Concordia Society for Civil Engineering honoured with national engagement award
Nearly dissolved during a year of low involvement in 2023–2024, the Concordia Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) has since rebuilt to 180 active members in just two years. In recognition of this progress, the student group was recently honoured with the Engagement Vitality Award from the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering.
June Aldinucci, current CSCE president, shared some highlights from the rebuild and where the student group is headed.
The Concordia Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) is a student society under the Engineering and Computer Science Association and a chapter of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.
We bring students together to create a welcoming and supportive environment by offering useful services such as industry-specific health and safety training and tutorials for challenging courses. We also host major events, such as our annual wine and cheese night, to connect students with potential employers and support their ongoing success.
Competitions that enhance learning
While these initiatives define our core identity, CSCE members also participate in engineering competitions. These opportunities allow us to enhance our learning by challenging ourselves and applying skills we gain during our studies.
The Concrete Toboggan Team, which recently won People’s Choice award at the Great Northerm Concrete Toboggan Race, remains one of CSCE’s most popular teams, with a history dating back to the 1990s. Other design teams, such as the Concrete Canoe Team and the Troitsky Bridge Building Team, were also revived and gained recognition, including a prize for Most Innovative Construction Technique.
In 2025, we took part in the Montreal Icebox Challenge, an energy-efficiency competition in which students design structures to preserve ice without cooling. Our team successfully conserved 47 per cent of the ice. We have also added two new competitions, Steel Bridge and Water Treatment, and created a new student chapter of the American Concrete Institute, which our members can apply to join.
Expanded offerings, partnerships on the horizon
Across all affiliated competitions, our members have built strong, competitive design teams and achieved remarkable results. One such achievement is the Engagement Vitality Award we recently received from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. The award recognized our organization for its exponential growth and the leadership of our members.
We are proud of the engagement we have built with Concordia students and look forward to expanding our services. In the coming years, we hope to improve our current offerings, develop new partnerships and support more students in launching new design teams.
By providing opportunities for students to gain practical experience, strengthen their sense of community and improve their well-being, we look forward to seeing our members continue to thrive.
Learn more about the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science.
