Leap with clarity.
Land with confidence.

Glass Frog Academy gets middle schoolers ready for high school with classes, peer mentorship, hackathons and competitions, all run by high schoolers who just made the jump.

Explore programs → See our events

500+ students in 7 countries
$13,000+ CAD raised

Special delivery!

Leapshot Challenge: register by Nov 23

Our global pitch competition for high schoolers: one month to build the smallest working version of an “impossible” idea, with a $500 CAD prize pool.

Open it →

Where to next?

Programs

Classes, mentorship, research and more.

Events

Hackathons, competitions, fairs and forums.

Team

Meet the high schoolers behind GFA.

Support

Help fund events, venues and supplies.

About

Welcome to the pond.

Glass Frog Academy is a 100% teen-led non-profit that introduces middle school students to high school topics through classes and hackathons. We aim to bridge the gap between middle and high school, offering regular and IB programs, as well as in-person events, for free. Join us in this journey of exploration and learning!

Three middle school students working together on a laptop

Two students building a cardboard tower at our engineering competition

Our mission

At Glass Frog Academy, our mission is to give middle school students a place to dive into high school level subjects in an engaging and supportive environment. We believe in nurturing young minds and preparing them for the challenges of high school.

Our team is dedicated to creating an inclusive space where students can thrive and develop a passion for learning. We equip students with the tools to navigate complex challenges, think critically, and embrace their potential.

GFA lifetime stats

500+ Students helped across 7 countries

$13,000+ CAD raised in funding & support

100% Teen-led, by high schoolers

Up nextPrograms →

Programs

Ways to make the leap.

We help students conquer the high school transition through peer mentorship, skill-building courses, and hands-on competitions, with high school STEM and IB courses, hackathons, and in-person events.

01 · Online lessons

Get a head start on high school subjects

Our curriculum covers the essential subjects that help students thrive in high school. With engaging content and interactive lessons, students will be well-prepared to tackle the challenges of high school and excel in their academic journey.

02 · Peer mentorship

Learn from people who just made the jump

The jump to high school is hard. Gain insight and experience from students who have already made the leap, and learn the study strategies and essential skills that make learning easier and more effective.

03 · Hackathons

Build something fun with your friends

Compete and collaborate with peers in exciting and fun project making. Explore the world of computer science and robotics through informative and interactive workshops.

04 · Competitions

Put your skills to the test

Competitive environments that call for critical, analytical thinking. Test your abilities in math competitions and hackathons, or team up to solve real-world problems in engineering competitions.

Synthica: research made approachable for high school students

05 · Synthica Calgary chapter

Research classes

As Synthica’s Calgary chapter, we run research classes over Google Meet that make real research approachable for students.

Now open · For high schoolers

Leapshot Challenge

Our global XPRIZE-style pitch competition: one month to build the smallest working version of an “impossible” idea. Register by November 23 for a shot at the $500 CAD prize pool.

Up nextEvents →

Events

Pick your adventure.

Hackathons, game jams, engineering competitions, youth fairs and forums. There’s a GFA event for every kind of curious.

Two students stacking books on a popsicle-stick tower to test its strength

Finished popsicle-stick and cardboard towers lined up on the floor

Students sitting on the floor around towers being tested

Hosted by GFA

Engineering competitions

We host our own engineering competitions, where students team up to design and build towers out of popsicle sticks and cardboard, then stack on books to see whose tower holds.

A GFA team member at our booth with a hand-drawn trifold board

Close-up of the hand-drawn GFA trifold board with a bowl of candy

Exhibitors

Youth fairs

Glass Frog Academy attended the Central Library Youth Fair hosted by Western Interest, meeting with other youth organizations while promoting access to IB education and youth empowerment.

A packed room of teens coding at round tables

Participants at laptops with a multiplayer Tetris game on the big screen

A participant drawing game art on a tablet

Co-organizers

Game jams

Glass Frog Academy team members helped organize Daydream Calgary, a 24-hour game jam that was part of a worldwide event happening in 100+ cities.

Daydream Calgary info →

A GFA team member presenting the WebDev Hackathon and its partners: TKS, Compass Youth Collective and Vercel

Students coding at long tables during the WebDev Hackathon

Hosted by GFA

Web dev hackathons

At our WebDev Hackathon at the Central Library, run in partnership with The Knowledge Society, Compass Youth Collective and Vercel, students learned how to build and launch their own websites with Vercel.

The GFA team in volunteer vests at our booth

The forum auditorium with students seated facing the stage

Attendees

Youth forums

Glass Frog Academy team members attended the Canadian Youth Forum hosted by NOW Youth, promoting education and events for Indigenous communities and 100+ middle and high school students.

A mentor helping three students at their laptops

Game code shown on a classroom smart board

A student kneeling on the floor building a foam-board project

Co-organizers

Hardware hackathons

Glass Frog Academy team members helped organize Scrapyard Calgary, a hardware and game-making hackathon that was part of a worldwide event in 100+ cities.

Up nextTeam →

Our team

Meet the frogs.

High schoolers from across Calgary who have already made the leap, and want to make yours easier.

Four GFA team members sitting on the wooden steps at the library — having fun

Two GFA team members holding up Glass Frog Academy flyers on a street — flyer patrol

A GFA team member at a laptop behind a smart board, running one of our events — running events

A row of gold 3D-printed frogs wearing pipe-cleaner hats — our 3D-printed mascots

Who’s who

Richard Cao

Founder

WCHS

“I’m dedicated to providing all students at GFA fun, engaging, and helpful learning. Leadership and educating others is a major part of my passion. I enjoy playing badminton and studying. Professional eater.”

Ethan Liu

Co-Founder

WCHS

“I’m passionate about helping students build confidence in core subjects as they prepare for the transition to high school. As an instructor, I strive to make learning engaging and approachable, creating a space where every student feels supported and empowered.”

Michael

Web Design

JCS

“I’ve been using low-level programming languages ever since I was a wee little boy. I’m an expert in Java, C, C++, and most importantly, RUST.”

Matthew Wang

Curriculum Developer
General Management

WCHS

“I am dedicated to developing an honest and professional curriculum for all students in the GFA. Beyond education I like skiing and sleeping.”

Aarav Kapoor

Technical

JCS

“I’m dedicated to making learning fun and engaging. I’ve been a huge science, music, and aviation nerd for all my life. I enjoy game development and webdev as hobbies.”

Josh Chahal

Event Coordinator
Partnership Manager

WCHS

“I’m passionate about making learning exciting, accessible, and hands-on for everyone at GFA. I’m deep into robotics and 3D printing—bringing ideas to life layer by layer and servo by servo.”

Ethan Kao

Event Coordinator

WCHS

“I know what it feels like to be unsure or fall behind, that’s why I’m driven to provide help to the students of GFA, to bridge the gap between junior high and high school. I’m an ambitious learner who values math and science, and through years of discovery, I’ve dedicated a meaningful part of my life to robotics.”

Megan Cao

Advertising Lead
Outreach

WCHS

“I want to help all GFA students to be more prepared for high school so they won’t suffer like I did. I enjoy math and science, but outside of academics I like to indulge in art, music, and badminton.”

Joanna

Advertising
Course Moderator

Ernest Manning

“I’m a huge social studies nerd, would totally love to talk about the political and economic state of the world anytime. I strive to be as non-judgmental as I could be.”

Aaron Zhao

Advertising

WCHS

“I handle advertising and promotion for Glass Frog Academy, helping to raise awareness of our mission and work.”

Amy

Course Moderator

WCHS

“Throughout junior high and now high school, learning has been a major part of my life just like many students. I hope to share my experiences with others and help them learn and be very prepared for what is to come.”

Bryan Xia

Instructor

WCHS

“I’m very interested in learning and passionate about sharing knowledge. My field of focus is math, science, and second language. GFA’s #1 soccer fan and Marvel fan. But overall, I’m just a chill guy.”

Ryan Bi

Instructor

WCHS

“I sincerely believe that all students have hidden talent and want them to find it in any way possible. I strive to find creative ways of teaching in the hopes that students will have a wonderful experience. Also I am a professional sleeper.”

Roozbeh

Instructor

WCHS

“As someone who’s taken French in school, I know how difficult and confusing it might be at times, but I also know how useful it is. That is why I’m dedicated to teaching French at GFA and helping students build confidence in their language skills. I believe learning should be clear, supportive, and enjoyable. With the right guidance, anyone can succeed!”