sciencealive.ca

What It Is

Science AL!VE @ Simon Fraser University is a K-12 youth STEAM outreach program affiliated with the Faculty of Applied Sciences at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Its goal is to inspire students’ interest in science and engineering. The program includes summer camps, weekend activities, online workshops, teacher resources, and community partner programs. The site states that in 2023 it reached 15,729 young people, including 4,917 girls and 2,204 Indigenous youth, and that it is a network member of Actua, Canada’s STEM youth outreach organization.

Core Courses and Formats

The curriculum focuses on STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts and design, and mathematics. It also includes areas such as coding, AI, Hour++ of Code, computer science teaching toolkits, and the STEM Speaker Series. Summer programs are grouped by grade level. In 2026, Burnaby offers full-day camps, while Surrey offers half-day camps. In addition to student programs, it provides classroom workshops, AI teacher resources, and professional development content for educators. Overall, the approach emphasizes hands-on practice, measurable skills, confidence-building, and age-appropriate learning.

Pricing and Registration

Registration is completed through the third-party platform Eventbrite. The page does not list specific camp prices, which is the main information gap when evaluating a purchase decision. The disclosed fee policies include: before- and after-care are available at the Burnaby campus for an additional fee; cancellations made more than one week before the camp starts are refundable, but a CAD 35 administration fee applies per camp; cancellations made less than one week before the start date are non-refundable; camp transfers incur a CAD 10 fee; and if the organizer cancels a program, a full refund is provided. The program also offers bursary applications, which helps reduce the financial barrier to some extent.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths include the credibility of its university background, a broad course offering, an emphasis on hands-on learning and inclusion, and explicit support for groups traditionally underrepresented in STEAM, such as girls, Indigenous youth, Black youth, and underserved communities. The FAQ provides relatively detailed information on care, special support, refunds, and camp arrangements. Limitations include the lack of disclosed pricing, certificate/accreditation information, and detailed pre-camp schedules on the website. Offline camps are concentrated in Burnaby and Surrey, making them less convenient for families outside Canada.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is best suited for families with K-12 students in the Greater Vancouver area or those able to travel to an SFU campus, especially children looking for summer exposure to science, engineering, programming, or AI. Teachers may also find its educational resources worth following. The source text does not provide information on access from mainland China, so this remains unknown.