15 STEM Internships for High School Students in Canada
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 13
- 9 min read
If you're a high school student in Canada interested in science, tech, engineering, or math, an internship in the country can be a solid way to start. You’ll get a real taste of what STEM looks like outside the classroom. Whether it’s working in a lab, helping with a research project, or supporting a tech team, these programs let you see how things work in the real world.
Canada has a lot going on in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal when it comes to science and tech. The places you’ll work with are often connected to universities or startups pushing new ideas forward. And even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do yet, an internship can help you get a better sense of where you might want to take your skills next.
These internships also make your college or scholarship applications stand out. Admissions teams want to see that you’ve explored your interests and taken initiative.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve researched and curated a list of 15 STEM internships for high school students in Canada! We selected each program based on the prestige of the hosting institution, the rigor of the professional experience, and whether the program is fully funded or offers a stipend.
15 STEM Internships for High School Students in Canada
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Starting at $2,490; financial assistance available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. The upcoming summer deadline is June 23.
Eligibility: Open to high school students (grades 9–12), undergraduates, and gap-year students; must commit to 10–20 hours per week
Ladder Internships is a selective program where high school students work with growing start-ups in different fields. These include tech, AI, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. The start-ups you work with are usually companies that have raised over a million dollars. You can see all the available options on their application form.
The internship is virtual and usually lasts eight weeks. During this time, you will work closely with your start-up managers and a Ladder Coach on real projects. At the end, you will present your work to the company.
Location: Participating high schools across Saskatchewan
Cost/Stipend: Free; includes trade-related benefits upon completion
Program Dates: School-year based; varies by school
Application Deadline: Rolling; dependent on school enrollment
Eligibility: Open to high school students in Saskatchewan enrolled in participating schools
The Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship (SYA) Program helps high school students in Saskatchewan explore careers in skilled trades through hands-on activities and career-focused tasks. You complete 12 challenges with support from a teacher or career counselor.
These include learning how apprenticeships work, exploring different trades, and doing short assignments related to the skills needed in fields like electrical work, welding, machining, and plumbing.
If you finish the program, you get 300 hours of trade time credit, your apprenticeship registration fee is waived, and you get free tuition for Level 1 technical training in any Saskatchewan trade.
Location: Various sites across Canada (including universities, industry, and government labs); some virtual components possible
Cost/Stipend: Paid (full-time or part-time)
Program Dates: 8–16 weeks (typically July–August for high school students)
Application Deadline: The portal opens in November each year. Check here.
Eligibility: Black youth ages 15–22 who are high school students, post-secondary students, or transitioning into post-secondary education
The ELITE Program for Black Youth gives you the chance to join real internships in STEM and business. You’ll be matched with university labs, tech companies, or government teams and work on projects using industry tools. It’s a hands-on way to explore careers and build useful skills.
One day a week, you’ll join workshops on leadership, entrepreneurship, and career prep. You’ll also work on a final project and present it at a student showcase. High school students need to complete a safety course before starting, and you might be able to earn co-op credits. You’ll get mentorship, meet professionals, and build connections that can help you in the future
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free and unpaid
Program Dates: Semester-based; Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions available
Application Deadline: Rolling; early inquiries recommended due to limited spots
Eligibility: Open to Canadian high school students in Grade 11 or 12 completing a school-supported co-op placement
The STEM Co-Operative Placement Program is a virtual co-op that gives high school students early experience in science communication and space-related projects. You will join a small team and work on educational tools about chemistry, planetary science, and Canadian space research.
The program includes research, coding, presentation skills, and project planning. Each placement has only 2 or 3 students, so you’ll get focused support and regular feedback. You will take part in designing real resources used for outreach and science education.
Location: Ontario-based students; virtual/in-person hybrid (depending on cohort year)
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Program Dates: July 2 – August 20
Application Deadline: Applications open in Spring
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 11–12 currently enrolled in an Ontario high school with an interest in computer science, engineering, or entrepreneurship
RBC Summer Tech Labs is an eight-week paid internship for Ontario high school students interested in coding, design, and technology. You’ll join a small team as an Innovation Developer and work on solving real business problems at RBC. The program is focused on building working prototypes using tools like JavaScript, React.js, and GitHub.
You will get hands-on experience with coding and design thinking while learning how to test and improve your ideas. Mentors and RBC professionals will guide you as you build, present, and refine your projects. You’ll also develop skills in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
Location: Virtual (open to high school students in Canada)
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Program Dates: Semester-based (Fall, Winter, or Spring terms)
Application Deadline: Rolling; limited spots per semester
Eligibility: Canadian high school students (typically Grade 11), interest in STEM or space science preferred
This online co-op lets high school students explore careers in STEM while working on real projects from home. You might write science activities for kids, design models about space, or research Canadian space professionals. It’s a mix of creativity, research, and science.
You’ll build useful skills like coding, time management, and planning, with help from mentors along the way. Only a few students are picked each term, so you’ll get one-on-one support and a chance to dig deep into your interests.
Location: In-person at various partner universities across Canada
Cost/Stipend: Free
Program Dates: Not specified
Application Deadline: Starts in November or early December each year
Eligibility: Open to high school students in Canada with an interest in STEM and academic research
The Research Exploration Opportunity by STEM Fellowship is a fully online summer program for high school students. Over six weeks, you learn how to do research through workshops and group work. You complete a research project based on reading scientific papers, with help from mentors.
The program teaches you academic writing, data analysis, and critical thinking. At the end, you write a research report showing what you have learned. You get mentorship from university students and professionals across Canada.
Location: BC Cancer – Trev and Joyce Deeley Research Centre, Victoria, British Columbia
Cost/Stipend: Free; students must arrange their accommodation and transportation
Program Dates: July – August (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: Grade 11 students enrolled in Vancouver Island secondary schools; each school may nominate up to two students
The Xavier Pelletier High School Internship Program is for rising Grade 12 students. It takes place in the summer at BC Cancer’s Deeley Research Centre in Victoria. You will work with scientists and research professionals to learn about cancer biology and immunotherapy.
You will do lab work, attend seminars, and take part in research projects. This program gives you a real look at biomedical research and its challenges. To apply, your school’s science department must nominate you.
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Cost/Stipend: Free (volunteer-based; no formal stipend)
Program Dates: Varies by event; year-round opportunities
Application Deadline: Rolling; event-specific and volunteer-dependent
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ may volunteer; 18+ required for patient-related research
BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute offers ways for high school students to learn about health sciences and medical research. You can attend events like Mini Med School, Discovery Days, and Women in Science during the school year.
These let you hear from healthcare professionals and explore STEM careers. The institute does not have a formal internship for high school students. But if you are 16 or older, you can contact researchers directly to volunteer with their teams.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Cost/Stipend: Varies; some positions paid or grant-funded, others voluntary
Program Dates: 15 weeks, May – mid-August
Application Deadline: Rolling; job postings and researcher-led hiring vary
Eligibility: Open to high school and undergraduate students conducting summer research with a SickKids RI scientist
The SSuRe Program at SickKids supports students doing summer research at the hospital’s Research Institute. If a SickKids scientist accepts you to help with a project, you can join weekly seminars and a career night with research professionals.
At the end of the program, you present your work at the Summer Student Symposium. Some students get awards for their projects. There is no central application, you need to apply directly to individual researchers or labs. Once you have a supervisor, you can join all SSuRe activities, no matter how you are funded.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Program Dates: 6 weeks, summer (exact dates vary)
Application Deadline: Starts in spring
Eligibility: Open to Grade 11 or 12 high school students who are at least 16 years old and identify as Indigenous, Black, or Filipino; must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents
The StAR Program at SickKids is a six-week paid research internship for Indigenous, Black, and Filipino high school students. You will be matched with a SickKids lab and work on a research project with guidance from professional scientists.
The program ends with a symposium where you present your findings. You also take part in the Kids Science program, which has extra workshops and shows you different health and science careers.
Location: Metro Vancouver and Kelowna, British Columbia
Cost/Stipend: Paid; minimum wage for 25 hours/week; wraparound supports (transit, laptops, meals) and travel bursaries for remote communities
Program Dates: July 7 – August 15
Application Deadline: Not specified. Typically due in spring
Eligibility: Open to Indigenous high school students (Grades 9–12) in Metro Vancouver or Kelowna; must be eligible to work in Canada
The seed2STEM program is a six-week paid summer research internship for Indigenous high school students in British Columbia. You will work with university researchers at UBC or nearby labs in areas like neuroscience, engineering, biology, chemistry, or physics.
Besides lab research, you join weekly workshops, guest talks, field trips, and cultural activities. The program provides support like transit passes, meals, youth workers, and travel bursaries if needed. At the end, you present your research at a symposium.
Location: Virtual (Canada-wide and global); local chapters and mentors available
Cost/Stipend: Free
Program Dates: January – April (12-week challenge period); World Summit in summer for finalists
Application Deadline: Typically January
Eligibility: Open to girls, nonbinary youth aged 8–18; teams of up to 5; high school students eligible for Senior Division (ages 14–18)
Technovation Girls is a global tech program for young women. You work in small teams to find a problem in your community and create a mobile app or AI solution to fix it. With a mentor’s help, you learn coding, design thinking, and business skills. You build a prototype and prepare a pitch.
The program lasts 12 weeks, is self-paced, and fully online, so you can join from anywhere in Canada. If you become a finalist, you present your project at the global Technovation World Summit and meet other students and mentors from around the world.
Location: Toronto, Ontario (in-person only)
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Program Dates: July – August; tentative start date July 2
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: High school students (grades 10–12) who are at least 16 years old by July 1, have strong academic standing in math and science, and are legally authorized to work in Canada
This summer research program at Sunnybrook gives high school students hands-on experience in medical physics, biomedical engineering, and biology. You will work in the Focused Ultrasound Lab, helping with real research projects like engineering design, testing, coding, and biomedical studies.
You work alongside professional scientists and engineers. The program is full-time and in person. If you live outside the Greater Toronto Area, you need to arrange your housing.
Location: Hybrid (virtual and optional in-person events at the University of Alberta, Edmonton)
Cost/Stipend: Free (no program fees; travel costs for optional in-person events not covered)
Program Dates: 7 months (October – April)
Application Deadline: Applications open late August or early September
Eligibility: High school students in Canada who identify as women, non-binary, or 2SLGBTQ+ and are interested in exploring engineering
The fem+ Program is a free, 7-month mentorship opportunity for high school students across Canada who identify as women, non-binary, or 2SLGBTQ+. You’ll be matched with an engineering student from the University of Alberta who will support you through monthly chats, check-ins, and fun events.
You’ll learn what it’s like to study engineering, explore different areas in the field, and take part in both virtual and in-person activities like design challenges and Q&As. The program also helps you understand how to apply to university and what to expect after high school.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also, check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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