We offer a variety of enrichment programs and activities for students of all ages.
Summer programs
| Focus | Title | Audience | Date | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer science | Seeing Possibilities and Rewards in Computer Science (SPARCS) | Female Grade 9 and 10 students in a Canadian high school or middle school. | Spring | A week-long program for female students to explore computer science, hear about careers, and break down stereotypes. No computer science experience necessary. |
| Engineering, leadership | Catalyst Summer Program | Grade 10 or older | July and August | Develop leadership skills by drawing on Waterloo's strengths in engineering, science, and innovation. |
| Engineering, science | Engineering Science Quest | Grades 1 – 9 | July and August | Empowers youth to be the change that the world needs by increasing students' confidence in science, engineering, and technology. |
| Engineering, science | STEMpowered | Grades 2 – 12 | July and August |
Free summer day camp programs for self-identifying Black youth. Features STEM mentors and hands-on activities designed by engineering, science, and education university students to explore STEM. |
| Engineering, cryptography | Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students (QCSYS) | Grades 10 – 12 | August | Week-long program that focuses on quantum cryptography, hosted by the Institute for Quantum Computing. |
| Kinesiology and Health Sciences | Anatomy 101 | Individual students who have completed Grade 11 or 12 | July and August | A one-day session of anatomical education at a first-year university level. Great for high school students interested in pursuing university programs in kinesiology, health science, or biology. |
| Mathematics | Online Summer Problem Solving Course | High school students who have completed at least Grade 11 university stream mathematics | Summer | The course will develop students’ mathematical problem-solving ability through self-guided videos, quizzes, assignments, and online discussion boards. |
| Sciences, engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship | Shad | Grade 10 or 11 | July | A four-week summer enrichment program. Students spend a month living in residence. |
| Sports camps | Summer camps | All ages | Throughout the summer | A variety of sports camps are offered throughout the summer. |
| Tech entrepreneurship | FLIGHT virtual summer camp | Black girls and/or other underrepresented minorities ages 13 – 18 | August | An introduction to tech entrepreneurship. |
Programs during the school year
| Focus | Title | Audience | Date | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting, Finance | Financial Literacy Competition | Grades 9 – 11 | May and December | Supports and enhances financial literacy education within Canadian high schools. |
| Astronomy, Science | Gustav Bakos Observatory tours | All ages | Year round, by request or first Wednesday of each month | Tours offer a chance to look through the 12-inch telescope at Waterloo’s Gustav Bakos Observatory. |
| Chemistry | Chem 13 News Exam and Avogadro Exam | Grade 11 and 12 students | May | Written by more than 6,000 Grade 11 and 12 students every May. School registration is due in February. |
| Computer Science | Computing Contests | Grades 9 – 12 | November – May | Students around the world participate in Waterloo's computing contests each year. |
| Computer Science | CS Circles | Grades 9 – 12 | On-demand | Learn to program using the Python language through interactive, text-based teaching. |
| Computer Science | Curriculum resources | Grades 7 – 12 | On-demand | Lessons, interactive activities, enrichment challenges, and unlimited opportunity for practice with feedback |
| Engineering | Catalyst Conference | Female and non-binary students in grade 11 | April | Participate in hands-on workshops, meet engineering students, compete in a design competition, and experience life in residence. |
| Engineering, Science | Engineering Science Quest | Grades 1 – 12 | Throughout the year | Empowers youth to be the change that the world will need in the future by increasing students' confidence in science, engineering, and technology abilities. |
| Engineering, science | STEMpowered | Grades 2 – 12 | Throughout the year |
Free summer day camp programs for self-identifying Black youth. Features STEM mentors and hands-on activities designed by engineering, science, and education university students to explore STEM. |
| Engineering, Science, and Mathematics | Engineering Outreach Hive Mind Tutoring | Students in Grades 10, 11 or 12 who have applied or plan to apply to STEM programs | Various | Free virtual tutoring and group sessions for students struggling with physics, calculus, or chemistry. |
| Geography, Canadian and World Issues, Economics, Science | School visits | Grades 9 – 12 | September to mid-April | Choose from one of three 75-minute presentations: Climate change (Grades 9-12), oil sands (Grades 11-12), or the sharing economy (Grades 11-12). Includes discussion, brainstorming, related careers and demos of equipment used in labs (e.g., drones, snow collection data). Email Sophie Dallaire for details. |
| Geology, Earth Sciences | Earth Sciences Museum | Grades K – 12 | Year-round | Free tours and activities on a variety of earth science topics. Includes Cobalt Discovery Mine Tunnel tours. |
| Health, Kinesiology | Kinesiology Lab days | Grade 12 | Mid-December | Visit kinesiology labs and participate in hands-on workshops. |
| Health, Neuroscience | University of Waterloo Brain Bee | Grades 9 – 12 | Early March | Answer questions about the brain and neuroscience. The winner will compete in the National Brain Bee. |
| Mathematics | Math Circles | Grades 6 – 12 | School year | A free weekly enrichment activity, held evenings at Waterloo. Registration opens in September. |
| Mathematics | Curriculum resources | Grades 7 – 12 | On-demand | Free online lessons, interactive worksheets. |
| Mathematics | Waterloo Math contests | Grades 7 – 12 | Throughout the year | Students around the world participate in Waterloo’s math contests each year. |
| Mathematics | Math contest preparation webinars | Grades 11 – 12 | October and February | Interactive webinars with Mathematics professors to practice solving math problems similar to those found on math contests. |
| Mathematics | School visits | Grades 7 – 12 | Throughout the school year | Problem-solving workshops in math and computer science. Can include discussions of careers in mathematics. |
| Mathematics | Think about Math! | Grade 9 girls | May | Designed for Grade 9 girls, the workshop demonstrates that math is fun, relevant, and leads to exciting careers. |
| Mathematics | Free resources | Grades 3 – 12 | On-demand | Materials that support curriculum and enrichment. |
| Mathematics | Problem of the Week | Grades 3 – 12 | Throughout the school year | Problems from various areas of mathematics are posted and emailed to subscribers. |
| Physics | Sir Isaac Newton Physics Exam | Grades 11 – 12 | Early May | Physics exam for high school students. School registration is due in April. |
| Science | Let’s Talk Science | Grades K – 12 | Throughout the school year | Hands-on science activities aligned to the Ontario curriculum, brought free to classrooms by Waterloo student volunteers. |
Public talks
| Focus | Title | Audiences | Dates | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environment, science | All | Various | Public lectures which highlight one or more of the United Nations' Sustainable Development goals | |
| Indigenous | Indigenous Speakers Series | All | Various | Highlights the voices of Indigenous artists, writers, activists, scholars and leaders from across Turtle Island |
| Various | The Hagey Lectures | All | October or November | Free, annual lectures intended to challenge, stimulate, and enrich |
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