Conferences and workshops

A one-day science, engineering and technology conference with hands-on lab activities, panels with professionals, career sessions and a networking mixer. Registration opens October 2, 2026, with payment due November 3; it is limited to 225 students, so register early to choose your sessions.

The 25th session of the U of A's high school Model UN: delegates represent countries in committee debates on global issues. Teachers register schools October 13 to November 5, 2026; students then register by December 19, 2026, and position papers are due February 12, 2027.

A funded homestay exchange between your group and a twinned group elsewhere in Canada: each group hosts the other for 7–10 days. Themes include sports, music, Indigenous, regional, language and history exchanges. Organizers apply year-round, at least 60 days before travel.

A University of Alberta student group running science workshops for high school students in Edmonton and at Augustana in Camrose, plus a free summer camp. The Interdisciplinary Science Competition is its oldest event, alongside health sciences, engineering and computer science workshops, and the six-week STEM Potential Enrichment Camp runs over the summer. Dates are posted per event rather than on a fixed calendar, so the homepage often reads "no events at the moment" between cycles; check the events page instead.

A student-run group in U of A engineering that brings free STEM project kits and mentoring to grades 5-12, building things like robotic arms and wind turbines.

Fully-funded regional summits covering themes like Energy, Water, and Agriculture. High school teams attend expert workshops, conduct environmental field research, and develop action plans to implement back in their local communities.

A day on a medical campus: hands-on health-science workshops and career panels with clinicians. Your school registers about six weeks ahead.

Exposure to Olympic-level sports science, biometric tracking, and physiological recovery research at state-of-the-art testing facilities used by Canada's national athletes. Students learn how elite performance data is collected and analyzed.

High-level, day-long symposiums run by UAlberta and UCalgary LTS chapters on niche topics like stem cell research, space exploration, and AI ethics. Distinct from the Space Lab/Tomatosphere citizen science programs; these are lecture and lab-based days for high schoolers.

Applications for Forum 2027 open soon, for sessions running February 7-12, February 28 - March 5, and April 18-23, 2027. Three hundred students aged 15-18 spend a week in Ottawa meeting MPs and Senators; travel, meals and accommodation are covered, with bursaries against the $995 fee.

A funded reciprocal exchange that twins a group of Alberta youth with a group from another province or territory, each hosting the other for at least five days. Groups plan their own travel, budget, itinerary and community project. Applications are made by a group leader, so you need a teacher or community organizer to run it.

The longest standing Model UN conference for high school students in Alberta, run by the UCalgary political science department. Delegates represent countries across UN and NATO committees for two days, researching a national position, negotiating with blocs and drafting resolutions under formal debate rules. Good preparation for political science, law and international relations programs. The registration link goes live once the department announces the next conference date, so check the page in the fall.

The Alberta Youth Parliament website is currently down. abyp.ca shows only an "under construction" placeholder, with no session dates or application details posted. TUXIS Parliament has historically run a winter sitting for youth delegates.

Apply through your local Rotary club. Selection is run by clubs, not centrally, so ask yours about timing. Since 1951 the program has brought 150+ students aged 16-18 to Ottawa for four days of meetings with parliamentarians, plus access to three $1,000 scholarships.

A fully funded, bilingual parliamentary simulation on Parliament Hill run by CIVIX, the civic education charity behind Student Vote. Delegates take part in legislative debate, committee work and question period. The inaugural session ran November 6 to 10, 2025 with 75 delegates, the first youth parliament on the Hill in more than four decades. CIVIX had not announced a second session as of August 2026, so email youthparliament@civix.ca before counting on it. This is a new program and is unrelated to the 1980s parliament of the same name, which no longer runs.

The provincial student leadership conference, run since 1988 by a volunteer association of student council advisors and hosted by a different Alberta school every year. Three days of keynote speakers, around 14 breakout sessions, a service project and a dance, built around meeting student leaders from across the province. Useful for building a community leadership record rather than a competitive one. ASLC 2026 ran May 1 to 3 at École Olds High School; the 2027 host had not been announced as of August 2026. Ask your student council advisor to enter a delegation.

A fully funded week in Belgium and France studying Canada's role in the First World War on the ground, visiting battlefields, cemeteries and museums with a national cohort of students. It rewards community service and historical interest rather than marks, and it carries real weight on a scholarship application later. The 2026 journey ran April 3 to 11 and its application window was October 21 to November 25, 2025. The next cycle had not been posted as of August 2026, so watch the page from mid-October.

A weekend leadership conference for 70 to 100 high school students, held every May, with workshops and networking with other young leaders. There is no cost to attend: a local Rotary club sponsors each delegate. Contact a Rotary club near you, or register as an independent delegate.

A four-day leadership camp at Camp Nakamun with workshops and speakers on interpersonal growth, communication and community building, on a challenge-by-choice basis. The 2026 camp ran April 30 to May 3. Local Rotary clubs sponsor students; ask a club near you about covering the fee.

One of Canada's largest high school Model UN conferences, open to delegations from any province. A sponsor teacher registers the school first, then delegates sign up; early pricing runs to October 25 and registration closes when the conference fills. Bursaries can cover up to the full fee.

The national student leadership conference, held since 1985 in a different province each year. Registration fills fast: for 2026 it opened April 21 and was full the same afternoon, with a waitlist after that. Ask your student council advisor to register a delegation.

A French-language youth parliament held in the Alberta Legislature chamber: debate bills written by and for youth as a deputy, or take part as a page, lobbyist or journalist (the last two count toward the Leadership 15-3 course). Registration details for 2027 are not yet posted; contact FJA.

A one-day academy where Grade 12 students put on a mock police uniform and duty belt, get paired with an officer mentor, and work through more than 20 realistic scenarios such as wellness checks, vehicle stops and noise complaints. It also covers crime scene analysis, collision reconstruction and surveillance. Breakfast and lunch are provided. In 2026 it ran May 13 and applications closed April 24; you apply by emailing the form.

Alberta's high school one-act play festival. Your school's drama program performs a one-act play at its zone festival in April, and the plays chosen there go to the provincial festival. The provincial festival is a celebration rather than a competition, though schools are recognized and awarded. The 2026 provincial festival was May 7 to 9 at the University of Lethbridge. Ask your drama teacher to enter.

A day at UCalgary's engineering school aimed at high school girls: explore engineering majors and minors, meet student mentors and alumni, and hear about programs like the Bioengineering Summer Institute. Teachers register their school. The 2026 event was February 19; the 2027 date is not posted yet.

A free four-day leadership camp run by Rotary. You spend a long weekend on team activities, outdoor challenges and workshops on confidence, communication and goal setting, led by trained counsellors and peer leaders, many of them past campers. Grades do not matter. A local Rotary club sponsors you and covers the $625 cost, including meals and lodging, and arranges your ride. The southern Alberta camp is May 7 to 10, 2027; clubs confirm spots by March 31 and it fills quickly.