Who Are We?

Queen’s Project on International Development (QPID)

is a student run organization operating out of the Queen’s Engineering Society since 1990. Over the past 34 years, we have hosted a variety of initiatives on campus, in Kingston, in Canada, and internationally.

QPID can be spotted on campus at our forums, fall event, and Collecting with QPID Campaign.

Our forums involve discussions, speaker panels, presentations and workshops, and take place on Queen’s campus. Each forum’s topic highlights a global development and social justice issue, either local or global. All students are welcome to discuss and learn together about topics that aren’t necessarily addressed in students’ classes or everyday lives.

Our Collecting with QPID (CWQ) campaign replaced our annual ‘5 Days for Homelessness’ fundraiser. CWQ is an informational and fundraising campaign supporting the Kingston Youth Shelter. QPID members collect donations and engage with the Queen’s community for 5 days in March at the corner or Union and University. Our goal for 2023 is to collect $10,000.

QPID’s presence in Kingston is primarily seen in our efforts with workshops, the youth conference, and collaboration with the Kingston Youth Shelter. Our workshops take place in local high schools, where students have the opportunity to explore different approaches to mitigating social injustices. The annual Youth Conference invites over 100 high school students to spend the day discussing a highlighted development issue, listening to speakers, engaging with peers, and treated to a catered lunch and opportunity to earn volunteer hours.

QPID annually operates summer internships. They focus on collaboration and teamwork between summer interns and members of host communities to fill needs that have been recognized by the host communities themselves. These two to three month internships provide host communities with eager volunteers, and our volunteers with a unique opportunity for a cross-cultural experience. QPID has participated in over 200 grassroots community development projects in Guyana, Ghana, Nunavut, Bolivia, Peru, India, Nicaragua, Burkina Faso, and Kingston. QPID currently participates in summer internships in Yellowknife, Botswana, Delhi, and Bangalore.