Discovery:
The Educational Initiative
Discover for Yourself
10
years of operation
2000+
students impacted
300+
mentors volunteered
40+
educators involved
4
high school
partners
Discovery bridges the gap between high school and university by bringing students into university labs and learning spaces to explore the work of scientists and engineers firsthand. Integrated into the curriculum at partner schools, the program engages full-class cohorts throughout the semester in immersive, inquiry-based projects co-led by graduate student mentors and teachers. Through hands-on exploration of real-world topics in physics, biology, and chemistry, students build curiosity, confidence, and readiness for post-secondary studies in STEM.
Program Highlights
Curriculum Integrated
Delivered as part of partner high school courses, with entire classes and their teachers participating together. No fees or individual student applications required.
Collaborative Design
Projects are developed by graduate student researchers in partnership with high school educators.
Hands-on Learning
Students take part in four full-day sessions over three months, applying classroom concepts through inquiry-based, university-level projects.
On-campus Experience
All programming takes place in University of Toronto teaching laboratories and is led by graduate student mentors.
Jose
Former Discovery Chemistry Lead
"As a mentor, it is gratifying to see how they formulate their questions and experiments as true, independent scientists. More than chemistry, biology, or physics, they are learning how to be critical thinkers."
Obria
Former Discovery Student
"We really get to do things on our own and actually think. I enjoy that because we have more control over what we are doing."
Ed
Discovery Educator
"They are seeing people that look like them. This is the first time—I would think, for a lot of these students [that] they're actually seeing individuals that represent [them] being really successful in master's programs [or] a PhD. So, I really think that does help a lot of them."