Canada
GENERAL STEM
Canada-Wide Science Fair – This is held for students of grades 7-12. The 500 finalists compete for medals, cash prizes, scholarships and other opportunities.
Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology– (Females in Alberta) WISEST creates multiple programs in order to boost female participation in STEM. Their programs begin from 6th grade, in the Choices conference where girls can experience hands on activities in engineering. Their annual SET conference allows high school girls to meet career professionals and engage in activities. Read more about their 6-week summer research program in the Summer Opportunities section.
SCIENCE
PHYSICS/ASTRONOMY
Young Scientist Program– (High achieving high school students from Calgary) The Young Scientist is an Open Studies program from the University of Calgary that allows high school students to take university courses for free. You can take courses in four departments- Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science, Geoscience, and Physics and Astronomy- many of which are required courses for engineering. It’s a great opportunity to get ahead with your future courses and be better prepared for the transition university!
BIOLOGY
NEUROSCIENCE
Canadian National Brain Bee – High-schoolers from across Canada can participate in this once they won their local brain bee competitions which are held at Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, London, Waterloo, Guelph, Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, and Newfoundland. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive a trophy and a cash prize. The champion will be given the opportunity to work at a neuroscience laboratory and represent Canada at the International Brain Bee.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Sanofi Biogenius Canada – This is an opportunity to gain real life research experience while working under experts. You will learn how to structure, conduct and report your experiment, and communicate about your project to a large audience. You can also win prizes and get exposure in your field.
EARTH SCIENCE
Young Scientist Program– (High achieving high school students from Calgary) The Young Scientist is an Open Studies program from the University of Calgary that allows high school students to take university courses for free. You can take courses in four departments- Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science, Geoscience, and Physics and Astronomy- many of which are required courses for engineering. It’s a great opportunity to get ahead with your future courses and be better prepared for the transition university!
TECHNOLOGY
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Young Scientist Program– (High achieving high school students from Calgary) The Young Scientist is an Open Studies program from the University of Calgary that allows high school students to take university courses for free. You can take courses in four departments- Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science, Geoscience, and Physics and Astronomy- many of which are required courses for engineering. It’s a great opportunity to get ahead with your future courses and be better prepared for the transition university!
ENGINEERING
Engaging Engineers– (High school students in Calgary) Engaging Engineers is a one-day conference held at the University of Calgary for any students who may be interested in pursuing engineering. The conference consists of hands-on activities as well as keynote speeches from industry professionals. It’s a great chance to learn more about what engineering entails and network with those established in the career. Check out their Instagram page or website!
Catalyst Grade 11 Girls Workshop– (Grade 11 girls in Canada who are able to travel to the University of Waterloo) The Catalyst Grade 11 girls workshop is an experience where females who plan to enter engineering can explore more about what it really looks like. There’s an opportunity to meet engineering students, participate in activities, or complete a design competition. Furthermore, chosen applicants will get to experience life on campus at the University of Waterloo.
MATHEMATICS
Young Scientist Program– (High achieving high school students from Calgary) The Young Scientist is an Open Studies program from the University of Calgary that allows high school students to take university courses for free. You can take courses in four departments- Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science, Geoscience, and Physics and Astronomy- many of which are required courses for engineering. It’s a great opportunity to get ahead with your future courses and be better prepared for the transition university!
Math Academy– This is a one week intensive summer program by the University of Toronto for students in grades 9-12 with very strong mathematical thinking ability. The program is structured so as to enhance their ability to think mathematically and creatively rather than testing for specific curricular knowledge. Math Academy includes both lecture-style teaching and significant time devoted to independent and small-group problem-solving.
Mathcamp – An immersive 5-week math summer residential program at Champlain College that accepts students from ages 13-18. Students here are exposed to a wide range of math topics and work together with graduate students and researchers. Mathcamp is really what you make of it where you can either work on research projects are just enjoy the lectures and field trips.
Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students (QCSYS) – A unique 9-day residential program that takes place at the Institute of Quantum Computing in the University of Waterloo. It involves a blend of social activities, experiments, and lectures to instill basics of quantum technology as well as elements of cryptography. QCYS does have a registration fee of 250 CAD.
Putnam Competition – A competition for undergraduate students in the US and Canada. Even if you don’t know how to solve any of these, reading the problems and solutions are interesting and can provide more insight into certain topics.