Every door into STEM, open.
One place for every door into science, technology, engineering and mathematics, for girls, women, and every student, from Pre-K to university and beyond.
CANADA FIRST · WORLDWIDE · FREE-FIRST
The Why
The talent is there. The doors are not evenly open.
Girls and women match or outnumber men in Canadian classrooms overall, then thin out sharply in engineering, computing, and the STEM workforce. These are the numbers this site exists to change, each one from a published Canadian source.
Women were 55% of all postsecondary graduates in Canada, but only 30% of STEM graduates (2021 Census).
Statistics Canada ↗Of newly licensed engineers in Canada identify as women. Engineers Canada’s 30 by 30 initiative aims to raise that to 30% by 2030.
Engineers Canada ↗Women were 52,103 engineering members in 2024, 15.8% of total national membership, up from 15.4% in 2023.
Engineers Canada, National Membership Report 2024 ↗Women hold just 23% of all full-time STEM positions in Canada (25% among those with a university education).
TD Economics ↗Start Here
Three doors. Pick yours.
For Girls
Programs, clubs, camps and mentors built for her: free coding clubs, girls-only engineering days, app-building competitions and women who will answer her questions, from age 4 to her first degree.
See girls’ programs by age →For Students
For every student: learn to code for free, enter national math, science and cyber competitions, build robots, and get hands-on with the new technology, AI, virtual reality and more, shaping the next decade.
Enter the subject worlds →For Women
Mentorship, communities, scholarships and career doors for women studying, working in, starting in, or returning to STEM, national networks, e-mentoring, and the funding that backs them.
Find mentors, money & community →Explore by Age
The right door for every age
Verified programs for each stage, tap a band to see what is open right now, what it costs, and where it leads. Every link goes to the organisation’s own site.
Pre-K, ages 3 to 5
First sparks: building, stories and simple coding through play.
ScratchJr
Free block-coding app from MIT Media Lab and Tufts, young children snap together blocks to animate their own stories and games.
KiwiCo Koala Crate
Monthly hands-on science and art crate for ages 2–4, with all materials included. Ships to Canada (~US$18.50–$24 per box on subscription).
GoldieBlox
Story-driven engineering construction toys for girls aged 4+, simple machines and engineering concepts introduced through play.
FIRST LEGO League Discover
Play-based STEM for ages 4–6 with LEGO DUPLO bricks, run through classrooms and teams (via FIRST Robotics Canada).
Elementary, Kindergarten to Grade 5
Clubs, crates and classroom programs that make STEM a favourite subject early.
Girls Who Code Clubs
Free after-school coding clubs with 120+ hours of project-based curriculum, split for grades 3–5 and 6–12.
FIRST LEGO League Explore
For grades 2–4 (ages 6–10): teams explore a real-world STEM theme, design and code motorized LEGO models, and showcase at festivals.
Let’s Talk Science
Canadian charity offering free curriculum-aligned STEM activities, lesson plans and volunteers, Early Years through Grade 12, in English and French.
Girls Can! Crate
Monthly STEAM subscription for ages 5–10; each box features a real woman who made history, like Grace Hopper or Marie Curie, with related hands-on activities.
Kids Learning Code, Canada Learning Code
Free beginner coding workshops for kids in city chapters across Canada, teaching HTML, Scratch and Python basics.
Middle School, Grades 6 to 8
Competitions, coding days and team challenges, the years where confidence is won or lost.
CyberTitan (ICTC)
Canada’s national youth cybersecurity competition: teams learn cyber defence in monthly online rounds, with national finals each May. Fee waived for all-female teams.
Technovation Girls, Junior Division
For ages 13–15: girls’ teams identify a community problem, code a mobile app and write a business plan in a global competition with a free curriculum.
Go Code Girl
Annual free coding and engineering day hosted by Canadian universities (ONWiE members), Python, web design and meeting engineering undergrads, for grades 7–11.
FIRST LEGO League Challenge
Grades 4–8 (ages 9–14/16): friendly competition building and programming LEGO SPIKE robots, plus a research project.
Girls Who Code Clubs (6–12 track)
Free clubs covering web development, cybersecurity, game design and AI, virtual and in person.
High School, Grades 9 to 12
National fairs, elite summer programs, robotics and the competitions universities notice.
Canada-Wide Science Fair, Youth Science Canada
The national STEM project path: school fairs → 100+ regional fairs → the Canada-Wide Science Fair (grades 7–12), plus Team Canada at ISEF.
Shad Canada
Month-long summer STEAM and entrepreneurship enrichment at ~20 Canadian universities for grades 10–11. $5M in fee assistance yearly, 1 in 3 students receive support.
CyberTitan (ICTC)
Canada’s national cyber-defence competition for middle and high school teams, with wildcard spots historically reserved for all-female teams.
Technovation Girls, Senior Division
For ages 16–18: app-building and business-plan competition; finalists pitch at the World Summit.
FIRST Robotics Canada
High school teams build industrial-size robots for the FIRST Robotics Competition season, through FIRST Robotics Canada.
University & Post-secondary
Campus communities, professional societies and career pipelines that keep women in STEM after graduation.
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Global professional society; collegiate chapters on campuses worldwide offer mentorship, scholarships (US$1.5M+ annually), career fairs and networking.
IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)
Affinity groups on 1,100+ campuses, including many IEEE Canada student branches, mentoring, speakers and event funding.
CCWESTT
Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology (est. 1992): resource hub, advocacy and a biennial conference; its network supports 500,000+ people.
Girls Who Code, College & Career
Free programs for ages 18–25: career exploration, interview readiness, leadership development and a hiring pipeline into tech.
Women Starting or Returning
Mentors, networks and communities for women entering STEM, changing direction, or coming back.
SCWIST, Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology
National non-profit (founded 1981) offering ms infinity e-mentoring, the MakePossible online mentoring network, and IWIS support for immigrating women in science.
WWEST, Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology
NSERC Chair program based at UBC Okanagan serving BC and Yukon: teacher mentorship, retention research, and Learning on the Land STEM programs.
WISEST, Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology
University of Alberta network (est. 1982): UA-WiSE for undergraduates and the WiSER network for graduate students and early-career professionals.
fem+ Mentorship Program
Free 7-month one-on-one mentorship at the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering for women, non-binary and 2SLGBTQ+ high school students exploring engineering.
Women for STEM Mentorship Program
Ontario Tech University pairs Women for STEM scholarship recipients with industry mentors in third year, alongside career-readiness workshops and networking.
CyberMentor
University of Calgary program matching girls and non-binary youth (ages 10–18) with women and non-binary STEAM professionals for weekly secure online chats.
Subject Worlds
Walk through a world
Four worlds to explore, coding, science and engineering, the new technology everyone is talking about, and immersive virtual learning you step inside.
Learn to Code
Free or low-cost ways to learn programming, from a first block of Scratch to job-ready certifications.
Canada Learning Code
Canada’s national charity for digital literacy, Girls, Kids, Teens, Teachers and Ladies Learning Code workshops, camps and clubs; Code Week materials are completely free.
Girls Who Code
Free Clubs, a Pathways virtual program, Summer Immersion Programs and College & Career programs for girls and non-binary students, grades 3–12 and ages 18–25.
Code.org
Free K–12 computer science and AI curriculum, tools and teacher training used in over 2 million classrooms; runs the annual Hour of Code / Hour of AI.
Scratch
MIT’s free block-based visual programming language and online community, create games, animations and interactive stories (designed for ages 8–16).
freeCodeCamp
A full free coding curriculum, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Python, data science, machine learning, with interactive challenges, projects and verified certifications.
Khan Academy
Nonprofit learning platform with instructional videos, practice exercises and test prep across math, science, economics and computer science.
Code To Learn
Canadian nonprofit offering free coding and robotics for K–12 classrooms, including LYNX text-based coding in Canadian English, French, Ojibwe, Mi’kmaw, Oji-Cree and Mohawk.
Science & Engineering
Hands-on science, national contest circuits, and the outreach networks that bring STEM to classrooms and communities.
Let’s Talk Science
Registered Canadian charity (founded 1993) delivering hands-on STEM programs, career exploration and educator learning, Early Years to Grade 12, in English and French.
Actua
Canada’s largest STEM youth outreach network, 40+ university and college members delivering camps, workshops and clubs in 500+ communities, with dedicated programs for girls and Indigenous youth.
Science World (British Columbia)
Hands-on exhibits, live demos and OMNIMAX films in Vancouver’s False Creek dome, plus province-wide outreach and after-school STEAM mentorship across BC.
UBC Geering Up
UBC engineering outreach: hands-on STEM summer camps and Saturday clubs across BC, with dedicated All Girls* camps (grades 1–12) and an InSTEM branch for Indigenous communities. Bursary info on site.
CEMC Math & Computing Contests
University of Waterloo contests, Gauss (grades 7–8), Pascal/Cayley/Fermat (9–11), Euclid (12), Beaver Computing Challenge and Canadian Computing Competition, with free past contests to practise on.
Ontario Science Centre
Interactive hands-on exhibits, demos and school programming; currently operating at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, with a new Ontario Place home planned.
Go ENG Girl (ONWiE)
Free annual hands-on engineering discovery event at top universities and colleges, design challenges, exhibits and role models, reserved for girls and non-binary youth in grades 7–10.
DiscoverE (University of Alberta)
Student-delivered engineering camps since 1993, six department-themed camps plus GEM+ girls’ engineering mentorship camps, classroom kits shipped across Canada. Partial and full bursaries available.
New Technology for Everyone
AI, virtual and augmented reality, and robotics are not just for engineers. These are the free and low-cost doors into the tools shaping the next decade, for students, teachers, parents and career-changers alike.
Elements of AI
Free online courses by MinnaLearn and the University of Helsinki demystifying AI for non-experts, no math or programming needed. Self-paced, all ages, all countries.
Google AI Essentials (Coursera)
Google’s ~10-hour beginner course: practical AI skills, prompting and responsible use for work and daily life. Enroll free; 7-day free trial in US/Canada, then ~$49/month, or free via Coursera financial aid.
Microsoft AI Skills Navigator
Microsoft’s free AI learning hub with role-based playlists for beginners, business and technical learners, plus the annual free virtual AI Skills Fest with live sessions, hackathons and badges.
fast.ai
Free, code-first deep-learning and machine-learning courses (Practical Deep Learning for Coders; Intro to ML for Coders). Assumes ~1 year of coding experience.
Unity Learn
Unity’s free library of courses and pathways, Unity Essentials, Junior Programmer, VR Development, Mobile AR Development, plus a free Unity Educator plan for accredited K–12 and post-secondary teachers.
CoSpaces Edu
Create 3D worlds and VR/AR experiences right in a browser with beginner-friendly CoBlocks coding. Free tier available; Pro adds full classroom features. For K–12 students and teachers.
FIRST Robotics Canada
Team-based robotics for ages 4–18: FIRST LEGO League (Discover/Explore/Challenge) and FIRST Tech Challenge / Robotics Competition for grades 7–12. Team grants and rebates exist.
Arduino Education
Education kits and free CSTA/NGSS-aligned courses for building electronics, coding and robotics in classrooms, from the Starter Kit to the Alvik robot. Kits are paid; online learning content is free.
Raspberry Pi Foundation
The UK charity behind the low-cost Raspberry Pi computer: free step-by-step coding projects (Scratch, Python, HTML/CSS), Code Club, free coding clubs for ages 9–13, with Canadian partners, and the free Coolest Projects showcase for young people up to 18.
Step Inside: VR & Immersive Learning
Virtual labs and immersive worlds where students dissect, mix, measure and explore places no classroom could hold.
Labster
300+ virtual science lab simulations, biology, chemistry, physics and more, that run in a standard web browser. No headset required; works on Chromebooks and tablets. Free trial for educators; institutional subscriptions.
Prisms VR
Curriculum-aligned VR modules for Grades 7–11 math (fractions to advanced algebra, geometry) plus high-school chemistry and biology, on Meta Quest. School plans ~$12–14 per student/year; consumer app $24/yr.
VictoryXR (VXRLabs)
Multiplayer VR learning platform: 250+ labs and simulations and 150+ virtual field trips, science, dissections, anatomy, forensics, math, career training, on Quest, Pico, Vive or desktop mode.
MEL VR Science Simulations
70+ short VR chemistry and physics lessons and labs, atoms, molecules, reactions, designed to fit school curricula. Free app with in-app purchases on iOS, Android and VR headsets.
The Directory
Every organisation, one door
Thirty verified organisations and programs, Canadian anchors first, then the world. Every one has its own full page here: who they are, who they serve, what it costs, and the way in. Search by name or keyword, or filter by region and cost.
No matches in the directory.
Try a different word, or clear the region and cost filters.
Scholarships & Awards
Money that is looking for her
Scholarships and awards for girls and women in STEM, Canada first. Amounts and eligibility are as published by each funder; always confirm the current cycle on the funder’s own page.
Schulich Foundation
Schulich Leader Scholarships
Up to 100 awards a year: $120,000 for engineering, $100,000 for science, technology or math at 20 partner universities across Canada. For Canadian-citizen high school graduates nominated by their school, entering an eligible STEM program.
Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation
CEMF Engineering Scholarships for Women
$5,000 Undergraduate Engineering Ambassador awards for Canadian women in engineering showing leadership and community involvement, plus the Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Excellence Scholarship, $25,000/yr for women in 2nd/3rd-year engineering.
BC Scholarship Society
Irving K. Barber Women in Technology Scholarship
About 20 awarded each year to women studying Computer/Data Science, Engineering or Mathematics at a BC public post-secondary (minimum 30 credits, B+ GPA); at least one is reserved for a woman of Indigenous ancestry.
L’Oréal Canada · UNESCO · NSERC
L’Oréal Canada Excellence Fellowships, For Women in Science
Two $20,000 CAD postdoctoral fellowships per year for Canadian citizens or permanent residents at Canadian universities who commit to mentoring and outreach supporting women and girls in science.
FIRST Canada · Murai family
Canadian Women in STEM Scholarship
$10,000 to one young woman in robotics each year, recognising leadership and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM.
University of Regina
FGSR Women in STEM Entrance Scholarship
$10,000 ($5,000 per semester over two semesters) for incoming women in graduate STEM programs. Faculty-nominated, no direct application.
Generation Google Scholarship (North America)
For full-time bachelor’s and graduate students in computer science, computer engineering or related fields studying in Canada. Women and other groups historically excluded from tech are strongly encouraged to apply.
Ontario Tech University · Scotiabank
Scotiabank Women for STEM Scholarship
Four $2,000 awards for upper-year full-time women in STEM-based programs at Ontario Tech University, with demonstrated financial need and high academic performance.
University of Waterloo
Leslie Woo Entrance Scholarship for Women in STEM
Entrance award for a full-time Year One student who identifies as a woman in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics program. Automatic consideration, no separate application.
NSERC
Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)
Paid 14–16-week research placements for undergraduates in the natural sciences and engineering (2025/26 Ontario figures). Not women-specific, a major national door every STEM student should know. Apply through your university’s awards office.
Ontario Network of Women in Engineering
ONWiE Student Impact Award
Recognises a student-led initiative demonstrating outstanding impact promoting diversity and inclusion in engineering.
Grants
How to apply for a grant, and where the money is
Grants fund the programs in this directory. Here is the pathway in plain language, then the actual funds: for initiatives and organisations first, then for students and educators.
Find the right grant
Start with the Government of Canada’s central grants & funding finder, searchable by department, topic and eligibility.
Check eligibility
Read the “who can apply” page closely. Many Canadian programs require nonprofit or charity status and won’t fund schools directly or one-off events, PromoScience excludes schools, and BC Gaming Grants require a program that is already running.
Prepare a proposal & budget
Write a clear project plan and itemized budget, with proof of capacity: track record and letters of support. Federal contribution programs require solid financials, CanCode asks for 2 years of audited statements.
Apply before the deadline
Register on the funder’s portal early. Alberta’s GATE registration can take up to 10 business days, and ESDC’s GCOS system requires a GCKey or Sign-In Partner account.
Report back
Grants come with agreements and reporting: progress data, financials and outcomes. Final reports are standard, OTF holds back 10% until the final report is approved.
Deadlines change. Always confirm on the funder’s own site before you apply, dates below are as published at the time of research (October 2026).
Grants for initiatives & organisations
For nonprofits, charities and community programs running STEM education, including girls’ and women-in-STEM initiatives.
NSERC PromoScience
Up to $200,000/yr for 3 years
Funds Canadian nonprofits, post-secondary institutions and non-federal museums/science centres running ongoing youth science & engineering programming, including programs for underrepresented groups. NSERC covers at most 1/3 of total program cost. Schools and school boards are not eligible.
CanCode (ISED)
$30M · Phase 5 (2026)
Funds incorporated Canadian nonprofits delivering free digital-skills training, coding, AI, data analytics, to K–12 students and teachers, prioritising underrepresented groups including girls. Max $3M per stream per fiscal year; 3+ years of program experience required.
WAGE, Women’s Program
Federal funding portal
Women and Gender Equality Canada funds organisations advancing women’s full participation in Canada’s economic, social and democratic life. The 2026 Women’s Economic and Leadership Opportunities Fund explicitly named STEM, skilled trades and AI participation; a continuous intake also runs when funds are available.
WES Ecosystem Fund
Up to $80M over 4 years
Non-repayable contributions (2027–28 to 2030–31) for Canadian incorporated nonprofits, operating 3+ years, with a mandate or track record supporting women, that deliver business supports to women entrepreneurs.
Current call deadline: Nov 9, 2026, 11:59 pm PT
Canada Summer Jobs (ESDC)
Wage subsidies
Wage subsidies for nonprofits, public-sector employers and small businesses creating summer jobs for youth 15–30 (6–16 weeks). Nonprofits can receive up to 100% of the provincial minimum wage plus mandatory employment costs, a fit for STEM nonprofits hiring summer camp and program staff.
CSJ 2027 call opens Oct 27, 2026
BC Community Gaming Grants
Up to $125,000/yr local · $250,000 regional
For BC not-for-profits delivering ongoing community programs. The program must already be running; one application per year, through the Community Gaming Grants Online Service.
Ontario Trillium Foundation
Grow grants $100,000–$600,000
Grow grants run 2–3 years to expand, improve or adapt existing community programs, open to nonprofits, charities, First Nations, small municipalities and collaboratives. OTF also offers Seed, Capital and a Sector stream ($50,000–$300,000/year).
Grow grant deadline in the 2026 cycle: Nov 4, 2026
Alberta Community Initiatives Program
Project grants
For Alberta-based nonprofits: funds new or enhanced programs, events, technology and portable equipment. Applications go through the GATE Front Office portal, in two annual intakes.
Next deadline: Feb 15, 2027
TELUS Friendly Future Foundation
Community Board grants up to $20,000
Single-year grants for Canadian registered charities and qualified donees running youth (up to age 29) health or education programs. Use of technology is a stated preference. Apply through your regional Community Board.
RBC Community Investments
Rolling applications
Apply through the RBC Community Investment Hub across seed, scale, sustain and respond streams, ambitions include education and youth, environment, and inclusive communities. Audited financials are required for requests over $50,000. (The RBC Future Launch Community Challenge also offers youth-partner grants up to $15,000 through community foundations.)
TD Ready Challenge
Recent cycles: 10 × $1M grants
TD’s annual grant initiative for Canadian registered charities and nonprofits with innovative solutions aligned to the TD Ready Commitment. Eligibility and theme change yearly, check the current cycle. TD also runs regional charitable grants and community sponsorships.
Canadian Women’s Foundation
Annual & multi-year grants
Grants to incorporated nonprofits with a CRA charitable number (or First Nations bands as qualified donees) in four focus areas, including Fostering Feminist Futures for Girls and Gender-Diverse Youth. No open calls at research time, check back.
Vancouver Foundation, Transforming Systems Grants
2026 cycle ~$9.5M
Explore grants up to $50,000 and Influence grants up to $100,000/year for up to 3 years, for qualified donees, BC nonprofit societies and community service co-ops addressing root causes of inequality.
Google Ad Grants
$10,000 USD/month in free ads
Eligible Canadian charities and nonprofit corporations (verified via Goodstack) can receive $10,000 USD/month in free Google Search advertising, a powerful way to promote STEM programs. Schools, hospitals and government bodies are excluded.
Grants & bursaries for students and educators
Money individuals can apply for, and the route for teachers, who usually apply through a partner nonprofit.
Schulich Leader Scholarships, 2027 cycle
100 scholarships a year for Canadian high-school and CEGEP graduates entering eligible STEM programs at 20 partner universities: $120,000 (engineering) or $100,000 (science/technology/math). A school nomination is required, one per high school; CEGEPs up to four.
Nomination deadline: Jan 27, 2027 · Nominee application: Feb 17, 2027
RBC Next Step Scholarships
Three tracks for Canadians needing financial assistance: Ignite (ages 16–20; 500 × up to $1,500 for skills training and certifications), Elevate (ages 17–29; 40 × up to $15,000/year for degrees and diplomas), and Reimagine (ages 25+; 100 × up to $5,000 for upskilling and reskilling).
Indspire, Building Brighter Futures
Bursaries for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada. The TELUS Friendly Future Foundation partnership was renewed with $1M in student bursaries. Apply through Indspire annually.
Best Buy Canada Teen Tech Grants
Up to $10,000 per school
For Canadian secondary schools: grants for classroom technology (STEM courses, libraries), plus Teen Tech Teams grants (laptop + $5,000) for robotics teams. Schools apply online when intake opens; applications are currently closed and 2026 winners have been announced.
For educators: PromoScience partnerships
NSERC PromoScience funds educator-focused programming, teaching resources and professional development, but schools cannot apply directly. Educators partner with an eligible nonprofit deliverer instead.
Events & Seminars
Go stand in the room
Reading about STEM is one thing, being in a room full of people who love it is another. Conferences, festivals, discovery days and seminar series, Canadian first, then global and online. Dates marked “to be confirmed” are published by each organiser, check their site.
Science Rendezvous
Who: All ages, families, school groups, the curious public
When: Annually in early May
Where: 30+ sites across Canada
Canada’s largest annual science festival: free, family-friendly hands-on science street festivals. The 2026 theme was IGNITE; 2027 dates to be confirmed on their site.
Event sites ↗Science Odyssey (NSERC)
Who: All ages
When: Each May (a 10-day window)
Where: Hundreds of Canadian cities
NSERC’s annual national science celebration, roughly 1,000+ events from universities, museums, science centres and labs.
Events calendar ↗Go ENG Girl (ONWiE)
Who: Girls & non-binary youth, grades 7–10
When: Each October–November
Where: University campuses across Canada
Free engineering discovery day: hands-on activities, lab tours and role-model panels with women engineers and students.
Program page ↗Go CODE Girl (ONWiE)
Who: Girls & non-binary youth
When: Each February
Where: ONWiE member campuses
The sister event day to Go ENG Girl, focused on computer science and coding. Campus schedules are posted on the ONWiE site.
ONWiE program hub ↗Go PHYS Girl (ONWiE)
Who: Girls & gender-diverse students, grades 7–10
When: Each November
Where: University campuses (2026: U of Guelph)
The third leg of the ONWiE “Go” series, physics discovery days with hands-on activities and women physicists.
Host page ↗Canada-Wide Science Fair
Who: Students grades 7–12 & Cégep; public viewing days open to all
When: Annually in late May, 65th edition: May 29 – June 5, 2027
Where: Hamilton Convention Centre + McMaster University
Canada’s largest annual youth STEM event and the national final of 100+ regional science fairs, ~390 finalists and ~$2M in awards and scholarships.
About the fair ↗CyberTitan (ICTC)
Who: Middle & high school teams of 4–6
When: Online rounds Oct–Feb; National Finals in Ottawa each May
Where: Online + Ottawa
Canada’s national youth cyber-defence competition, run with the U.S. CyberPatriot program. Registration fees are waived for all-female teams.
How to register ↗CyberSci, National Cyber Security Challenge
Who: Students & up-and-coming cyber defenders
When: National Finals June 12–15, 2026 (2027 dates to be confirmed)
Where: Ottawa
Canada’s national cyber-security challenge season, ending in live national finals.
2026 package (PDF) ↗FIRST Robotics Canada Season
Who: Teams ages 4–18; events free & open to the public
When: Annually Feb–Apr; 2027 game BIOCORE kicks off Jan 9, 2027
Where: District events across Ontario + new Canadian Rockies Regional, Calgary, Apr 1–3, 2027
District events and the Ontario Provincial Championship lead to Worlds in Houston, Apr 28 – May 1, 2027. FIRST LEGO League qualifiers run Nov–Dec.
FRC events ↗Shad Canada Summer Program
Who: Students finishing grades 10–11
When: Live-in July 5–31 each year; applications open each September (~Nov 30 deadline)
Where: Partner university campuses across Canada (+ virtual ShadAnywhere)
A month-long STEAM and entrepreneurship immersion. Fee assistance is available.
2027 info guide (PDF) ↗Girls and STEAM Summit, Science World
Who: Girls aged 12–14 (trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit & gender-questioning youth welcome)
When: Each October (Oct 3, 2026 was the 9th annual); registration opens in September
Where: Science World, Vancouver
A free day with 300 participants, 150+ STEAM mentors, hands-on workshops and a keynote. It sells out, register early.
About the 2026 edition ↗SCWIST Quantum Leaps
Who: Girls in grades 8–12
When: Seasonally, throughout the year
Where: Virtual
Virtual career conferences from the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology, each event pairs students with women professionals in a STEM field for talks and Q&A.
SCWIST events ↗InSTEM, Actua Land-Based Camps
Who: Indigenous youth
When: Each summer
Where: Host First Nations communities
Actua’s National Indigenous Youth in STEM program: immersive, for-school-credit land camps blending Indigenous Knowledge with STEM, plus week-long community camps for grades 1–6.
About InSTEM camps ↗Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference (CUTC)
Who: Undergraduates & early-career builders
When: 2026 season: Toronto May 23, Montreal Oct 3, plus a virtual hackathon & speaker series (2027 dates to be confirmed)
Where: Toronto · Montreal · Virtual
Canada’s longest-running student-led tech conference, founded 1999 at the University of Waterloo and relaunched in 2025.
CUTC ↗IEEE SPAC Ottawa
Who: Engineering & computer-science students
When: Annually, 2026 edition Nov 13 (2027 date to be confirmed)
Where: Brookstreet Hotel, Ottawa
The Student Professional Awareness Conference: career fair, workshops, masterclasses and speaker panels, hosted by IEEE student branches at U of Ottawa, Carleton and Algonquin.
IEEE Ottawa events ↗WomenTech Global Conference
Who: Women in tech, all experience levels
When: Annually mid-May (May 12–15, 2026; 2027 dates to be confirmed)
Where: Virtual-first, with in-person WIT Connect meetups incl. Canada
One of the world’s largest gatherings of women in tech: engineering, product, UX, AI and career tracks. Scholarship tickets are available.
Conference page ↗Women in Tech® Awards
Who: Women technologists
When: North America awards: Montreal, Sept 9, 2026 · Global Awards: Paris, Dec 3, 2026
Where: Montreal · Paris
Seven regional awards around the world feed one global celebration of women in technology. 2027 cycle dates to be confirmed on their site.
Awards site ↗ISTELive + ASCD Annual
Who: Educators
When: Annually late June / early July (June 28 – July 1, 2026, Orlando; 2027 to be confirmed)
Where: In person + virtual
The co-located ISTE+ASCD conference on education technology and AI-ready teaching, 15,201 attendees from 86 countries in 2026.
ISTE+ASCD events ↗The Vision
How this happens
This page is phase one of something bigger: a living hub that grows from a verified Canadian directory into a worldwide doorway. Here is the honest sequence.
Build the hub
Launch a Canadian-first directory of verified programs, structured by age band, cost and format, seeded with Canada’s anchors (Canada Learning Code, Actua, Let’s Talk Science) plus global entries. Every listing links out to the organisation’s own site.
Anchor partners
Approach the Canadian anchors for content permission, co-branding and referral loops, they already run national volunteer and school networks reaching hundreds of communities.
School pilots
Pilot with a small cohort of Canadian schools. Existing Technovation chapters (Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal) are natural club-format pilots, with participation and retention of girls as the core metric.
The immersive-learning track
Stand up the differentiator: VR and immersive STEM content, virtual labs for science courses and starter-kit models that put immersive learning into underserved classrooms.
Global directory growth
Scale country by country through networks that already operate globally. Each new country entry is a verified local program, never a guessed one.
A champion opens doors
A public champion lends credibility the hub can’t buy: keynoting the launch, opening doors with immersive-learning and technology partners, and mentoring the hub’s leadership.
Models we learn from
We study what already works, these are inspirations, not partners. Women in Tech Sweden, founded in 2014, runs a free annual event in Stockholm that draws 1,500 attendees, proof that free and excellent can coexist. HTC Vive’s VR for Impact program committed $10M to VR content advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including quality education and gender equality. And Technovation runs chapters in 100+ countries, proof that a girls-in-tech program can truly scale worldwide.