About FLIGHT
FLIGHT, or Future Leaders Innovating to Go Higher in Technology, is a Virtual Summer Camp run by Women in Computer Science (WiCS) at the University of Waterloo, BrainSTEM Alliance, CISE Atlantic, and the University of the West Indies. As of 2025, we have been running for the four seasons!!!
This year we are offering two different FLIGHT Paths (camps):
- FLIGHT Central (Hosted by UWaterloo WiCS) - for those located in the Eastern Time Zone and
- FLIGHT Atlantic (Hosted by CISE Atlantic) - for our friends in the Atlantic Time Zone!
Note: both FLIGHT Paths run concurrently and cover the same topics/activities.
FLIGHT Virtual Summer Camp is an introduction to tech entrepreneurship for girls and gender diverse students aged 13-18 who self-identify as Black and/or other underrepresented minorities.
In this 2-week program, students will work in teams to create a technology-backed business idea around a problem that they identify within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Guest speakers will teach students industry best practices from the design-thinking process - including problem definition, market research, and creating a prototype - and coaches work with teams on each step of their project. At the end of the program, students will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges for feedback and prizes. The program also includes a one-day conference focused on professional development.
This year FLIGHT will be held via Google Classroom and Zoom!
Registration for FLIGHT 2025 NOW OPEN!
Week 1 (July 21st - July 25th)
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2025
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Jul
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Day 1
Welcome To FLIGHT!
AM:
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Introductions & Onboarding
PM:
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Networking, Researching, and Design Thinking
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Day 2
Getting Started on Your Projects
AM:
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Meet Your Team Members
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Project Planning
PM:
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Brainstorming & Researching
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Day 3
Market Research
AM:
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Creating Personas & Journey Mapping
PM:
- Creating Customer Surveys
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Day 4
Prototyping
AM:
- Problem Statements Presentation
- Developing your Team's Problem Statement
PM:
- Intro to Prototyping Presentation
- Prototyping with your Team
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Day 5
FLIGHT Mini-Conference
A joint online conference with FLIGHT Central & FLIGHT Atlantic!
- How to Network
- Career Planning Panel
- Schools & Programs for Entrepreneurship
- & More
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Jul
Week 2 (July 28th - August 1st, 2025)
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2025
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Jul
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Day 6
Protoyping in Figma
AM:
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Intro to Figma
PM:
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Prototyping in Figma with your Team
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Day 7
Graphic Design
AM:
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Intro to Graphic Design & Branding
PM:
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Team Working Time
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Day 8
Pitching Your Project!
AM:
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Team Time with Coaches
PM:
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Pitching Workshop
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Team Working Time
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Day 9
Finishing Touches!
AM:
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Team Time with Coaches
PM:
- Finishing up prototypes, posters, and presentations
- Pitch Presentation Feedback from Coaches
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Aug
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Day 10
Showcase Day!
A joint day with FLIGHT Central and FLIGHT Atlantic where teams will pitch their project to a panel of judges! Prizes will be awarded to the top-scoring projects, and everyone will receive a certificate of completion for the FLIGHT program.
Note:This is a shorter day ending around 3:30 pm ET.
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Jul
Community Partner Opportunities
There are four ways you can volunteer on the FLIGHT Crew to support our camp and engage with participants. You can even pick more than one role!
- Navigators (Guest Speakers)
- Air Traffic Controllers (Coaches)
- Customs (Judges)
- Conference Speakers/ Panelists/ or MC! (Pilots)
As a volunteer, you will have the chance to network with professionals in the entrepreneurship and tech spaces in an unconventional setting. You can contribute to social change by making a tangible impact in working with youth from underrepresented groups, widen your perspective on key issues affecting society and develop the next generation of STEM and entrepreneurial leaders.
To learn more see our Partnership Packages for FLIGHT Central and FLIGHT Atlantic or contact the FLIGHT Team!
Program Partners
