Fueling discovery,
driving innovation.

TYSIC is designed for students in Grades 7–12 across Ontario and beyond who are curious about science, technology, engineering, and math. No prior STEM or competition experience is required. Teachers, school staff, club supervisors, and chaperones may also register and attend for free.

TYSIC 2026 takes place on October 16, 2026 at Branksome Hall in Toronto. Doors, session times, and the full agenda will be available on the EventBrite page.

Registration is handled through Eventbrite - use the “Register” button anywhere on this site to secure your spot. Spaces are limited, so we recommend registering early. Registration is two steps: after Eventbrite, every attendee must also complete the confirmation form by October 9, 2026 to confirm their team and Innovation Challenge stream.

The Innovation Challenge is a hands-on competition in which students tackle a real-world STEM problem in teams of 2–4 and pitch their solution to a panel of judges. It runs in two streams - the Pre-Event Challenge and the Day-of Challenge - and every student who attends TYSIC takes part in one of them.

The Pre-Event Challenge is the classic TYSIC format: teams receive a prompt based on a UN Sustainable Development Goal, build their solution in advance, and present the finished work on the day. The 2026 prompt was released on September 15 and is now live - it is built on UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, with three categories to choose between: Housing, Transport & Urban Planning; Heritage, Environment & Public Space; and Resilience & Regional Development. The full challenge document is linked from the Innovation Challenge page. Choose this stream on the confirmation form by October 9, 2026. The Day-of Challenge is new for 2026 and needs no preparation at all - the prompt is revealed on the morning of October 16, and teams research, build, and pitch within the day. Students who do not choose the Pre-Event Challenge automatically take part in the Day-of Challenge.

The 2026 pre-event prompt is built on UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities - making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Teams choose one of three categories (Housing, Transport & Urban Planning; Heritage, Environment & Public Space; or Resilience & Regional Development), define a specific problem within it, analyze the system and stakeholders around that problem, identify a leverage point, and propose an original intervention - a product, program, service, policy, or system. The full challenge document, including the SDG 11 targets behind each category, is linked from the Innovation Challenge page. It applies to the Pre-Event Challenge only; the Day-of prompt is set by Urban Minds and revealed on the morning of the conference.

Yes. Every attendee must also complete the confirmation form by October 9, 2026, one week before the conference. It confirms your team, which Innovation Challenge stream you are competing in, and the other details organizers need - the judging schedule is built from it, so a student who registers on Eventbrite and stops there is not yet entered. The form is linked from the Innovation Challenge page.

In both streams: a pitch deck, a 4–5 minute pitch to the judging panel, and a 1–2 minute Q&A straight after. A prototype or visual model and a longer written submission are optional unless your prompt specifically requires them. Pre-event teams also submit a one-paragraph description of their project a few days before the conference. AI tools and internet access are permitted in both streams. Every team is scored out of 25 on the same rubric - the full rules and rubric are linked from the Innovation Challenge page.

Urban Minds, a Toronto non-profit that helps young people shape the city they will inherit, is our 2026 Day-of Challenge Partner. They are assisting with the prompt from their own city-building work, introducing it in person on the morning of the conference, staying on site all day to support teams, and helping judge the pitches. The strongest ideas will directly inform youth engagement work Urban Minds is delivering with The Atmospheric Fund. The prompt itself is not released before the conference - everyone starts from the same line.

Just bring yourself, your curiosity, and something to take notes with. For the Day-of Challenge, a laptop or tablet can be handy for building your pitch. For the Pre-Event Challenge, bring whatever you need to present your solution (poster, prototype, slides, etc.). Either way, have your deck on your own device and check that your laptop has a USB-C port, or bring the adapter.

We partner with schools, student clubs, universities, and companies every year. Visit the Get Involved page to explore sponsorship and partnership opportunities, or reach out to us directly.