Computer Science Academy

Learning Outcomes & Takeaways

By the end of the course, students will have a strong introductory understanding of what computer science research is, the range of fields it spans, and the academic pathways that lead into it.

Understanding Computer Science Research

• Identify major areas of computer science research, including computer graphics, computer vision, natural language processing, human-computer interaction, machine learning, and AI.
• Understand how researchers frame questions, design studies, and build on existing work within a field.
• Read and make sense of a recent research paper in a chosen field with the guidance of a mentor.
• Understand the differences between undergraduate, master’s, and PhD pathways, and what daily life looks like at each stage.

Technical & Computational Skills

• Apply basic computational thinking and programming concepts through guided, hands-on work.
• Build basic familiarity with how programming is used to explore research problems.
• Hear directly from graduate students, professors or industry researchers, and undergraduates about the stages of academic and professional life ahead.

Communication & Collaboration

• Communicate technical ideas clearly through a research poster and a short presentation.
• Work in a mentored team to analyze a research paper and present its key insights.
• Engage with university mentors and peers, building early academic connections.
• Present findings to peers, mentors, and a panel at the end of the week.

Career Exploration

• Recognize a range of academic and career pathways in computer science and related fields.

Your SummerUp Days: Day-by-Day

Subject to change.

Day 1 — What Is Computer Science Research?

Key Themes: What is research? What are the major fields of computer science?

Morning

• Welcome and framing: “What is computer science research?”
• Lightning talks introducing several research fields, such as graphics, vision, natural language processing, HCI, and machine learning.
• Speaker sessions: a graduate student, a professor or industry researcher, and an undergraduate share their paths and what their stage of study and work is like.

Small-Group Time

• Students are split into small groups by research field.
• Groups meet their mentor and begin learning how to read a research paper in their field.

Afternoon

• Class: What makes a good research question, and how do researchers find one?
• Group activity: each group identifies the central question of their assigned paper.

Day 2 — Reading Research & Programming Foundations

Key Themes: Programming fundamentals, getting deeper into the paper.

Morning

• Speaker sessions from a graduate student, a professor or industry researcher, and an undergraduate on their academic and career journeys.
• Hands-on workshop: introductory programming concepts using Python or JavaScript, designed for beginners.

Small-Group Time

• Groups continue working through their paper, focusing on methods and how the work was carried out.
• Mentors help students connect the paper’s ideas to the broader field.

Afternoon

• Peer activity: students share progress across groups and compare how different fields approach research.

Day 3 — Applied Computing & How to Read a Paper

Key Themes: Real-world applications, research methods.

Morning

• Talk on applied computing and how research moves from idea to real-world use.
• Speaker sessions from a graduate student, a professor or industry researcher, and an undergraduate.

Small-Group Time

• Groups work on summarizing sections of their paper, extracting key claims, and identifying assumptions and limitations.
• Discussions: How to read critically and what to do when a paper is hard to follow.

Afternoon

• Campus-wide team challenge: scavenger hunt involving computational thinking and problem solving.

Day 4 — Mentorship & Poster Preparation

Key Themes: Collaborative inquiry, communication.

Morning

• Speaker sessions from a graduate student, a professor or industry researcher, and an undergraduate.
• Mentorship circles with graduate students: graduate students share how they approach literature review, analysis, and writing.

Small-Group Time

• Groups finalize their understanding and decide on the key points to communicate.
• Students begin building a research poster summarizing the paper and their analysis.

Afternoon

• Poster work continues, with mentor feedback and practice run of presentation.

Day 5 — Presentations & Celebration

Key Themes: Communication, reflection, community.

Morning

• Speaker session reflecting on the future of computer science research and paths into it.

Poster & Presentation Session

• Groups share their research paper analysis and poster, what they learned, what the research means to them and where it could go next.
• Judges evaluate understanding of the research and clarity of communication.

Awards + Closing Social

• Highlights reel of the week, put together with student-selected images.
• Reflection circle: “What does your academic journey look like from here?”

Technical Requirements & General Information

1. The Lifelong Leadership Institute (LLI), in collaboration with its partners at University of Toronto, presents this course as part of our commitment to expanding access to transformative learning experiences for Black youth—experiences that have too often been limited by historical inequities. We aim to nurture the talents, ambitions, and leadership potential that Black youth possess while ensuring they have full access to the skills and opportunities that drive future success. This particular course is dedicated to supporting skill development and early career exploration in computer science research.
2. No prior programming experience is required. All lessons, workshops, and activities are intentionally designed to be accessible for beginners while still offering meaningful challenges for students with existing technical skills.
3. Because this is a fast-paced, five-day learning experience, only students who can commit to attending all five days should apply. Students who cannot attend the full program are encouraged to consider future opportunities.
4. The course emphasizes interactive, hands-on, and experiential learning. Students are expected to participate actively in discussions, collaborate with peers, and complete in-class assignments.
5. Students will need access to a suitable laptop computer for the duration of the program. Tablets and smartphones are not sufficient for the technical activities planned.

Monday, August 10 to Friday, August 14, 2026 (Five days)

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (includes a one-hour lunch break)
Attendance will be taken around 8:50 a.m.

In-person

University of Toronto, St. George Campus, Bahen Centre for Information Technology (specific rooms TBD). (Details will be provided to registrants.)

5 days (Monday – Friday)

Computer Science Department, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto

No charge.

Lunch may be provided on some days, in which case we will reach out to let you know beforehand. On other days, students are welcome to bring a packed lunch.

A reliable laptop is required.

No.

• Leadership by Design (LBD) students, who in September 2026 will be in Grade 12 (C24) and Grade 11 (C25).
• Other Black youth in Ontario, who in September 2026 will enrol in Ontario Grades 10, 11, and 12, and who have required academic qualifications.
• Students interested in learning about computer science research and the academic and career pathways that follow it.
• Students with no prior programming experience (the course is designed to welcome beginners while offering meaningful challenge for students with some technical background).

Apply only if you can commit to attending all five days of this in-person course.