Toronto Youth STEM and Innovation Conference (TYSIC)

Name: Toronto Youth STEM and Innovation Conference (TYSIC)
Start: 2026-10-16T09:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-10-16T16:00:00-04:00
Location: Branksome Hall

Schedule

Fri Oct 16 2026 at 09:00 am to 04:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Branksome Hall | Toronto, ON

Join GTA students for a full-day STEM conference with speakers, hands-on activities, networking, booths, and Innovation Challenges.
About this Event

The Toronto Youth STEM & Innovation Conference is back for 2026.

TYSIC is an annual full-day conference organized by high school students, for high school students. Now entering its tenth year, our mission remains the same: to empower young minds to explore, innovate, and lead in the world of STEM.

Each year, TYSIC welcomed over 300 high school students from schools including UCC, Havergal, Appleby College, St. Andrew’s College, and many more. This year’s conference will bring together students from across the GTA for a full day of speaker sessions, hands-on STEM activities, networking, booths, student initiatives, and the TYSIC Innovation Challenge.

Whether you are already passionate about science, technology, engineering, medicine, entrepreneurship, sustainability, or design, or you are just beginning to explore STEM, TYSIC is built to help you learn from inspiring people, meet other ambitious students, and apply your ideas to real-world problems.

What to Expect

Speaker Sessions
Hear from researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders working across STEM fields. Sessions are designed to expose students to exciting careers, emerging technologies, and the real-world impact of science and innovation. Past TYSIC speakers have included Julie Claveau from the Canadian Space Agency, Dr. Jennifer Quon, a pediatric neurosurgeon at SickKids, and many other professionals across science, technology, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and research.

Networking, Booth Fair, and STEM Activities
Meet other students, connect with organizations and student initiatives, explore booths, and take part in interactive STEM activities throughout the day. Delegates are encouraged to engage with speakers, judges, mentors, and organizations to learn more about future career paths, summer opportunities, internships, and ways to get involved in STEM beyond the classroom.

Innovation Challenge
All attendees will participate in one of two Innovation Challenge pathways:

Pre-Event Innovation Challenge
Teams receive the challenge prompt before the conference and prepare a presentation, prototype, or concept in advance. On conference day, teams present their work to a judge panel, which may include corporate leaders, professionals, and STEM mentors. Selected teams may advance to the finals.
Day-Of Innovation Challenge
Students who are not participating in the pre-event challenge will join the day-of challenge. The prompt will be announced at the conference, and participants will receive materials, equipment, and mentor support to develop a solution and presentation during the event.

Both pathways are designed to help students think creatively, collaborate under real-world constraints, and present innovative solutions to meaningful problems. Participants will work in teams, with more details about team sizes and challenge logistics shared closer to the event. Awards and sponsorship-supported prizes will be given to top-performing teams, including finalists and challenge winners.

Who Should Attend

TYSIC is designed for high school students in Grades 9–12 who are interested in STEM, innovation, entrepreneurship, research, design, sustainability, technology, healthcare, engineering, or problem-solving. No prior competition or conference experience is required.

About TYSIC

TYSIC has spent years empowering youth through STEM education, innovation, and student leadership. Over the past decade, the conference has engaged thousands of high school students and reached schools across the GTA through speaker sessions, networking opportunities, and student-led innovation programming.

We look forward to welcoming you to TYSIC 2026.

For more information, visit https://www.tysic.org.

Agenda

🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Doors Open, Check-In, Networking & Booths

Info: Students arrive, check in, explore booths, and connect with other attendees.

🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM
Opening Ceremony

Info: Welcome remarks, overview of the day, and key instructions.

🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Innovation Challenge Begins

Info: Pre-event challenge teams begin judging rounds. Day-of challenge participants hear from the challenge partner and receive their prompt.

🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Project Work & Judging

Info: Pre-event teams continue judging. Day-of teams work on their projects with mentor support.

🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Speaker Sessions / Project Support

Info: Attendees participate in speaker programming while challenge participants receive support as needed.