Computing and CS programs

A computational-thinking contest with no coding: logic and problem-solving puzzles built on the math students already know. A gentle first step before the Canadian Computing Competition. Schools register by October 26, 2026 for the November 9–20, 2026 window.

The largest hackathon in the world, built entirely on open NASA and partner space agency data. Teams spend a weekend on a real challenge written by NASA experts, spanning software, data science, hardware, design and science storytelling. Alberta hubs ran in both Calgary and Edmonton in 2025. The 2026 edition runs November 14 to 15 with registration opening August 26, 2026, so check the site for the confirmed Alberta locations.

Premier Canadian programming and algorithm design challenge hosted by the University of Waterloo. Students apply advanced computer science and algorithmic research to solve complex problems. Top scorers are invited to the Canadian Computing Olympiad (CCO).

Students write Python code for a task set by ESA scientists, test it on the Astro Pi replica, and qualifying programs run on the Astro Pi computers aboard the International Space Station. Canada takes part as an ESA cooperating state. A shorter Mission Zero, about an hour of coding, is also open.

Free curriculum-aligned AI learning kits and guest speaker sessions that Amii provides to Alberta schools, including an AI in Junior High stream. Delivered by your teachers rather than applied to directly, so the way in is asking a teacher to bring it into your classroom.

Paid IT work experience refurbishing and deploying computers, about 20 placements a year. You must have finished high school to apply.

Delivered through Alberta school boards, allowing students to research network vulnerabilities and earn industry-recognized certifications in cybersecurity, networking, and IT fundamentals directly through their high school.

Virtual platform with active Canadian school partnerships providing mentorship and micro-credentials in artificial intelligence, web development, and cloud computing. Students earn IBM-recognized badges upon completion.

A worldwide network of student-led high school coding clubs where members learn by building and shipping a project at each meeting. Everything is free: leadership training, curriculum, an online community, a web-based coding environment, and "You ship, we ship" programs that reward finished projects with hardware.

A paid online course in artificial intelligence in groups of about five students per instructor, taught by graduates of Stanford, MIT and similar universities. You learn Python and AI basics, then build a mentored AI project for social impact. Sessions run in fall, winter and summer, and applications are rolling. The winter 2026-27 intensives run daily over the holiday break. It is expensive and not affiliated with any university, so weigh it against free options.

Applications typically close in mid-May for the August session. Week-long dive into quantum information science and cryptography at IQC, University of Waterloo (formerly QCSYS), with lectures, labs and direct researcher access.

Global tech education program where teams of young women identify a community problem, conduct user research, and build a mobile app or AI solution. Alberta participants can work remotely or through local hubs. Teams pitch to a panel of tech industry judges.

National cyber defence competition for Grade 9-12 teams, running October to May. Your teacher registers the team between April and October, not students.

Summer research applications are open now, and the signature Introduction to Quantum Computing course runs from October. Qubit by Qubit teaches quantum computing to high school students, taught by PhD researchers with Google Quantum AI.

Canada's largest hackathon: 36 hours of building at Waterloo with 1,000+ students, travel, food and lodging covered. Applications reopen next summer.

Design and submit an original Swift playground or iOS app to Apple. Open to under-18 high schoolers; winners get WWDC access and Apple developer tools.

Hackergal's national program for girls in Grades 9–12, built for the ones who have aged out of its Grades 6–9 hackathon. Ambassadors start Hackergal Clubs in their own school or community, run workshops, mentor newer ambassadors, and meet women working in tech, moving through four yearly stages from Role Model to Future-Ready Focus. Taking part also qualifies you for Hackergal's scholarship for graduating secondary students, which reopens in November 2026. The ambassador intake is closed at the moment with no reopening date posted.

Specialized enrichment bootcamps run by UAlberta's Computing Science department focusing on applying machine learning algorithms to game design and logic. Students explore AI concepts through hands-on programming projects.

A free online programming contest with four divisions, Bronze to Platinum: you start in Bronze and a strong score promotes you. Canadians can compete in every division, making it good practice alongside the Canadian Computing Competition. The 2025–26 season ran three contests from January to February plus a proctored US Open in March; 2026–27 dates are not yet posted.

A 24-hour in-person hackathon at UCalgary where teams build a project from scratch. High school students compete in a separate prize tier with first-year university students, so you are not up against senior engineers. Free to enter; the 2027 event has not been posted yet.

Free virtual summer programs from Girls Who Code Canada, set up to close the gender gap in technology. The Summer Immersion Program runs two weeks of live classes, Monday to Friday, with partner events; Pathways is a self-paced six-week course in web development, cybersecurity, data science or artificial intelligence.

A free capture-the-flag hacking competition from Carnegie Mellon: solve security puzzles in cryptography, web exploitation, forensics and reverse engineering. The picoGym practice site runs year-round with past challenges and guided lessons, so you can start well before the spring competition.

A free programming contest with a dedicated high school division: mostly approachable problems with a few harder ones, solved in C++, Python, Java, C, Kotlin, Rust or Haskell. Lunch is provided on site. The 2026 contest ran March 7, with registration closing two days before.

A free team programming contest run by UCalgary's Competitive Programming Club, open to Calgary high school students as well as university students, with a second division for newer competitors. Register on Eventbrite; the 2026 contest ran March 28 and has sold out in past years.

An intensive residential program where about 80 high school students learn Wolfram Language and computational thinking, then complete an original research project with a mentor. Applications for 2026 closed in March; the 2027 dates and deadlines have not been posted yet. Admission is need-blind.

Canada's largest high school hackathon, held at the University of Waterloo with 200+ students building tech projects over a weekend. It is free, with meals and swag provided by sponsors, and beginners are welcome. The site does not mention travel funding, so an Alberta student would pay their own way to Ontario. JAMHacks 10 is over and JAMHacks 11 dates are not posted yet.