: http://bit.ly/4iIQluo
Note: Attendance is required for all sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Academy UP: SQL Foundations (2/4)
2025-01-13 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Workshop: Cybersecurity in Networks
2025-01-16 18:30 - 19:30 (Asia/Kolkata) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
This workshop dives into the fundamentals of how networks operate, their importance in cybersecurity, and explores best practices for securing networks from potential threats. You’ll gain hands-on experience through a live demo, and have the opportunity to interface with a network switch yourself. By the end of the session, you will understand why it’s crucial to secure network infrastructure, learn practical techniques to enhance network security, and get resources to further your learning in the cybersecurity field.

📅 Date: January 16th, 2025
⏰ Time: 6:30PM-7:30PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, 134
✍️ Register Here: https://lnkd.in/e3ftEFaR

GGJ Workshop: D&D Game Design Workshop
2025-01-20 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Most video games have a story: not only Role-playing games. In this workshop, we will approach story building and game design to maximize engagement for players, and simplify the design of a video game’s mechanics. To do this, Professor Carla Heggie and Dr. Christian Blouin will draw from experience designing and playing table-top role playing games. They will also approach this from a player’s perspective, especially on how player finding gamey loopholes can break immersion. Unlike a tabletop game where players aren’t trying to break a game, the rules are really different for a video game.
📅 Date: January 20, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00PM-6:00PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, Room 430
✍️ Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Please note: This workshop is available to everyone, whether they have signed up for Global Game Jam or not! If you haven’t signed up for the Jam but you want to, follow this link: https://bit.ly/40b5QTt

ShiftKey Build: Pitch Workshop
2025-01-20 17:00 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Mona Campbell Building, 1459 Lemarchant Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3P8
Sharpen your pitch, practice, and enjoy free pizza at our Build Pitch Day workshop on January 20th, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Mona Campbell Room 1108! We’ll kick off the evening with a brief workshop, led by public speaking expert, Jason Turner, to help you refine your pitch. Afterwards, you’ll have a relaxed practice session where you can present, get feedback, and cheer each other on. Whether you’re ready to pitch or just want to learn and enjoy some pizza, everyone’s welcome. Come level up your startup ideas with us!
📅 Date: January 20, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00PM-7:30PM
📌 Location: Mona Campbell 1108
✍️ Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy UP: SQL Foundations (3/4)
2025-01-20 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

GGJ Workshop: Figures in Motion
2025-01-21 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
In this beginner figure drawing workshop, learn how to capture gestures, still poses, and movement. With step-by-step direction from Artist Sage Sidley, participants will learn how to sketch the human form from a live figure model (in fun costumes). This workshop will help Game Jam contestants draw accurate renderings of figures for character development.
📅 Date: January 21, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00PM-6:30PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, Room 430
✍️ Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Please note: This workshop is available to everyone, whether they have signed up for Global Game Jam or not! If you haven’t signed up for the Jam but you want to, follow this link: https://bit.ly/40b5QTt

GGJ Workshop: Jamming with Unreal Engine 5
2025-01-22 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Halifax) | Nova Scotia
In this workshop, you will be guided on some of the main components you need to understand to make a game in Unreal Engine 5 in the context of a game jam. How to set up a level, what is a game mode, what is a player controller, how to work with blueprints (especially in a team context), how to work with materials, how to make UI components, and more! We will be explore the basics of the engine and understand why things are designed the way they are because it can be a bit confusing to get into for the first time. Game Developer, Rose Dufresne, understands that a lot of tutorials try to cover everything (e.g. lumen, Niagara, nanites… what even are these, and do we really even need this information to make a silly game?). They can come off as overwhelming and much of the knowledge can get lost quite quickly. So, she wants to present you with information that will hopefully stick with you from one game jam to another!
📅 Date: January 22, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00PM-6:30PM
📌 Location: Virtual (Teams link will be sent out)
✍️ Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Please note: This workshop is available to everyone, whether they have signed up for Global Game Jam or not! If you haven’t signed up for the Jam but you want to, follow this link: https://bit.ly/40b5QTt

GGJ Workshop: Virtual Reality with Unreal Engine 5
2025-01-23 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Halifax) | Nova Scotia
Get started on setting up VR in Unreal Engine and designing your game with VR-specific interactions to immerse your players into your worlds. Your workshop leader will be Pedram Safari, many-time Game Jam winner and developer at local game studio, Maritime Digital Art & Design.
📅 Date: January 23, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00PM-6:30PM
📌 Location: Mona Campbell, Room 1201 (Hybrid: Teams link will be sent out)
✍️ Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Please note: This workshop is available to everyone, whether they have signed up for Global Game Jam or not! If you haven’t signed up for the Jam but you want to, follow this link: https://bit.ly/40b5QTt

Academy UP: SQL Foundations (4/4)
2025-01-27 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Prompt Engineering
2025-01-29 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | Virtual
UPDATE: This event is now virtual due to the weather forecast for January 29th.

Dive into the world of prompt engineering in this beginner-friendly workshop with ShiftKey’s Tobi Onibudo! We’ll explore key techniques for crafting effective prompts that shape AI responses and discuss the evolving future of this critical skill. Whether you’re new to prompt engineering or eager to learn how it’s driving advancements in AI, this session offers the perfect introduction to techniques and trends shaping tomorrow’s AI interactions. Sign Up Here: https://lnkd.in/e3ftEFaR

📅 Date: January 29th, 2025
⏰ Time: 6:00PM to 7:00PM
📌 Location: Virtual

Agile/Scrum Workshop
2025-01-30 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Virtual
UPDATE: This event is now virtual due to the weather forecast for January 30th.
On January 30th, come to our Scrum/Agile Workshop with Brenda Fay! In this two-hour session, we will discuss what Agile and Scrum mean in today’s technology environment. Specifically, we will discuss:

What Agile means and how it can benefit you both as a student and at work
How Scrum works and how to use it

Sign up Here: linktr.ee/shiftkeylabs

📅 Date: January 30th, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:30PM to 7:30PM
📌 Location:Virtual

LeetCode Challenge
2025-02-05 17:00 - 20:30 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
(Now starting at 5:00 pm!)
The LeetCode Challenge invites students from across Nova Scotia to hone and test their coding skills, while making valuable industry connections and learning about technical interviews. This event will take place in the Goldberg Computer Science building, hosted in collaboration by the Faculty of Computer Science, ShiftKey Labs and CIBC.
The event is scheduled to take place on February 5th, 2025. It will start with a CIBC meet-and-greet with students over a light dinner, followed by a presentation from Kewoba Carter on Preparing for Technical Interviews. The challenge itself will take place in the final two hours, where participants are invited to solve as many LeetCode problems as possible, with the chance to win great prizes.
This event is generously supported by CIBC.
Sign up here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

📅 Date: February 5th, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00PM to 8:30PM
📌 Location: The Goldberg Computer Science Building

Finding Product-Market Fit Workshop
2025-02-28 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Get a crash course in product marketing and how to take your idea from 0 to 1. This workshop will help you clearly define your market and start building the foundation of your marketing strategy.

Facilitator Bio: Kate Orchard has over a decade of experience in B2B and B2C marketing, working on advertising campaigns for national brands like Discovery Channel, Virgin Radio, and CTV News. Now a Product Marketer at Dash Social, Kate specializes in crafting user-first go-to-market strategies that drive adoption and revenue growth for tech products.

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

📅 Date: February 28th, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00PM to 6:30PM
📌 Location: The Goldberg Computer Science Building

Consulting 101 Workshop with Cognizant
2025-03-22 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | Nova Scotia
Ever wondered what a career in consulting looks like? Or the skills you need to break into the industry?
Join us for an engaging workshop with Cognizant, one of the largest consulting firms in the world! By the end of the workshop, you’ll gain a better understanding of the consulting world and develop some fundamental consulting skills. And did we mention there’ll be some door prizes and lunch? 🙌
Take a well-deserved break from your studies on March 22.
Sign up here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Build Fast / Ship Fast Workshop
2025-05-30 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Want to turn ideas into real projects in hours, not weeks? At the Build Fast / Ship Fast Workshop, you’ll learn how to quickly set up everything your app needs, from auth to analytics, so you can focus on building features and getting feedback fast.
This workshop is all about adopting a modern, lean approach to software development: validating ideas early 💡, iterating quickly 🔁, and using automation and AI 🤖 to move faster without sacrificing quality. Whether you’re hacking on a side project or launching a startup, this is your guide to building smart and shipping with confidence.
You will learn:
NextJS,
Shadcn,
Clerk,
Supabase,
Resend,
Posthog,
Cursor,
Github CoPilot
📍 Room 134, Goldberg Computer Science Building
🕠 5:30 to 7:00 PM
Registration open now: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Intro to Data Engineering
2025-07-09 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Come find out at our Intro to Data Engineering Workshop⚙️📊!
Whether it’s making product decisions, tracking user behavior, or powering internal tools, data engineers play a key role in designing the systems that move, clean, and structure data at scale 🌐📈.
In this beginner-friendly session, we’ll walk through the core components of the modern data stack and explore how data engineering fits into the broader world of software development 🧑‍💻.
No experience required. All you need is curiosity and an interest in how real-world systems are built.

📅 Date: July 9th
⏰ Time: 6:00PM – 7:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building Room 143
💰 Cost: FREE!

Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events
