Erindale Youth AIINNOVATION INCUBATOR
EXPLORE WHAT’S NEXTMentor courses Competitions & conferences

YOUNG MINDS. REAL POSSIBILITIES.

Where School 2.0
Comes to Life.

A place where young people explore AI, tackle real-world problems, and build and test their ideas—with guidance from educators, researchers and entrepreneurs.

Register your interest Explore student ideas
The Erindale Academy
Mississauga, Canada
THE STUDENT IDEA BOARD01—04
Concept spotlight

STUDENT TIME MANAGEMENT

TimePilot AI

A little more focus.
A little less rush.
Athletic ShoppingAI & informed choices
Fitness EngagementWellbeing & participation
Youth Startup InvestmentEntrepreneurship & judgement
Start with a question.Make room for possibility.
Professor Jim SlottaProfessor Charles HopkinsAlissa He

Different perspectives.
A shared commitment to young people.

LEARNCREATECONNECT

DON’T MISS WHAT’S NEXT

Competitions & conferences.

Explore opportunities
Conference
Details announced

School 2.0 AI Business Innovation Conference

Explore AI. Learn from entrepreneurs. Discover where your ideas could lead. Short description Discover AI and entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Join Ontario students in Grades 9–12 to hear from entrepreneurs and innovation professionals, explore new possibilities, and connect with other students interested in shaping the future. About the Conference ICUBE UTM and The Erindale Academy invite high school students to the School 2.0 AI Business Innovation Conference—a morning of learning, inspiration, and connections at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Hear from young entrepreneurs, startup founders, university innovation leaders, and industry professionals. Explore how AI can support business innovation, how entrepreneurs develop their ideas, and how students can begin building the skills to turn curiosity into action. Whether you are interested in business, technology, leadership, or making a difference in your community, this conference offers an opportunity to explore your interests beyond the classroom. No previous business, startup, or AI competition experience is required.

Event dates
9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon EST, Saturday, November 14, 2026
Registration deadline
Oct 31, 2026 · 7:01 am EDT
Location / format
University of Toronto Mississauga

Time zone: America/Toronto

View event information
Competition
Details announced

School 2.0 AI Business Innovation Startup Challenge

Take on a challenge. Develop an AI solution. Make your pitch. Put your ideas into action at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Join Ontario students in Grades 9–12 for an afternoon of AI business innovation, teamwork, mentor feedback, and pitching to judges. About the Startup Challenge ICUBE UTM and The Erindale Academy invite high school students to the School 2.0 AI Business Innovation Startup Challenge. Work with a team to tackle a real business or community problem and develop a solution that uses AI. Receive feedback from mentors, refine your approach, and present your idea to judges. The challenge gives students an opportunity to practise entrepreneurial thinking, creative problem-solving, collaboration, and public speaking. Consider what makes an idea useful, explain how it could work, and communicate why it matters. No previous business, startup, or AI competition experience is required. Bring your curiosity, creativity, and willingness to contribute.

Event dates
12:00 noon–4:30 p.m. EST, Saturday, November 14, 2026
Registration deadline
Oct 31, 2026 · 7:09 am EDT
Location / format
University of Toronto Mississauga

Time zone: America/Toronto

View event information

Erindale Youth AI Innovation Incubator

In collaboration with

ENCORE Lab, OISE

University of Toronto

ICUBE, UTM

University of Toronto Mississauga

Beyond learning about AI.
Learning to create with it.

04Student venture
concepts
29 Mentors across
disciplines
03Connected ways
of learning

LEARN. MAKE. TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

Curiosity becomes capability.

Explore mentor courses
Entrepreneurship & innovation
Registration open

AI Entrepreneurship & Innovation Workshop

A project-driven, after-school learning experience in which students investigate a meaningful problem, develop and test a small-scale solution, and explore how to reach and serve customers. A venture may offer a product, a service or a socially useful solution. Students work through Discover, Build, Launch and Scale. Approved AI tools support research, design, communication and operations, while students remain responsible for decisions, accuracy and the quality of their work. A school-supervised live route and a protected route are both possible. The protected route uses a private prototype, school showcase, role-play market or simulated transactions. Learning is demonstrated through evidence and reflection; a first sale, profit or public launch is not required.

COURSE MENTORAlberto Sanchez Naranjo
Who it’s for
Grades 9–12 or Grades 7–8
Learning time
48 guided hours · 32 classes · approximately 8 months
Class schedule
Schedule: Every Saturday, starting November 7, 2026. Grades 7–8: 10:00–11:30 a.m. Grades 9–12: 12:30–2:00 p.m.
Tuition / feeCAD $1,200.00
Total includes any applicable taxes.
Register & pay Course details
AI agents & applications
Course preview

AI Agents & Application Development Workshop

The AI Agents & Application Development Workshop is a hands-on technology program designed for students in Grades 7–12. Students learn to design AI-assisted solutions, explore foundational programming concepts, and build a functional application from idea to deployment. The program is beginner-friendly, and no prior coding experience is required. Students begin by building and deploying a bounded AI agent to understand how AI can perform specific tasks. They then spend the majority of the program designing and coding their own application, using AI as a development partner throughout the process. In the final module, students deploy their application, perform essential production checks, and learn how to add it to their phone’s home screen for convenient access.

COURSE MENTORAlberto Sanchez Naranjo
Who it’s for
Grades 7–12
Learning time
36 guided hours · 24 classes · approximately 6 months
Class schedule
Schedule: Starting October 27, 2026 — Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30–6:00 PM. Choose Tuesday or Thursday as your regular class day. Both sessions cover the same content each week, and students may attend the other day for extra practice.
Tuition / feeCAD $900.00
Total includes any applicable taxes.
Explore the course 90 minutes per class

Explore the curriculum previews. Confirmed course dates and enrolment arrangements will be announced by the school.

STUDENT IDEAS, REAL QUESTIONS

What could we
create next?

Explore four student venture concepts
introduced at our incubator launch.

Meet the ideas
Concept spotlight

Learning & everyday life

TimePilot AI

Exploring how an AI assistant could help students plan their time, manage tasks and focus on what matters.

Explore the idea
Concept spotlight

AI & informed choices

Athletic Shopping AI Agent

Exploring an AI assistant that helps people compare sporting goods against their needs and preferences.

Explore the idea
Concept spotlight

Wellbeing & participation

Fitness Engagement AI Agent

Exploring how an AI-supported experience could make physical activity more engaging and encourage participation.

Explore the idea
Concept spotlight

Entrepreneurship & judgement

Youth Startup Investment Company

A student venture concept exploring how young people might identify, evaluate and support emerging startup ideas.

Explore the idea

These spotlights describe student concepts, not completed products or measured outcomes.

A MOMENT THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER

One celebration.
A shared beginning.

Students, mentors and our community.
Explore the launch of a new chapter.

News & events
Mayor Carolyn Parrish joins school representatives for the ribbon-cutting.Watch the ribbon-cutting video
Open on YouTube

THE LAUNCH CELEBRATION

A historic place.
A new chapter in
youth AI innovation.

A ribbon-cutting, student ideas and conversations about the future of learning—at The Erindale Academy.

Explore the celebration Watch all 7 launch videos
Mayor Carolyn Parrish delivers her launch remarks.
Launch video

Mayor Carolyn Parrish

Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish on the Erindale Youth AI Innovation Incubator

Watch video
Professor Charles Hopkins delivers remarks at the launch.
Launch video

Professor Charles Hopkins

AI for good. Learning for a wider world.

Watch video
Professor Jim Slotta speaks at the launch.
Launch video

Professor Jim Slotta

Rethinking learning in the AI era

Watch video
Also watchDr. Paul Pu George Vanderkuur Robert Martellacci View all 7 videos

MESSAGES OF SUPPORT & RECOGNITION

Encouragement
for the journey ahead.

Explore the messages

Bringing together AI literacy, hands-on learning, and collaboration offers a valuable opportunity to nurture thoughtful and responsible young innovators, committed to serving the public good.

Professor Ruth HayhoeOISE, University of TorontoFrom the letter of 9 September 2026

Civic & Community Recognition

View recognition
Congratulatory letter from Carolyn Parrish, with its original letterhead, seal and signature

Congratulatory letter

Letter from Mayor Carolyn Parrish

Mayor of Mississauga

Read the letter
Congratulatory certificate from Rudy Cuzzetto, with its original letterhead, seal and signature

Congratulatory certificate

Letter from MPP Rudy Cuzzetto

MPP, Mississauga–Lakeshore

Read the letter

SCHOOL 2.0 IN PRACTICE

Technology is a tool.
Human growth is the point.

Our approach brings together AI literacy,
hands-on intelligence and social intelligence.

01

AI literacy

Understand what AI can do. Question its limitations. Make thoughtful choices about when—and how—to use it.

Curiosity + critical judgement
02

Hands-on intelligence

Turn an idea into something you can explore and test. Learn through making, feedback and revision.

Ideas + practical action
03

Social intelligence

Listen, collaborate and communicate. Consider the people and communities affected by your decisions.

Connection + responsibility

Creativity, collaboration and sound judgement matter as much as the technology itself.

FROM CURIOSITY TO CREATION

A question is
a good beginning.

Not a straight line. A learning journey
of reflection, revision and trying again.

01

Discover

Notice a real need. Ask a better question.

02

Explore

Investigate possibilities. Learn from different perspectives.

03

Create

Build and test an idea. Use feedback to improve.

04

Share

Explain what you learned. Reflect on what comes next.

Illustration of the historic house at The Erindale AcademyTHE ERINDALE ACADEMY

ROOTED IN PLACE. OPEN TO POSSIBILITY.

A historic place.
A new chapter.

Based at The Erindale Academy in Mississauga, the incubator connects young people, educators, researchers and entrepreneurs around the possibilities of AI.

Launched on 18 September 2026. Explore the celebration →

Discover our school

COME WITH CURIOSITY

Your next idea starts with a conversation.

Bring a question, an interest or a possibility. Let’s explore where it could lead.

Register your interest