Artificial intelligence is already shaping how people communicate, learn, shop, create content, and solve complex problems, making it one of the fastest-growing fields for students to explore. AI programs in Canada for high school students can help you move beyond headlines and learn how intelligent systems are actually built and applied through coding, machine learning, robotics, data analysis, and emerging technologies such as quantum computing.

Many programs also introduce concepts like automation, algorithm design, ethical AI, and real-world applications in fields ranging from healthcare to engineering. Beyond technical skills, you’ll often participate in project-based learning, collaborate with university mentors, and experience the pace and expectations of academic life through lectures, labs, and research activities.

Why pursue AI programs in Canada as a high schooler?

Canada has become one of the world’s leading hubs for artificial intelligence research and innovation. Universities such as the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and the University of Ottawa have helped drive advances in machine learning, computer science, robotics, and data science, while research organizations and technology companies continue to invest heavily in AI development across the country.

Cities like Toronto, Waterloo, Montréal, and Ottawa offer strong connections between academia and industry, giving students exposure to both cutting-edge research and practical applications. Canada’s collaborative research culture, diverse student communities, and growing technology sector make it an appealing place to explore AI at an early stage. Whether you’re interested in coding, healthcare applications, robotics, or emerging technologies, studying AI in Canada can provide valuable insight into both university-level learning and future career pathways.

To help you find the right fit, we have curated a list of 15 AI programs in Canada for high school students.

For adjacent opportunities, consider the online AI program.

15 AI Programs in Canada for High School Students

1. DEEP Summer Academy

Location: Toronto, Canada
Cost: CAD 732/week (local students), CAD 1111/week (international students) + $50 application fee; discounts are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 400-500 students per summer
Dates: Session A: July 6-10; Session B: July 13-17; Session C: July 20-24; Session D: July 27-31; Session E: August 10-14
Application Deadline: Round 1: March 23rd; Round 2: April 13th
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; grades 9/10: completed grade 9 math and science courses by June; grades 11/12: completed grade 11 math and science courses by June; open to international students

The DEEP Summer Academy is a week-long (up to 4-week) summer program dedicated to high school students interested in engineering. When you enter this summer school, you will be in a supportive learning environment where you are challenged to think creatively and ask questions.

In this program, you will be separated by grades (Grades 9 & 10 and Grades 11 & 12), and you get to pick your subjects, ranging from “Cracking the Code”, “Teaching Machines to Learn”, and “Self-Driving Robots”. You can choose as many courses as you’d like, depending on the availability of these courses. The courses will be taught by current Master’s and PhD students in the university to inspire your journey.

Why it stands out: It offers grade-specific engineering tracks taught by master’s and PhD students, with the freedom to select multiple specialized courses.

2. Immerse Education’s Toronto Software Development & AI Summer School

Location: Trinity College, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts; Rolling admissions
Eligibility: 15-18 year olds; open to students worldwide 

Joining Immerse’s Software Development & AI Summer School will give you the chance to explore and immerse yourself in a hands-on learning experience. You’ll participate in practical coding exercises, work on AI projects, and collaborate on challenges. You’ll gain knowledge about a range of topics, including machine learning, neural networks, and software engineering. You’ll get to improve your problem-solving, analytical thinking, and creativity skills.

You’ll learn through expert instructions, receive one-on-one mentorship, and deeply understand the real-world impact of software engineering and AI. The program will include group workshops, expert seminars, and day excursions where you’ll get to explore famous landmarks and institutions and learn through real-world exposure.

Why it stands out: You’ll gain hands-on experience building real AI and software projects while learning directly from expert mentors in an immersive, real-world environment.

3. University College – Performing Arts & AI Program

Location: University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Cost: CAD 6,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; small cohort sizes
Dates: July 13th – August 2nd
Application Deadline: July 1st
Eligibility: Students aged 15-18 with intermediate to advanced English proficiency; open to international students

This interdisciplinary option adds a creative angle to the many AI programs in Canada for high school students by combining performing arts training with exposure to artificial intelligence technologies. You choose a specialization in Acting or Digital Media & Sound Design while also attending AI-focused sessions hosted in the University of Toronto’s research facilities.

The curriculum allows you to explore how emerging technologies are influencing creative industries, media production, and digital storytelling. Outside the classroom, you’ll experience life on a major university campus and interact with students from different countries. The program offers a useful perspective if you’re interested in both technology and creative fields.

Why it stands out: Few programs connect AI learning with artistic disciplines, giving you insight into how technology increasingly shapes creative industries.

4. University of Toronto (T-CAIREM) – AI in Healthcare Summer Bootcamp for High School Students

Location: Toronto, Canada
Cost: In-person: $875 CAD + tax; Virtual: $725 CAD + tax; financial assistance available on request
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 13-17
Application Deadline: June 15th
Eligibility: Students in grades 10-12; those who completed grade 9 as of June and are entering grade 10 in September can also apply; open to international students

For students interested in medicine and technology, the T-CAIREM AI in Healthcare Summer Bootcamp is a strong example of how AI programs in Canada for high school students can connect machine learning with clinical problem-solving. You explore how artificial intelligence is transforming medicine while covering topics such as AI fundamentals, health data types, Python coding, model development, ethics, explainability, and healthcare regulations.

Throughout the week, you participate in hands-on activities like attending interactive seminars, collaborating on a clinical group project, writing basic code, and delivering a final presentation. Uniquely, you receive direct instruction from University of Toronto medical students through either a fully in-person or virtual format. By Friday, you will have learned to explain AI concepts, build actual machine learning models, and communicate technical solutions to medical professionals.

Why it stands out: It bridges the gap between computer science and clinical practice, empowering you to tackle real-world medical challenges using machine learning under the guidance of future doctors.

5. CIFAL York Tech Innovators Summer Camp – Exploring the Future 

Location: ADERSIM Lab, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cost: $150 per day or $600 for the full five-day week
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Non-competitive; exact cohort size not officially published
Dates: August 10-14
Application Deadline: July 31st
Eligibility: Youth aged 13 to 18 for the high-school-aged Youth Camp (and children 9 to 12 for the Kids Camp); not open to international students

In this camp, you spend five days exploring emerging technologies with a strong artificial intelligence focus, taught by York University professors and supported by postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. You begin with computing foundations and Python, writing automation scripts, and working through debugging, code reliability, and game design challenges.

On the dedicated AI day, you get an introduction to artificial intelligence, learn why data is central to it, and explore how machines “see” through computer vision in action using hands-on AI tools and platforms. You round out the week with drone technology, building and flying drones, and a virtual reality day spent constructing immersive VR worlds.

Why it stands out: It is led by York University professors at the UN-affiliated CIFAL York training centre and awards every participant a Certificate of Participation issued by UNITAR and CIFAL York upon completion.

6. UBC Geering Up – Neural Connectors: From Brains to Machines 

Location: UBC Vancouver campus, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Cost: $10 registration fee (fee waiver available by emailing the events team)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open registration; cohort size not officially published
Dates: March 28th
Application Deadline: Open until the event fills
Eligibility: Students in Grades 6-10; based in or able to attend in person at the UBC Vancouver campus; not open to international students

In this program, you join a single-day, hands-on event where neuroscience meets artificial intelligence, sitting at the intersection of biology, engineering, psychology, and computer science. You explore how nervous systems across different species sense, move, and think, and how those biological systems inspire innovations in bioengineering and AI.

Throughout the day, you map components of the brain and their functions through guided projects, learn about biomedical devices, and connect how the brain’s design informs the machines and intelligent systems engineers build. The event is led by UBC undergraduate STEAM instructors using Geering Up’s beginner-friendly, project-based approach that emphasizes teamwork, problem-solving, and creative thinking.

Why it stands out: It frames artificial intelligence through real neuroscience, letting you use your own brain to study the brain while connecting biological systems to the machines they inspire in a single hands-on day at UBC.

7. CREATE: Engineering Design Challenges

Location: University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Cost/Stipend: CAD 732/week (domestic students); CAD 1,111/week (international students)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size dependent on course capacity
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions between July 6th and August 21st
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12;  must have completed at least one year of high school and the required math/science courses for their grade level; open to international students

CREATE allows you to customize your summer learning experience by choosing from a range of STEM courses, including app development, software engineering, and AI-related topics. Rather than following a fixed curriculum, you can build a schedule that matches your interests and continue for multiple weeks if desired. Courses are taught by university students who guide you through projects, technical concepts, and design challenges.

Depending on your selections, you may explore programming, user experience design, computational thinking, and AI applications. The flexible structure makes it easy to sample different areas before deciding which fields you may want to pursue in college.

Why it stands out: Its modular format lets you create a personalized AI and technology pathway while learning on a leading university campus.

8. University of Toronto’s AI and Machine Learning With Python Online Summer Camp

Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,545 CAD
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment; small groups
Dates: Cohort 1: June 29th – July 10th; Cohort 2: July 13-24; Cohort 3: July 27th – August 7th; Cohort 4: August 10-21
Application Deadline: Cohort 1: June 15th; Cohort 2: June 29th; Cohort 3: July 13th; Cohort 4: July 27th
Eligibility: Students ages 13-18; open to international students

In this camp, you will explore the core topics of algorithm design, recommendation systems, and modern machine learning models. You are taught fundamental Python coding and responsible artificial intelligence use by expert university instructors. Throughout the two-week program, you will engage in practical activities such as attending live interactive classes, collaborating with peers in digital breakout rooms, coding a custom Discord bot, and building a smart chatbot tailored to your personal interests.

A unique feature of this camp is its immersive, pre-university digital environment that connects you directly with professional academic practitioners. Ultimately, the program equips you with highly valuable skills, including advanced problem-solving, Python programming proficiency, and a practical understanding of real-world AI implementation.

Why it stands out: It provides an authentic pre-university experience where you build a fully functional artificial intelligence application from scratch under the direct mentorship of expert university instructors.

9. Concordia University Science & Engineering Camps – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Location: Sir George Williams Campus (Downtown), Montreal, Quebec
Cost: $400 CAD; 5% Early Bird discount; 15% discount for Concordia employees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; 10-15 campers per session
Dates: July 27-31; August 3-7
Application Deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: Students aged 13-15; open to international students

This camp immerses you in the future of technology by exploring how AI systems shape our world. Throughout the program, you tackle core topics like AI fundamentals, real-world technological transformations, and the critical ethics of machine learning. You participate in hands-on programming workshops, engage in group discussions about AI biases, explore applications like ChatGPT, and tour university labs.

A unique feature of this camp is its strong emphasis on the social responsibilities of AI rather than just teaching you how to write code. By the end of the session, you will have built valuable skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, teamwork, and technical problem-solving.

Why it stands out: It challenges you to look beyond the screen and understand the profound ethical impact that artificial intelligence has on modern society.

10. Ontario Tech University High School Programs – CyberSmart Workshop Series 

Location: In-person at Ontario Tech University, North Oshawa Campus, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, with a virtual attendance option
Cost: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open registration; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 2nd and June 9th
Application Deadline: Start of the first session on June 2nd
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; not open to international students

CyberSmart brings a cybersecurity focus to this list AI programs in Canada for high school students, showing how artificial intelligence can be used to detect threats, assess digital risks, and understand online systems. Across hands-on activities, you explore how AI is reshaping digital defense, train a basic AI tool to identify fake or doctored news articles, and examine how recommender systems and deepfakes work.

You also map your digital footprint, set up a private network to witness a live man-in-the-middle attack, and practice encryption and decryption to secure information. Through these guided sessions, you build practical skills in threat awareness, AI-driven detection, and safe online behavior. By the end, you will understand how cyber attacks operate and how AI is used to strengthen modern cybersecurity.

Why it stands out: It pairs core cybersecurity fundamentals with hands-on artificial intelligence work, training an AI to spot fake news while exploring deepfakes and recommender systems, at no cost to participants.

11. Rosedale x University of Waterloo Summer Program

Location: Virtual
Cost: ~$999.00 CAD per 2-week session
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not disclosed
Dates: July 17-28
Application Deadline: Not disclosed
Eligibility: High school students with CEFR B2 English proficiency (B1 may apply); open to international students

If you’re curious about where artificial intelligence and quantum computing intersect, this two-week virtual program offers an introduction to both fields through an academic lens. Developed through a collaboration between Rosedale Global High School and the University of Waterloo, the curriculum explores machine learning, algorithms, data processing, and quantum key distribution.

Alongside technical content, you’ll learn how to evaluate research papers, analyze methodologies, and synthesize academic findings, skills that are useful across many university disciplines. Sessions are led by university faculty and industry professionals who discuss how emerging technologies are being applied in different sectors. The program is particularly useful if you’re considering future studies in computer science, engineering, physics, or data science.

Why it stands out: It introduces both AI and quantum computing within a single program while also emphasizing university-level research and analytical skills.

12. Concordia University – Girls Summer Engineering and Technology Program (GirlSET)

Location: Concordia University, Sir George Williams Campus, Downtown Montreal, Quebec
Cost: Approximately $350-$400 CAD/wk + $50 nonrefundable registration fee; need-based bursaries are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: First-come, first-served basis; ~30 students
Dates: Offered the weeks of July 6th and July 13th
Application Deadline: Rolling basis until filled
Eligibility: Girls aged 14-17; open to international students

In this program, you will dive into diverse topics, including game creation, structural engineering, artificial intelligence, chemical engineering, and software engineering. Throughout the program, you will tackle hands-on activities like wiring circuit boards, exploring AI fundamentals, building physical prototypes, and presenting your work at a final showcase.

A truly unique feature is the direct mentorship you receive from current university faculty and female engineering students at the Gina Cody School. By completing these technical challenges, you will develop the analytical, design, and problem-solving skills essential for a successful tech career.

Why it stands out: It goes beyond basic coding camps by pairing rigorous technical exploration with empowering, real-world mentorship from women actively succeeding in university engineering programs.

13. University of Ottawa Summer Enrichment Program

Location: Ottawa, ON
Cost: $375 CAD per week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; 20-25 students per class
Dates: Multiple sessions between July 29th and August 21st
Application Deadline: Rolling registration
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12; open to international students

The University of Ottawa’s Summer Enrichment Program allows you to sample different STEM fields through week-long academic modules. If you’re interested in AI, you can enroll in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence while also exploring adjacent subjects such as software engineering, science, or pre-medicine in other weeks. Classes combine practical activities with discussions designed to connect classroom concepts to real-world applications.

Throughout the program, you’ll also meet university students and professionals who share insights about academic pathways and careers. Because courses rotate weekly, you can explore several interests before deciding which subjects you may want to pursue further.

Why it stands out: The flexible structure lets you explore AI alongside multiple STEM disciplines while receiving guidance from mentors and industry professionals.

14. SFU Faculty of Applied Sciences – Invent the Future: Dev With AI

Location: Applied Sciences Building, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Cost/Stipend: $600 with early-bird pricing of $300 ending June 30th; scholarships are available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 20-31
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9-12; students graduating Grade 12 in June are also welcome; open to international students

If you want AI programs in Canada for high school students that move quickly from learning to building, SFU’s Invent the Future: Dev With AI offers a hackathon-style route. You learn to build real web applications using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and modern AI coding assistants, then practise prompt-engineering techniques such as zero-shot, one-shot, few-shot, structured-output, and chain-of-thought prompting.

You also compare how Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT respond to identical prompts so you can choose tools deliberately. During the second-week hackathon, you work in a team of two or three to design, build, and pitch a web app addressing a real-world social-impact problem. You finish with a portfolio-quality project and a working understanding of the AI-assisted development workflow.

Why it stands out: It pairs ground-up web development with structured prompt-engineering practice and side-by-side comparison of leading AI assistants, culminating in a judged team hackathon where you publicly pitch a social-impact web app to instructors and guest judges.

15. Ontario Tech University High School Programs – STEMpreneur: AI-Powered Business Challenge 

Location: Ontario Tech University, North Oshawa Campus, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Cost: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open registration; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 10th and June 17th
Application Deadline: The June 10th start of the first session
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; not open to international students

In this program, you join a two-day, in-person challenge where you explore how artificial intelligence can power real-world business solutions, working alongside Ontario Tech’s Brilliant Catalyst innovation hub. Across the sessions, you form a team, identify a genuine problem, and design an AI-based solution wrapped in a viable business model.

You build entrepreneurial skills through business modeling, market analysis, and a hands-on Pitching 101 workshop, while using AI tools to create early-stage digital prototypes. In the second session, you pitch your concept to peers and receive feedback on both your presentation and your prototype. No coding or business background is needed, just curiosity and drive to turn an AI idea into a startup pitch.

Why it stands out: It pairs hands-on AI prototyping with real entrepreneurship coaching from Ontario Tech’s Brilliant Catalyst hub in a free, no-experience-needed format that treats AI as a business enabler rather than just a technical tool.

Take Your AI Learning Beyond Canada

Beyond Canada, your AI interests can grow into questions about where you learn, who mentors you, and which problems you want to solve next globally.

This guide to AI programs in Canada for high school students highlights routes into machine learning, healthcare technology, cybersecurity, creative media, robotics, and AI-assisted development.

As you compare formats, locations, and projects, notice which experiences make you more curious about university study, research environments, industry links, or innovation communities abroad.

Ready to think internationally after exploring AI in Canada? Visit our Study Abroad blogs for destination advice, application guidance, scholarship tips, and student-life insights worldwide.