15 High School Programs in Canada
- Stephen Turban
- Aug 25
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 1
If you are eager to get some exposure to academics, career paths, or other interests in high school, participating in a program is worth considering.
Canada is home to many universities and organizations offering programs in various disciplines to high school students based in the country. As a participant, you will tackle coursework and hands-on projects, developing practical skills from lab or technical abilities to creative problem-solving.
Many programs also offer industry exposure, letting you interact with professionals, tour research facilities, and build valuable connections. Many Canadian programs are low-cost or financial aid-based opportunities, making them accessible for high school students.
To help you with your search, we have identified 15 high school programs in Canada. We have focused on factors like academic rigor, practical learning, and strong institutional ties. Whether your passion lies in engineering, the arts, environmental science, or business, you will find an option here that works for you.
15 High School Programs in Canada
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program format; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The upcoming fall cohort’s applications are due on August 24
Dates: The exact dates vary as per the cohort; Summer cohort: June – August | Fall cohort: September – December | Winter cohort: December – February | Spring cohort: March – June
Eligibility: High school students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research experience designed for high school students. Here, you will get 1-on-1 mentorship and research opportunities across a broad range of subject areas, including engineering, international relations, chemistry, physics, psychology, and environmental science. As a participant, you will attend virtual sessions with a Ph.D. mentor to complete an independent research project on a topic and subject area of choice. At the end of the session, you will have developed an independent research paper! You will also be able to seek support to continue with your research beyond the program. You can find more details about the program and application here.
Location: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Cost/Stipend: 1,668 CAD + 98 CAD registration fee; need- and merit-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to 120 students/session
Dates: Multiple 1-week sessions; June–August
Application deadline: Rolling until filled; application window opens on February 12
Eligibility: Students in grades 10–12
At the Med YSP, you will spend a week diving into one of four tracks: Physiology, Molecular Biology & Genetics, Pharmacology & Toxicology, or Microbiology through lectures, hands-on labs, and interactive discussions. Under the guidance of grad students and U of T faculty, you will master practical skills like pipetting, DNA fingerprinting, microbial culturing, and drug interaction assays. You will work in teams on mini-projects, present your findings, and participate in campus tours across the Medical Discovery District. The experience blends rigorous academics, real lab exposure, and mentorship, offering you a glimpse into the life of a health professional.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies according to program. Financial aid available
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application deadline: Rolling, with multiple summer cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students aged 13–18 currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program allows high school students to take undergraduate-level classes at universities around the world. The program pairs you with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4-10 students. You'll attend university-style lectures and 1:1 weekly sessions with your tutor. The program includes practical experiences such as dissections in medicine, robotic arm building in engineering, or moot courts for law. You can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, business management, computer science, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. By the program’s end, you will complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
Cost: 715 CAD + HST; no application fee; bursaries up to 95% available
Cohort size: 25 students/session (a total of 150 participants across two streams + three sessions)
Dates: Session I: July 7 – 18 | Session II: July 21 – August 1 | Session III: August 11 – 22
Application deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Students entering grade 10 or higher
As a Catalyst participant, you will choose between the Traditional Catalyst stream, focusing on engineering design and STEM, or Early Entrepreneurs, which blends innovation with business and entrepreneurship. In a small cohort of 25, you will collaborate on hands-on projects like building robots, pitching startups, disassembling engines, or coding prototypes. You will also participate in workshops, lectures, and informal chats with Waterloo faculty and students. The program activities focus on helping you hone teamwork, leadership, entrepreneurship, and design-thinking skills. An optional overnight on-campus stay is available, although not required; some participants choose to stay to experience the engineering student life.
Location: University of Toronto, St. George Campus, Toronto, ON
Cost/Stipend: ~725 CAD/week for Canadian students | 1,100 CAD/week for international students + 50–60 CAD application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact cohort size not officially disclosed
Dates: July 7 – August 15; five one-week sessions
Application deadline: Round 1: Late February; Round 2: Late March
Eligibility: Grades 9–12 with a strong interest in STEM
At DEEP, you will spend a week delving into advanced STEM topics that extend beyond standard high school curricula. Past course offerings include AI and machine learning, UX design, biomedical health tech, cryptography, algorithms and automation, civil engineering, neuroscience robotics, sustainable plastics, and data science. Classes combine lectures with labs, workshops, and team projects guided by U of T alumni, graduate students, and Ph.D. mentors. You will also learn about design processes while coding a robot or building wearable sensors, and present your project work at the end. Some weeks include a leadership‑focused day camp at U of T’s civil engineering survey site at Gull Lake, where you develop team-based problem-solving and outdoor skills. Overall, DEEP provides a fast-paced glimpse into engineering and tech disciplines, offering hands-on learning and real mentorship.
Location: University of Toronto, St. George Campus, Toronto, ON
Cost: ~450 CAD + tax; bursaries available
Cohort size: 25 students
Dates: August 11 – 15
Application deadline: July 20
Eligibility: Grades 9–12 with strong mathematical abilities
At U of T’s Math Academy, you will spend a week tackling advanced topics like graph theory, knot theory, prime number theory, or other abstract areas. Through a mix of graduate-level seminars led by graduate students and postdocs, alongside group problem-solving sessions, you will develop deep creative thinking skills. Here, you will engage in both independent and collaborative exploration. You will participate in discussions, challenge your assumptions, and explore theoretical mathematics. For anyone who thrives on puzzles and abstracts, this program offers a chance to experience university-style math in a focused, camp-like setting.
Location: Virtual or in-person at 30 university campuses across Canada (e.g., Waterloo, UBC, McGill, etc.)
Cost/Stipend: 6,335 CAD – 8,900 CAD, depending on the format you choose; financial assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 40–50%; 60–100/campus or 1,500–1,800 total students
Dates: On-campus program: June 29 – July 25; Virtual: June 30 – July 25
Application deadline: Typically December 1
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10 and 11
During the SHAD Canada program, you will spend four weeks tackling real-world STEAM and entrepreneurship challenges. Early mornings include lectures and labs led by university professors and industry mentors; afternoons are dedicated to fieldwork, design-thinking workshops, and social innovation team projects that may involve building sustainable solutions. You will find yourself sleeping in dorms (if you choose the on-campus program), bonding with peers, and collaborating with peers across backgrounds. Each cohort also visits cultural and industrial sites like tech incubators or research labs and engages with Indigenous knowledge. The classes follow a 1:8 mentor-to-student ratio, offering you access to close mentorship and feedback.
Location: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Cost: 1,175 CAD per summer module (plus ~ 98 CAD registration fee)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to 60 students/session
Dates: One- to five-week sessions available, typically between late June and mid-August
Application deadline: Registration opens in February; no specific deadline
Eligibility: Students in grades 10–12
At Law YSP, you will explore the world of law through interactive workshops, mock trials, field trips, and lectures led by law professors, judges, and practicing lawyers. As you explore criminal, international, or corporate law, you will sharpen public speaking, research, and legal writing skills. The program offers a social justice and advocacy module, where you will explore social issues and legal frameworks and develop advocacy skills. You will also get to visit real courtrooms and law firms in Toronto, allowing you to experience firsthand what a career in law looks like. You will live on campus, meeting peers from across Canada and beyond, and experiencing university life along with social and networking events.
Location: Online (plus optional in-person lab day at Waterloo, ON)
Cost: Free
Cohort size: 200 (for the online program), of which 25 local students are selected for the in-person lab day
Dates: August 11 – 15 (online) + optional lab day on August 18 for local students
Application deadline: June 8
Eligibility: Grade 10–12 (or CÉGEP) students within Canada; recordings available for international participants
At QSYS, you will explore quantum information through virtual lectures, problem-solving sessions, mentoring, and discussions with quantum researchers. Topics covered include quantum superposition, entanglement, quantum cryptography, algorithms, optics, and linear algebra delivered through a mix of theory and hands-on experimentation. After completing at least 75% of the online sessions, you will become eligible for the in-person lab day, where you will work directly with quantum equipment at Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing. The experience also includes social events and extracurricular networking opportunities.
Location: Toronto, ON; exact location and format (remote/hybrid/in-person) can vary
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: July 2 – August 20
Application deadline: TBA, applications open in spring
Eligibility: Students in grades 11 and 12 enrolled in Ontario high schools
Royal Bank of Canada’s Summer Tech Labs is an eight-week internship, where you will serve as an Innovation Developer, tackling real-world challenges in the financial technology space. In a small team of four, you will build functional prototypes using tools and resources such as GitHub, JavaScript, and React.js, while employing agile development and design thinking. Mentors and RBC staff will offer support to help you research, code, and present your solutions to a real business problem. You will also have access to professional development sessions during the program.
Location: University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Stipend: 15 CAD/hour for 30–35 hours/week; a limited number of subsidized residence spaces available to participants outside Edmonton
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15–17%; 25–30 students selected out of 175 applicants
Dates: July 3 – August 14
Application deadline: March 14
Eligibility: Grade 11 students residing in or north of Red Deer, AB, who have enrolled in or completed Mathematics 20-1 or 20-2, Biology 20, and at least one other Grade 11 science course
As a HYRS participant, you will join real research labs typically focusing on health, medical sciences, or health tech, and work under the mentorship of University of Alberta faculty and graduate students. Over six weeks, you will gain hands-on experience in research, from data analysis and experiment design to lab techniques and cross-disciplinary innovation. The program typically offers placements in research areas like commercialization of health tech, digital or data-driven health research, and health system transformation. You will attend weekly professional development workshops, speaker series, and lab tours. You will also develop research communication skills through poster presentations and symposia.
Location: University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Stipend: 15 CAD/hour for full-time research; travel and accommodation subsidies available
Cohort size: 40
Dates: July 3 – August 14
Application deadline: April 15; registrations open on March 3
Eligibility: Grade 11 students; young women, Indigenous, racialized, and gender‑diverse students encouraged to apply
As a WISEST Summer Research Program participant, you will explore STEM research-related bench, office, or fieldwork under faculty and grad student supervision while also contributing to research projects. Weekly professional development and networking events, on- and off-campus lab tours, and mentor sessions complement your research work. You will wrap up the program by designing and presenting a research poster at the “Celebration of Research”—a public showcase event. The experience can help you gain lab-ready skills and insights into pursuing a STEM degree while earning a stipend and making connections in the university’s research community.
Location: University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Eight-week full-time summer term; May–August
Application deadline: December 23 (prior to the programming year)
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students; high schoolers must find a faculty supervisor and commit to working full-time for eight weeks
The CHI Summer Studentship offers you an opportunity to collaborate with a supervising CHI faculty member on a project in applied health informatics or data science on topics involving data visualization, health services analytics, or digital health initiatives. You can choose a faculty supervisor working on a research area that aligns with your interests. During the program, you will work up to 35 hours/week in a research environment, developing analytical, technical, and communication skills through project work. Throughout the term, you will participate in weekly meetings, submit a final research report, and possibly present findings.
Location: Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
Cost: 50 CAD administration fee; the University subsidizes the remaining cost of 1,000 CAD
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 28 – August 22
Application deadline: Rolling; often tied to Biology-based engineering admissions offers
Eligibility: Students (typically graduating seniors) with high school biology and a strong interest in engineering
As a Bioengineering Summer Institute participant, you will explore the intersection of biology, physics, and biomedical device design in labs and interactive learning sessions. Through hands-on experiments, you will analyze systems like the cardiovascular or neural networks, design fluid dynamics models, and apply electromagnetism principles to bioengineering problems. You will complete daily quizzes (for learning, not grades), group projects, and project-based assessments, and end the session with a poster or presentation. You will also tour facilities like Foothills Hospital to connect theory with real-world medical tech. The program can prepare you for first-year engineering and fulfill conditions for engineering admission at Calgary.
Location: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: July 2 – August (end date not specified)
Application deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Students in grades 10–12 who are at least 16 years old and legally authorized to work in Canada
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre offers summer research experiences in its Focused Ultrasound Lab to high school students. Here, you will contribute to the lab’s ongoing research efforts in the fields of medicine, physics, technology, engineering, and biology. You may engage in project work like designing circuit boards, investigating the impact of focused ultrasound on various mechanisms, and experimental work. Throughout the program, you will get insights into medicine, research, and device development in the process.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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