The Summer Psychology Research Initiative (SPRINT): 

For high school students interested in psychology

The University of Toronto (U of T) Summer Psychology Research Initiative (SPRINT) is an annual outreach and access program for high school students in Ontario, Canada to learn about a broad range of psychology topics, gain hands-on research experience, and connect with peers and psychology researchers at the University of Toronto. 

A group of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers organizes and leads the free ten-day program, with support from undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral volunteers, faculty, staff, librarians, and community advocates within and beyond the University of Toronto.

SPRINT typically runs every summer in the last two weeks of July, Mondays - Fridays at the University of Toronto, St. George campus. Students will be selected into one of two program streams based on interests, goals, and program capacity. Lecture Stream participants will be introduced to psychology as a scientific research discipline, while Research Stream participants will build on that knowledge and develop a group research proposal under the guidance of undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral mentors in various fields of psychology.

As SPRINT was launched as an anti-racist initiative to support Indigenous, Black, and racialized (IBR) students, with a focus on countering anti-Black racism and colonialism, upper-year high school students who identify as IBR are prioritized in the application selection process. 

In 2024, SPRINT also began prioritizing applicants from other historically underrepresented groups in psychology and higher education, such as gender-minority and first-generation university students, to more fully address equity, diversity, and inclusivity in Canada. Visit the Apply page for the full application selection process.

In 2027, SPRINT plans to expand programming to the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus! Check back for more updates.