Our Story

About HigherGrade Tutoring

Built by students, for students. This is math the way we always wished it was taught.

Students learning together at camp

Math the way it should feel

HigherGrade Tutoring was born from a simple frustration: math in school too often feels like a chore. We knew it didn't have to be that way.

A group of Grade 11 and 12 HDSB students decided to do something about it. We designed a summer camp from scratch — the sessions, the problem sets, the exams, the whole experience — because we wanted a math environment that we would actually want to attend when we were in Grade 9.

No adults scripting things. No rigid curriculum. Just curious students exploring fascinating ideas together, led entirely by their peers.

Our values

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Student Ownership

From planning to execution, every decision is made by students. This camp is a reflection of what we actually find meaningful in math.

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Radical Inclusion

Free to attend. Built around the HDSB MTH1W curriculum, but students from any school board are welcome to apply. Strong fundamentals and motivation are the prerequisites.

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Genuine Passion

We only teach what excites us. Every topic, every problem set, every activity was chosen because someone on our team is genuinely passionate about it.

Student presenting their solution at the board

Meet the team

Organizers, teachers, TAs, logistics staff, supervisors, and partners — all the people making HigherGrade Tutoring's Summer Camp possible. Click any profile to see their full bio.

Day-by-day breakdown

Four periods per day, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, covering the full MTH1W curriculum across 10 intensive days.

📅 Week 1 — July 20–25 · Units 1–4
Mon Jul 20
Day 1 — Unit 1: Grade 8 ReviewIntroductions & course overview · Rational Numbers · Powers & Roots · Inequalities
Tue Jul 21
Day 2 — Unit 2: AlgebraSimplifying algebraic expressions · Solving equations (easy & methods) · Relations
Wed Jul 22
Day 3 — Unit 3: DataData Literacy · Statistics · Mathematical Modelling · Catch-up / free period
Thu Jul 23
Day 4 — Unit 4: Geometry IMeasurement · Pythagorean's Theorem · Applying Pythagorean's Theorem · Shape areas
Fri Jul 24
Day 5 — Unit 4: Geometry IIShape areas continued · Geometric properties · Coordinate Geometry · Putting it all together
Weekend
📝 4 Unit Tests (take-home)Complete and submit unit tests on Units 1–4 before Monday
📅 Week 2 — July 27–31 · Unit 5 + Exam
Mon Jul 27
Day 6 — Unit 5: Linear Relations IIntroduction to linear equations · Slope-intercept form · X & Y values · Graphing equations
Tue Jul 28
Day 7 — Unit 5: Linear Relations IIForms of linear equations · Solving linear equations · Applications · Perpendicular & parallel lines
Wed Jul 29
Day 8 — Linear Relations III + ReviewInterpreting linear relationships · Linear inequalities · Harder equations · Unit review
Thu Jul 30
Day 9 — Final Exam 🎓Review Periods 1 & 2 · Applications EXAM (multiple choice + standard) · Thinking EXAM
Fri Jul 31
Day 10 — Flex & Fun 🎉Flex Periods 1 & 2 · Fun Periods 1 & 2 · Informal closing and celebration

Our principles

Every decision we make comes back to these core ideas.

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Focus on Understanding

We care more about truly understanding ideas than memorizing procedures. Every session asks "why" not just "how".

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HDSB + Beyond

Free registration, no application process. Built around the HDSB MTH1W curriculum — HDSB students are our primary audience, but any strong Grade 9 math student is welcome.

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Peer Empowerment

Learning from someone your own age hits differently. We believe students can — and should — lead each other.

Be part of something different

Whether you're registering as a camper or looking to sponsor the program — we'd love to have you.