Bring U of T into Your Classroom!
Give your students a head start on their academic journey with the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science's interactive high school workshops — available both in person and virtually.
2026 Workshops
With a wide range of sessions to choose from, you can select the experience that best fits your class. Depending on the workshop, students may:
- Attend a real university lecture
- Discover campus history through a story-telling walk
- Tour state-of-the-art laboratories
- Join discussions with professors and U of T students
Every workshop is designed to spark curiosity, broaden horizons, and help students imagine themselves at university. Facilitated by professors, staff, or students, these sessions also introduce U of T's 400+ world-renowned programs and highlight the resources and supports available to undergraduate students.
It's a unique chance to enrich your curriculum while giving students a meaningful glimpse into university life.
All workshops are organized by admission category. You can choose one workshop per admission category.
Note: In-person workshops will be held on campus.
Registration for 2026 workshops will open in mid-January.
Humanities & Social Sciences Workshops
How to Think Like an Archaeologist!
Duration: 2 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Professor Patrick Jolicoeur and Professor Katherine Patton
Workshop Dates:
- March 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Description: In this workshop, students will learn to think like an archaeologist. University of Toronto archaeologists will introduce the subject while giving students some first-hand experience looking at real artifacts in an archaeological lab. Afterwards, in small groups, students will build (and then excavate!) their own mini archaeological site while learning how sites are formed, how archaeologists start to investigate them and why archaeology matters.
Recommended Preparation: Grade 10 and above
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
Bones, Stones and Molecules — Scientific Approaches to the Human Past
Duration: 2 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Professor Bence Viola
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- March 6, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Description: Our understanding of human origins has been revolutionized by new approaches such as analyses of ancient DNA and the use of medical imaging techniques to look inside fossils. In this workshop, a U of T palaeoanthropologist will first introduce students to how we use genetic data to better understand the human past, as well as how we use modern technology to study and visualize fossils. After this, the students will get some hands-on experience with hominin fossils and digital data.
Recommended Preparation: Grade 11 Biology (genetics and evolution)
Booking Deadline: Two weeks in advance of each workshop
We Are Here Because You Were There: Caribbean Migration to Canada
Duration: 3 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Professor Kevin Edmonds
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Description: Our discussion will focus on the factors that forced migration from the Caribbean and the policies designed to restrict, demonize or remove Caribbean migrants here. To understand these issues, this workshop will examine the concept of Relative Surplus Populations — referring to individuals unable to meet their basic needs due to unemployment or underemployment, rooted in the underdevelopment of the Caribbean. The West Indian Domestic Scheme and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programs will be discussed.
Please note that this is a lecture visit workshop (high school students will attend the lecture with other university students).
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of workshop
Studying Britain and Ireland
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Virtual
Participant Capacity: 10-50 students
Facilitated By: Professor Pa Sheehan
Workshop Dates:
- Most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays after 2 p.m.
Description: Learn more about the rich cultures which make up the British and Irish isles today. From language to sport and much more.
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
CIN105Y1: Introduction to Film Study
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–79 students
Facilitated By: Professor James Cahill
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 3, 12-1 p.m. – Genre I: What is a Genre?
- Feb. 10, 12-1 p.m. – Genre II: Transforming Genre
- Feb. 24, 12-1 p.m. – Auteurism
- March 3, 12-1 p.m. – Stardom
- March 10, 12-1 p.m. – Film, Feminism, Sexuality
- March 24, 12-1 p.m. – Film and Nation
Description: Introduction to film analysis; concepts of film style and narrative. Topics include documentary, avant-garde, genres, authorship, ideology and representation. Please note that this is a lecture visit workshop (high school students will attend the lecture with other university students).
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
Latin: Bringing a Dead Language Back to Life
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Professor Drew Davis
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 6, 1-2 p.m.
- Feb. 27, 1-2 p.m.
- March 6, 1-2 p.m.
- March 27, 1-2 p.m.
Description: What does it take to learn a dead language like Latin? Why should you? Come get a look at what learning an ancient language is like at university and get hands-on experience writing and speaking Latin in a friendly, low-stakes environment.
Recommended Preparation: Come curious, leave speaking Latin!
Booking Deadline: Two weeks in advance of each workshop.
CLA160: Introduction to Classical Studies (Lecture Visit)
Duration: 2 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–20 students
Facilitated By: Professor Gianmarco Bianchini
Workshop Dates (subject to change):
- Feb. 4, 1-3 p.m.
- Feb. 11, 1-3 p.m.
- Feb. 25, 1-3 p.m.
- March 4, 1-3 p.m.
- March 11, 1-3 p.m.
- March 25, 1-3 p.m.
Description: How different was the ancient world to the modern one? Why are ancient voices still relevant? Come see what is at stake in interpreting the literature, history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome and get a taste of what a university class on the ancient world is like!
Please note that this is a lecture visit workshop (high school students will attend the lecture with other university students).
Recommended Preparation: Bring your curiosity and a love for all things ancient — no toga, Greek or Latin required!
Booking Deadline: Two weeks in advance of each workshop.
Criminology: What Is It and How Is It Studied?
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–50 students
Facilitated By: Professor Matthew Light
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 9 (time TBD)
Description: Stories about crime and criminal justice surround us and many people are aware that criminology is the field devoted to studying these issues. But what exactly is criminology? How can it be studied at the university level? And what professional paths can it lead to? Professor Matthew Light of the University of Toronto’s Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies provides an introduction.
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop.
Introduction to Theatre Performance
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Performance Instructor Ken Gass
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 11, 1:10 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Description: A sneak peek of what an intensive acting course looks like in a university context. This is a chance for prospective (or just curious) students to engage in a creative acting workshop with current undergraduate drama students and their professor in a friendly, inclusive environment. Wear comfortable clothing.
Recommended Preparation: Wear comfy clothes and bring your boldest self.
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of workshop.
French Studies at the University of Toronto
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Virtual
Participant Capacity: Minimum 10 students
Facilitated By: Professor Paul Bessler
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 24, 10-11 a.m.
- Feb. 25, 10-11 a.m.
- Feb. 26, 10-11 a.m.
- March 3, 10-11 a.m.
- March 4, 10-11 a.m.
- March 5, 10-11 a.m.
Description: The purpose of this workshop is to provide students with an overview of the three types of courses offered in the Department of French, namely language, literature and linguistics. Students will also learn about the various minor, major and specialist programs offered by the department, as well as some of the career opportunities available to graduates. Please note that this workshop can be conducted in English or in French.
Recommended Preparation: Grade 10 French
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
The Science of Speech Perception
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Professor Ewan Dunbar
Workshop Dates:
- March 6, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
- March 12, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
- March 13, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
- March 26, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m
- March 27, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Description: Speech perception is a complex and still mysterious function of our brains that is fundamental to everything we do in our lives. In fact, to read this, the part of your brain responsible for hearing and perceiving speech is working hard, decoding the letters on the page into sounds, as if you were hearing them. Written language is not a "language" on its own, but rather a tool for recording and reconstructing spoken (or signed) language.
Speech perception permeates our lives in more ways than just listening and reading: it affects how we learn new languages, because our brains specialize for hearing sounds in the languages we hear around us as infants, between the ages of 6-12 months. When we produce language, our brains operate a crucial feedback loop ("replay"), without which we cannot speak or write. And we are constantly using special neural mechanisms to analyze the speech of everyone around us to guess their gender, social background, where they come from, whether they are friendly and how they are feeling.
This workshop will review the basics of speech and speech perception. It will also highlight differences and similarities between how human beings perceive speech and how computer systems like Siri and Whisper do it. This workshop can be given in English or in French.
Recommended Preparation: Grade 10 and higher
Booking Deadline: Three weeks in advance of each workshop
The War for Talent: Finding Your Dream Job
Duration: 2 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–40 students
Facilitated By: Professor Brad Seward
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 27, 1-3 p.m.
Description: One million job vacancies? Students unable to find employment? The headlines have been filled with sensational stories of the state of Canada's labour market for youth entering their early careers. This talk examines the recruitment and selection process, offering guidance for students on how to stay competitive while pursuing their dream careers.
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: Feb. 23
Reggaeton and Resistance: Bad Bunny's "NUEVAYoL"
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–35 students
Facilitated By: Assistant Professor Paula Karger
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 6 (time TBD)
- Feb. 27 (time TBD)
Description: This workshop will focus on Bad Bunny's “NUEVAYoL” to examine the relationship between the United States and Latin America. Together, students will analyze the lyrics and associated images to explore some of the history and present-day realities of the Latinx experience, especially considering manifestations of resistance.
Recommended Preparation: Bring your critical lens, open ears and maybe a lyric or two stuck in your head.
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
Mapping the Natural World in the Middle Ages
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: Minimum 10 students
Facilitated By: Professor James Ginther
Workshop Dates:
- March 9, 10-11 a.m.
- March 11, 10-11 a.m.
Description: One of the misunderstandings about the pre-modern world is that people did not understand the world around them. We sometimes hear people say that in the Middle Ages the earth was thought to be flat, that the natural world was a mystery and that the universe was small. This workshop will examine two maps made in 13th-century Europe: one was a map of the known world and the other was a map of the universe. Discover how men and women represented the world and the universe with maps like these and why they wanted to explore the world around them.
Recommended Preparation: No compass needed to explore these medieval maps!
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
The Disastrous Afghanistan War, 2001-2021
Duration: 1.75 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Professor John Duncan
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 26, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Description: Canada supported the disastrous US/NATO-led war in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021. This session will recount and discuss the main historical, geopolitical and strategic drivers of failure and try to assess the situation today. Not a good news story! No specific prior knowledge of the war is required for this session.
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
The Incredible Tragedy of Oedipus and Antigone
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Professor John Duncan
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Description: This workshop will retell and discuss one of the most famous and unhinging stories of all time, developed by the first great tragedians Aeschylus and Sophocles writing 2,500 years ago: the incredible tragedy of King Oedipus and his daughter-and-sister(!) Antigone. Buckle up!
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of workshop
Life Sciences Workshops
Neurons in a Dish: Exploring Brain Development and Cancer in the Lab
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: Virtual
Participant Capacity: 10–24 students
Facilitated By: Professor Naijin Li
Workshop Dates:
- March 6, 1-4 p.m.
- March 13, 1-4 p.m.
- March 27, 1-4 p.m.
Description: This hands-on workshop introduces high school students to the fascinating world of neuroscience research. Students will discover how scientists use human-derived cell lines to study brain development and cancer biology. Through demonstrations and interactive discussions, participants will learn how these cells are cultured and differentiated in the lab and how these methods help researchers understand neurological disorders and develop potential therapies.
Recommended Preparation: Grade 11/12 Biology
Booking Deadline: Two weeks in advance of each workshop
Nature, Nurture and the Taste of Cilantro
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: Minimum 10 students
Facilitated By: Dr. Alexandra Malinowski
Workshop Dates:
- Wednesdays and Fridays (times TBD)
Description: Why does cilantro taste like soap to some people? In this workshop, students will explore how both genetics and the environment shape the way we experience the world around us. Using cilantro as an example, this session will examine how genetic differences influence taste perception. Students will also be introduced to key concepts such as alleles, dominance, genotypes and phenotypes.
By the end of the session, students will understand how:
- Genetic variants form different alleles
- Different alleles of a gene can lead to different phenotypes
- Environmental factors can interact with genetic predispositions
This workshop introduces genetics, neuroscience and epigenetics (nature versus nurture), all through the lens of a single, controversial herb.
Recommended Preparation: Grade 11 or Grade 12 Biology
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
Statistics in Ecology: An Introduction to Mark-Recapture
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Virtual
Participant Capacity: Minimum 10 students
Facilitated By: Professor Gracia Dong
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 17, 10-11 a.m.
Description: This workshop will introduce students to some basic statistical methods used in ecology — including mark-recapture — and discuss some extensions to human populations.
Recommended Preparation: None
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
Code Cracking: Exploring DNA for Clinical Genetics
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: Minimum 10 students
Facilitated By: Dr. Erin Styles
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 11, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
- Feb. 17, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Description: Have you ever wondered what makes you YOU? This session will explore the fascinating world of DNA — the tiny molecules inside every cell that carry the blueprint for life. Through hands-on activities and interactive discussions, students will learn about genetics — the study of genes and how they work together to shape who we are. This session will also dive into clinical genetics to understand how changes in DNA can lead to inherited conditions or diseases and how the field of Medical Genetics can use this information to help patients.
Students will also get a glimpse of how scientists study DNA to solve real-world problems, from improving health care to understanding diseases. This session is perfect for students who are curious about biomedical science and how it applies to the real world. Join us to discover how the cutting-edge field of genetics is transforming medicine and changing lives!
Recommended Preparation: Grade 11 or Grade 12 Biology
Booking Deadline: Two weeks in advance of each workshop
Mathematical & Physical Sciences Workshops
Gravitational Lensing: How Massive Objects Can Bend Spacetime
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–22 students
Facilitated by: Ilana MacDonald, Michael Williams
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 10, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.
- Feb. 24, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
- March 24, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Description: Over 100 years ago, Einstein's theory of General Relativity revolutionized the way we think about space and time. Rather than being static, he discovered that space-time is a malleable fabric that can be stretched and bent to form gravitational lenses, black holes, wormholes and other exotic phenomena. In this session, we’ll explore the mind-bending consequences of this theory using a simple experiment.
Recommended Preparation: Students should be familiar with scientific notation and be able to do mathematical calculations with large numbers.
Booking Deadline: Two weeks in advance of each workshop
Sit In On a First-Year Chemistry Class
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–12 students
Facilitated by: Professor Xiang Li
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 4, 11:10 a.m-12 p.m.
- Feb. 25, 11:10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- March 11, 11:10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- March 25, 11:10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Description: A first-year university physical chemistry course. Topics may include: Structure of matter, gases, thermochemistry, calorimetry, chemical equilibria, reaction kinetics, introduction to thermodynamics, phase equilibria and electrochemistry.
This workshop is recommended for grade 11 or 12 students interested in seeing what a university chemistry class is like. Please note that this is a lecture visit workshop (high school students will attend the lecture with other university students).
Recommended Preparation: Grade 11 and 12
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
An Introduction to Geological Microscopes
Duration: 1 hour
Format: In person
Participant Capacity: 10–30 students
Facilitated By: Associate Professor Daniel Gregory
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 9, 10-11 a.m.
- Feb. 9, 1-2 p.m.
- March 9, 10-11 a.m.
- March 23, 10-11 a.m.
Description: This workshop will discuss the properties of light and how they are used in identifying minerals with a microscope. It will also provide a hands-on introduction to using a petrographic microscope to identify and understand a variety of beautiful minerals.
Recommended Preparation: Knowledge of the periodic table
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
Graph it Like Königsberg: The Art of Coloring Without Crossing
Duration: 1 hour
Format: Virtual
Participant Capacity: Minimum 10 students
Facilitated By: Dr. Asia Majeed
Workshop Dates:
- Feb. 10 (time TBD)
Description: In this workshop, students will explore how everyday problems — like planning routes or mapping friendships — can be solved using graph theory. Inspired by the famous Seven Bridges of Königsberg, we’ll explore graph coloring and discover which graphs can be drawn without any edges crossing. It’s a hands-on introduction to the fun and surprising world of mathematical connections!
Recommended Preparation: Grade 11 Advanced Functions
Booking Deadline: One week in advance of each workshop
"My students loved the workshop. One of them started looking up where to purchase the geological microscopes, one says he's now 'obsessed with pyrite' and all the students were raving over the colours and shapes of different minerals. I'd love to run this again next year."
— An introduction to geological microscopes, Chemistry High School Teacher