EDI High School Subcommittee

Outreach Access Program: High school outreach program by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

DEEP Summer Academy: Designed for highly motivated high school students for science and math.

Blueprint: Academic enrichment program designed for highly motivated Black students in Grades 10 and 11 interested in careers in STEM. 

The Global Citizenship Challenge: One-week intensive experience in team-building and problem-solving for motivated students aged 15-17 ready to take on real-world problems.

The High School Partnership Program: Dedicated to educating youth in global health issues, and empowering them to become global citizens.

High School Big Data Challenge: Designed for high school students to strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills while gaining familiarity with data science.

Summer High School Pre-University Virtual Program: This two-week leadership program includes one-on-one and small group pre-university coaching and includes language and communication training.

Science Unlimited Summer Camp: Offers high school students an opportunity to participate in a week of workshops from the Departments of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Math, Physics and the School of the Environment.

Hi-Skule U of T engineering outreach for high schoolers (check in the fall for new events).

Hi-Skule is an outreach program run by U of T engineering students that strives in its outreach to explain and promote engineering both as a profession and undergraduate program, facilitate opportunities for mentorship and connections to current engineering students and professors, and build and sustain the engineering mindset in youth through cutting-edge content designed by current engineering students. 

• Hi-Skule home

The Youth Summer Program (YSP) was established in 2008 and every summer students from across North America and around the world are offered an exclusive glimpse into the world of Medicine and Law. A unique modular-based format provides students with a diverse set of subject areas and flexibility. Students participate in the exploration of the 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. 

• Youth Summer Program home

• Youth Summer Program registration

• There is a cost associated with each course 

The Summer Mentorship Program (SMP) gives high school students of Indigenous or African ancestry a chance to explore health sciences at the U of T over four weeks in July. The application cycle for this year has ended, but we encourage those eligible and interested to bookmark this opportunity for next year. 

• SMP home

• SMP application

COS is a resource/program within U of T to help prospective medical students with preparation in the sciences and medicine. It is a collaborative and longitudinal initiative that supports students who are Indigenous, Black, Filipino, economically disadvantaged, or who self-identify with having a disability at every stage of their journey to medical school. 

• Facebook group, which includes regular updates about new events (many geared toward university students).

• YouTube channel, which helps answer questions and provides information regarding medical school and applications.

• Community of Support program website.

Science Rendezvous has launched the “I Am… A Scientist” initiative, a series of videos across several social media platforms that aim to make science accessible to kids and teens of all ages. This series includes interviews from world-leading scientists, “vlog” style videos to show you a day in the life of a graduate student, and educational short clips from STEM disciplines. 

Series about astrophysics: 

• An Interview with Dr. Renée Hložek, Assistant Professor of Astrophysics at the Dunlap Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics, on astrophysics and what it means to be a scientist.

• A day in the life of an astrophysics graduate student with Adaeze Ibik.

• Astrophysics in Brief, a short clip featuring interesting astrophysics facts.

Social media links: 

• Twitter Account

• “I Am A Scientist: Astrophysics” thread.

• Instagram Account

• Facebook Account

• YouTube Channel

• TikTok Account

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Toronto is proud to offer a mentorship program pairing high school students interested in the field of mathematics study and research, with graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty in the field. Students will be working on a math research project of their interests under the guidance of their mentor.

Do you want to experience what it is like to be a U of T student

Enrichment and Summer programs are offered on all three U of T campuses in a wide range of topics. 

Our pipeline programs encourage high school students from diverse backgrounds to consider careers in health care.

For high school students who are interested in attending university – or who just want to deepen their learning in a specific subject – the Faculty of Arts & Science offers a number of pre-university programs designed to give you a sample of what studying at U of T is all about.

The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Design Program is an experiential learning program with an equity focus, as it is designed for grades 10-12 students identifying with groups that are underrepresented in health sciences (i.e. Black, Indigenous, Filipino, Latin American, racialized, and/or from any background experiencing socio-economic barriers). Priority is given to students from underserved schools and neighborhoods.

Manulife Kids Science & Technology is an outreach program designed to educate and inspire youth with interactive science experiences including internships, mentorship programs, on-site lab visits, talks, school visits, and demonstrations. Their sciences and technology programs focus on reaching youth both within the hospital and across Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and Ontario, with an emphasis on those who are at-risk or have a lack of access to interactive science experiences. 

Manulife Kids Science & Technology has become a valuable part of SickKids' community outreach efforts, reaching more than 28,000 students to date. Their goals are to address the needs of students through fun, informative, and interactive experiences with scientific leaders, and create an avenue to ask questions and learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) related fields. 

The UHN STEM Pathways program gives students the opportunity to learn about STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) from leaders in the field. Students from Grade 1-12 can participate in interactive tours, scientist panels, hands-on workshops, symposiums, internships, co-op programs and more!  These opportunities are at no-charge to participants (or schools) and aim to instill a curiosity and love of STEM. Browse their website to find out more about who they are, their current and previous outreach programs and their volunteers.  

In this 3-day virtual series, youth (14+) got to learn about many diverse topics in research, medicine, and healthcare, and explored careers in these sectors.

Students participated in interactive and engaging activities each day and networked with leading scientists and healthcare professionals from UHN.

Every individual that attended the seminar series received a certificate of completion for the program as well as the SHSM certificate in medical terminology.

Beginner’s Guide to Science Communication Opportunities in Canada 

There are many different careers in medical genetics, beyond being an MD.

Insightful articles on interdisciplinary research - why you should not over focus on one area and how to communicate with other disciplines.

The STEAM Sisters are fantastic science communicators and we encourage you to check out their links below: 

• The STEAM League [ careers-based episodes featuring superheroes in STEAM!] 

• STEAM Stars [featuring incredible women in STEAM!] 

• STEAM Sisters Boredom Busters Season 1 and Season 2

• STEAM Sisters #STEAMStories Find exciting STEAM videos for hands-on activities and fun facts here! 

• STEAM Sisters Instagram: @steam.sisters 

• STEAM Sisters Website 

• STEAM Sisters Email: steamsisters9@gmail.com 

NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research. 

To advance equality for women, use the evidence  

Girls SySTEM Mentorship Program:

•  20%  the percentage of women in Canada enrolled in post-secondary studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
• 22%  the percentage of women who occupy the STEM workforce—a number that has increased by only 2% since 1987.
  
  We want to change these numbers.

Canadian Association for Girls in Science:

The Canadian Association for Girls In Science (CAGIS) is Canada’s largest and longest-running STEM club for girls, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming youth aged 7-16. This award-winning club, founded in 1992, supports interest in Science, Technology, Trades, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) with virtual programming and local clubs that visit labs, workshops, and field sites to meet mentors and do fun, hands-on activities.

Visions of Science Network for Learning Inc. (VoSNL) is a charitable organization that aims to advance the educational achievements and positive development of youth from low-income and marginalized communities through meaningful engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and research. 

• Visions of Science home

• Visions of Science programs

Shad is a month-long program for grade 10 & 11s. Pan-Canadian classrooms with university level STEAM and entrepreneurship content and access to mentors. Selection process in place. Limited spots available and the deadline for this year has passed, but we encourage those interested to bookmark this opportunity for next year. 

• Shad application.

Broad Science is an initiative dedicated to making science inclusive, engaging, and intersectional, through podcasting. We are focused on telling science stories from the voices and perspectives that often get overlooked and go untold. 

Our mission is to diversify the neurosciences by building a community that celebrates and empowers Black scholars and professionals in
neuroscience-related fields.

We hope to galvanize everyone, including non-Black allies, to join us in creating this change. All are welcome to attend our public, educational events! We will lift as we climb, continue to grow and cultivate our community, and inspire the next generation to succeed and surpass us. We are Black In Neuro!

Physics made easy.

Our organization aims to inform and educate students on the applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in the medical field. From AI-controlled robotic surgery and intelligent prosthetics, to health outcome prediction and precision medicine, this interdisciplinary effort aims to foster a collaborative community between computing sciences, engineering, and medicine.

Women’s health education made simple (WHEMS) was created to help to empower women in understanding more about their mind, body and wellbeing. Having started during a global pandemic, we hope to generate conversations, alleviate stigma and provide tools to help you learn and advocate for your health. By presenting easily accessible, evidence based infographics and videos, our aim is to increase health literacy and advocacy in women across Canada, and around the world.

We are thrilled to announce that we will be IN PERSON for the 2023 CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee competition!

Where and When:  Competition activities will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, 2023. Local Brain Bee champions from all across Canada will travel to McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario to compete. A detailed schedule for the national competition will be provided closer to the event.

Engineers of Tomorrow is a national charitable organization powered by hundreds of volunteers working to inspire the next generation of problem solvers and game changers. And, through the generous financial support of our program sponsors, we create an impact for thousands!

PEO regulates the practice of professional engineering and governs its members to serve and protect the public interest by ensuring all professional engineers meet rigorous qualifications for licensing and that only properly qualified individuals practice engineering. PEO is often happy to talk with high school students.

Resources on how to become an engineer in Canada.

30 by 30 is the engineering profession’s goal to raise the percentage of newly licensed engineers to 30 per cent by 2030. Involving women in engineering starts at an early age, with programs and activities that demonstrate to young girls that engineering is a profession directly serving community needs. Numerous activities help young girls gain access to engineering concepts, as well as role models within the engineering profession. Find out more here.

Learning Resources for Families and Students.