SUMMER PROGRAMS – CANADA
1. SHAD
SHAD is a month-long program focused on STEAM and entrepreneurship. It is open to Canadian and International students currently in grades 10 and 11 and is located at a growing list of Canadian universities. There are more than 14,000 SHAD alums, including 27 Rhodes Scholars and many other accomplished professionals, all sharing the transformational SHAD experience and being able to leverage their SHAD network for life.
The SHAD Entrepreneurship Challenge is a program highlight. Teams of participants work together to solve a big problem by applying scientific principles to develop engineering, design, and entrepreneurship projects. Students create a real-life product or service, conduct market surveys, create business plans, and engineer working prototypes.
Applications are due on December 1. SHAD also hosts a parallel virtual option. However, student feedback has been much more favorable for the in-person experience.
2. The International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP)
Not offered in 2024.
3. University of Waterloo Catalyst Summer Program
The Catalyst Summer Program is a 2-week program that offers a unique, interdisciplinary approach to the “traditional leadership program”. Drawing from the University of Waterloo’s engineering, science, and innovation strengths, high school students develop leadership skills within a community and problem-based context – with real opportunities to put new skills into practice! This program is open to Grade 10 and 11 students interested in engineering design, business, and entrepreneurship. This program is offered in person but is not an overnight program. Boarding can be arranged for participants for an additional fee.
4. University of Waterloo Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students
Quantum School for Young Students | Institute for Quantum Computing
Discover how mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, and more combine into one of the most exciting topics in modern science – quantum information – at the Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students (QCSYS) at the University of Waterloo—no fee for the program. Must be age 15+ in Grade 11 or 12 (e.g., Secondary V and CÉGEP in Québec), be enrolled in or completed Grade 11 mathematics (Grade 11 physics is recommended). Experience with quantum physics is not required, just curiosity and interest in exploring new scientificconcepts. Exceptional Grade 10 students may be accepted, space permitting. It takes place online from August 12 -23, 2024.
5. McGill University Summer Academy
Designed for high school students in grades 10 or 11, Summer Academy involves two weeks of classes, workshops, activities, and trips. It is supervised 24/7 by McGill staff and students. The fee is $4500 for two-week sessions. Applications are accepted until March 1. Courses are offered in Economics, Political Science, and Neuroscience.
6. The University of British Columbia Future Global Leaders
UBC Future Global Leaders | UBC Extended Learning (ExL)
At UBC Future Global Leaders pre-university summer program, high school students aged 15-18 can spend the summer experiencing university life, discovering passions, and challenging themselves in university-level academic courses taught by UBC professors and instructors. Future Global Leaders is held at both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, giving students the opportunity to test the waters and see what life is like on both small and large campuses. Programs are two weeks long, and you can request residence or commute. This is offered in multiple sessions so students can do more than one two-week program throughout the summer.
7. University of Toronto Youth Summer Program
The Youth Summer Program (YSP) was established in 2008, and every summer, students from across North America and around the world are offered a glimpse into the world of Medicine and Law. A unique modular-based format provides students with diverse subject areas and flexibility. Students participate in the exploration of their respective fields, career opportunities, and what they
should be thinking about and doing in high school to prepare themselves for post-secondary admission and education. Application opens in February.
8. University of Toronto Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program
DEEP Summer Academy – Engineering Outreach
The Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP) is designed for highly motivated high school students with an aptitude for science and math. DEEP provides students worldwide with the opportunity for advanced study in various engineering, technology, business, and science disciplines.
Since its inception in 2003, DEEP has brought together over 10,000 like-minded students to explore some of the most innovative topics in engineering and science today—taught by some of our faculty’s top alums, Ph.D. candidates, and Master’s and undergraduate students. The program is designed to expose bright young minds to concepts usually presented in the upper years of an undergraduate degree or in graduate school.
9. University of Toronto Math Academy
Math Academy | Department of Mathematics (utoronto.ca)
Math Academy is offered in-person at the University of Toronto – St. George campus but is not an overnight program.
Math Academy is a challenging, one-week, intensive enrichment experience for students in grades 9-12 who have strong mathematical thinking abilities. Students are accepted into the program based on their solutions to a problem set, which aims to highlight their ability to think mathematically and creatively rather than testing for specific curricular knowledge.
The program is typically run during the summer and March break. Each one-week term is a standalone special topics course that goes in-depth on a single topic. The topic will be creative, fun, and somewhat abstract; in other words, what mathematicians consider “real math.” Math Academy includes both lecture-style teaching and significant time devoted to independent and small-group problem-solving.
10. The University of Western Ontario Ivey Summer Leadership Program
Ivey Summer Leadership Program
The Ivey Summer Leadership Program is a jam-packed four-day overnight program designed to give students a unique opportunity to develop their leadership skills and gain insights into critical issues such as Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Global Citizenship. It’s full of business programming, including case classes, seminars, boot camps, speaker sessions, experiential learning outside the classroom, and more.
During the program, participants will have the chance to experience Western’s state-of-the-art residence and access world-class food services. In addition to the business programming, the program will include fun outings and evening activities around London to give students a well-rounded experience.
The Ivey Summer Leadership Program is an ideal opportunity for students to gain valuable knowledge and skills while having an enjoyable and memorable experience.
Program Fee (including boarding, food, and materials): $350
11. Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre, Vancouver Island, BC – Wilderness Youth Leadership Development (WYLD)
WYLD Camps – Strathcona Park Lodge
Wilderness Youth Leadership Development (WYLD) expeditions are 8—to 12-day summer camps for teens ages 12 to 17. Campers travel into the wilderness of Strathcona Provincial Park, where they canoe, hike, camp beneath the stars, learn skills to navigate the backcountry and create lasting connections.
Experiential learning is a central focus of WYLD camps. These expeditions emphasize the value of “the journey,” the importance of shared experience, and the freedom of living from what you (and your group) can carry. Through these experiences, groups learn to trust, embrace adventure, and find joy in times of struggle and triumph.
Our goal is that WYLD participants will return home with the awareness that they are capable and resilient, the drive to acquire new skills, an appreciation for the natural world, and the motivation to pursue what they believe in.
12. The Institute for Higher Learning University of British Columbia |www.teachingpower.com
A unique pre-disciplinary summer program hosted on the campus of UBC and tailored for ambitious young leaders aged 15-18. Our discussion-based seminars are designed to build essential skills and foster healthy academic habits: enhance critical thinking, hone academic writing, and refine persuasive speaking. Immerse yourself in literary classics and engage with intellectual peers in a stimulating environment. The program spans seven weeks but offers flexibility; however, students are strongly encouraged to enroll in all three offerings: PPE 100 Critical Thinking, PPE 200 Civic Education, and PPE 400 The Western Canon. Each class is supported by a full-time teaching assistant utilizing UBC’s rigorous evaluation criteria to ensure you are well-prepared for the transition to university.