Co-op mixes campus life, real-world skills and credit toward graduation
On March 21, students from several Halifax-area high schools gathered for the second session of a multi-week program at Saint Mary's University to experience university life firsthand and study one of today's most exciting and rapidly evolving fields—Artificial Intelligence.
Through SMU’s Youth Business Analytics & AI Co-op Program, students earn a high school credit while spending several Fridays on campus, learning from the university’s faculty, student mentors and industry professionals. Organized by the Sobey School of Business and hosted in the vibrant Sobeys Inspiration Hub, the program exposes students to university-level academics while building foundational skills in AI, machine learning, data analytics, and visualization.
Students will soon have an opportunity to showcase their skills in AI at the Atlantic Canada AI Summit Youth Pitch Competition on May 3.
Bridging Students, Research and Industry
The day opened with a presentation by Dr. Yigit Aydede, the current Faculty in Residence at the Sobey School of Business. The Faculty in Residence program strengthens collaboration between Saint Mary’s faculty and local business owners, connecting academic expertise with real-world entrepreneurship to drive innovation.
High school student Peter Lutz participated in the Youth Business Analytics & AI Co-op Program
The Co-op emphasizes real-world applications by bringing industry professionals to campus to engage directly with students. These experts, who could potentially become future employers, provide practical career advice and insights during engaging Q&A sessions. Students can openly ask critical questions about career paths, success strategies and the biggest lessons learned, offering a rare opportunity for authentic, practical mentoring.
"I am learning about how AI is being used by businesses to visualize and interpret data,” said Peter Lutz, a grade eleven student at Charles P. Allen High School. “I am hoping to learn more about market trends and what generative AI is. I am new to this, and we are living in a time when AI is being revolutionized. I want to be able to utilize it."
Showcasing Real-World AI Applications
As part of the session, Dr. Aydede introduced a series of AI-driven business applications developed by Novastorms.ai, a company he co-founded with former student Chukwuemeka Nwankwo. Built using publicly available data, these tools are powered by AI and are designed to empower communities by improving access to information and supporting more informed decision-making.
BComm student Simon Raymond (seated) presented to co-op students with Dr. Yigit Aydede
Dr. Aydede and his team demonstrated several of these applications, including the HRM Crime Dashboard (safe.novastorms.ai), Neighbourhood Explorer (hood.novastorms.ai), and the Nova Scotia Housing Wizard—all freely accessible to the public.
They also announced the upcoming release of In-House Insight, a new Agentic AI platform built on a secure, privacy-first architecture that processes sensitive data locally rather than through the cloud.
“When I first came to SMU, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” said Simon Raymond, a fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce student and Co-op presenter.
“My first year, I was still figuring things out. In my second year, I took a machine learning class and started working with Professor Yigit more and more. That’s when I really started to fall in love with this field of work—econometrics, data engineering and machine learning. Everything was real. Everything was practical."
Preparing for the Future
Beyond academic learning, these sessions offer a window into campus life, giving students the opportunity to interact with professors, connect with peers and imagine themselves as future university students.
The program wraps up with a Pitch Competition on May 3, where participating high school students will showcase their AI-powered ideas to peers, faculty, family, and industry judges. The Pitch Competition serves as a capstone to the SMU Co-op Program, offering students the chance to put their new skills to the test after eight weeks of immersive learning.
The competition is part of the larger Atlantic Canada AI Summit 2025, a three-day conference hosted at Saint Mary’s that brings together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers. Key areas include healthcare, ethics, ocean tech, and climate solutions. The Summit positions Atlantic Canada as an emerging global hub for AI innovation.
With its blend of academic rigour, real-world relevance, and career-focused mentorship, SMU’s Youth Business Analytics & AI Co-op Program is empowering the next generation to step confidently into the fast-evolving world of AI and analytics.