ShiftKey Labs

Academy UP: Game Development Foundations with Unity (5/5)
2025-07-31 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
The Game Development Foundations course by ShiftKey Academy UP, led by Gabriel Savard, is your first step into the world of game design and development using Unity.
Tailored for beginners with basic programming experience, this course introduces core concepts in game mechanics, physics, and 2D/3D environments. You’ll learn how to navigate Unity’s interface, build interactive scenes, and bring your game ideas to life—all while gaining the foundational skills needed for future game development projects.
This course is open to participants from all disciplines. Basic programming experience is recommended. Please have Unity installed before the first session.
Thank you to Cognizant for supporting the ShiftKey Academy UP program, making these courses possible.

📅 Dates: July 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building Room 134
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Note: Attendance is required for 3 sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Academy UP: Game Development Foundations with Unity (4/5)
2025-07-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Academy UP: Game Development Foundations with Unity (3/5)
2025-07-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Academy UP: Game Development Foundations with Unity (2/5)
2025-07-10 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Intro to Data Engineering
2025-07-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Come find out at our Intro to Data Engineering Workshop⚙️📊!
Whether it’s making product decisions, tracking user behavior, or powering internal tools, data engineers play a key role in designing the systems that move, clean, and structure data at scale 🌐📈.
In this beginner-friendly session, we’ll walk through the core components of the modern data stack and explore how data engineering fits into the broader world of software development 🧑‍💻.
No experience required. All you need is curiosity and an interest in how real-world systems are built.

📅 Date: July 9th
⏰ Time: 6:00PM – 7:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building Room 143
💰 Cost: FREE!

Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Dal CTF 2025
2025-07-05 09:00 - 18:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Ready to test your hacking skills?

Join us July 5th for an in-person Capture the Flag event hosted by ShiftKey Labs and the Dal CTF Society at the Dal FCS Goldberg building! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just curious about cybersecurity, there’s a challenge waiting for you. Grab your laptop, form a team (2-5 people), and dive into real-world security puzzles. No experience? No problem – mentors will be on hand to guide beginners. Prizes await the top hackers! Mark your calendar, invite your friends, and register now.

Let’s hack, learn, and have fun together. See you there!

📅 Date: July 5th
⏰ Time: 9:00AM – 6:00 PM (Hack is 10AM-5PM)
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building
💰 Cost: FREE!

Registration is now open! https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Schedule:

Academy UP: Game Development Foundations with Unity (1/5)
2025-07-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Dal CTF 2025 Info Session
2025-07-02 17:30 - 19:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
📅 Date: July 2nd
⏰ Time: 5:30PM – 7:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building Room 127
💰 Cost: FREE!

ShiftKey x WiTS: Breaking Barriers Hackathon
2025-06-28 - 2025-06-29 | Nova Scotia
On June 28th and 29th, join ShiftKey and WiTS for the ShiftKey x WiTS: Breaking Barriers Hackathon! 👩‍🦱🧔‍♀️🧑👩
Through using tech, explore how to combat systemic barriers faced by women and nonbinary individuals in the workforce across Canada. You can build apps, webpages, or anything else you desire!
This hackathon is open to all who identify as a woman or nonbinary. No tech background is required, and you can come by yourself or create a team.
Why you should come:
✨ Win fantastic prizes
✨ Connect with other women and nonbinary students from Nova Scotia
✨ Develop your tech skills
📅 Dates: June 28th-29th (starts at 9 am each day).
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building
💰 Cost: FREE!
Sign up here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

FAQ
Who can participate?
Anyone identifying as a woman or non-binary individual, or allies passionate about gender equity in tech and social change.
Do I need to know how to code?
No! There will be both technical and non-technical tracks. Bring your creativity and passion.
Can I come without a team?
Absolutely. We will help with team formation and have a Discord server to connect.
How much does it cost?
Free! Food, swag, and resources are covered thanks to our collaborators.
Schedule

Academy UP: Intro to Algorithmic Problem Solving (4/4)
2025-06-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Ready to kickstart your technical interview preparation and enhance your algorithmic thinking?
This four-week program with Yuhan Fu covers essential topics including fundamental data structures, time and space complexity analysis, sorting and recursion, graph theory, greedy strategies, and dynamic programming.
Each week combines algorithmic logic analysis with hands-on, Leetcode-style challenges to help you apply concepts through practical problem-solving.
By the end of the course, you’ll have the skills to design, analyze, and optimize algorithms to tackle a wide range of algorithmic problems effectively.
Prerequisites:

Knowledge of at least one programming language

Thank you to Cognizant for supporting the ShiftKey Academy UP program, making these courses possible.

📅 Dates: June 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building Room 127
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Note: Attendance is required for 3 sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Academy UP: Intro to Algorithmic Problem Solving (3/4)
2025-06-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Academy UP: Intro to Algorithmic Problem Solving (2/4)
2025-06-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Academy UP: Intro to Algorithmic Problem Solving (1/4)
2025-06-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Ocean of Data: AI in Action, featuring Building Bridges
2025-06-03 18:00 - 2025-06-17 23:59 | Virtual
Join this special edition of the Ocean of Data Challenge, featuring Building Bridges. Hosted by DeepSense, COVE, and ShiftKey Labs, this exciting challenge offers a unique opportunity to collaborate and develop innovative ideas! The free event kicks off on Tuesday, June 3rd at 6 pm AST with an introduction to the challenge, expert presentations, and a Q&A session to help fuel your creativity. Participants must submit video entries by 11:59 pm AST on Tuesday, June 17th. Judges will review submissions over the following two weeks, and winners will be announced on Thursday, July 3rd.
Who should participate?
Great ideas often emerge from diverse perspectives, so we encourage students from all disciplines to participate – whether that be computer science, engineering, biology, sustainability, business, or any other program! Participants must be current students (full-time or part-time) or recent graduates (within the past 12 months) of a post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada. You can choose to work solo or collaborate with a team of up to five members. Please make sure to review the Official Rules below.
The Rules

Competitors must either own the rights to all software used in their project or have written permission from the owner.
Submissions can be as simple as an infographic or as complex as a machine learning model for predictions. Surprise us! Projects will be judged on their clarity, creativity, and potential impact.
Competitors can participate individually or in teams of up to 5 members.
Submissions must not include any confidential information.
Each project must be based on data from the CIOOS Data Portal, with the source clearly cited in the presentation, infographic, visual, or slides (additional data sources can be used to supplement CIOOS data).
Competitors must currently live in Canada and have an active Canadian bank account.
Competitors must be a current part-time or full-time student at a post-secondary institution in Canada OR have graduated from one of these institutions within the past 12 months.

For more information, visit https://deepsense.ca/ocean-of-data-challenge/. If you have any questions regarding eligibility, reach out to info@deepsense.ca.

Build Fast / Ship Fast Workshop
2025-05-30 17:30 - 19:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Want to turn ideas into real projects in hours, not weeks? At the Build Fast / Ship Fast Workshop, you’ll learn how to quickly set up everything your app needs, from auth to analytics, so you can focus on building features and getting feedback fast.
This workshop is all about adopting a modern, lean approach to software development: validating ideas early 💡, iterating quickly 🔁, and using automation and AI 🤖 to move faster without sacrificing quality. Whether you’re hacking on a side project or launching a startup, this is your guide to building smart and shipping with confidence.
You will learn:
NextJS,
Shadcn,
Clerk,
Supabase,
Resend,
Posthog,
Cursor,
Github CoPilot
📍 Room 134, Goldberg Computer Science Building
🕠 5:30 to 7:00 PM
Registration open now: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy UP: Fundamentals of Cloud Administration with Azure (4/4)
2025-05-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Take your Azure expertise to the next level with our deep-dive course on Microsoft Azure! This four-week program explores key cloud concepts, including identity and access management with Entra ID, scalable storage and compute solutions, and network architecture best practices. You’ll also learn how to automate infrastructure deployment and optimize monitoring, alerting, and compliance. Perfect for those with foundational Azure knowledge looking to expand their skills, this hands-on course will equip you with practical insights to design and manage Azure environments effectively.
Prerequisites:

Knowledge of Cloud Foundations , a Cloud Computing course at a university or equivalent. Basic familiarity with Bash and the command line.
Before Day 1: Students must decide on “pay-as-you-go subscription” (take the free course to set up their subscription) or do labs in Microsoft’s sandbox.

Thank you to Cognizant for supporting the ShiftKey Academy UP program, making these courses possible.

📅 Dates: May 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building, Room 143
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register Here: https://airtable.com/appkB4tLGaUIf7rIf/shrRXVDaYwEt6eTGg
Note: Attendance is required for 3 sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Industry Showcase: Volta
2025-05-29 16:00 - 17:30 | Volta, 1800 Argyle St Unit 801, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3N8, Canada
📅 Date: May 29th, 2025
By Application Only

Academy UP: Machine Learning Basics (4/4)
2025-05-28 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
Discover the Power of Machine Learning with ACENET!
Curious about Machine Learning (ML) and how it transforms industries? Join our engaging series of four sessions where you’ll explore the core concepts behind automation and intelligent decision-making, including some hands-on examples.
● Understand Key ML Principles – Learn about supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning and their real-world applications.
● Explore Essential Algorithms – Gain insights into Naive Bayes, Regression, Decision Trees, Support Vector Machines, and Neural Networks.
● Learn the Fundamentals of Neural Networks and Deep Learning – Understand core concepts behind neural networks and deep learning, their components, and how to build a simple neural network.
● Explore Large Language Models – Build foundational knowledge of transformer architectures including types of LLMs and their evolution, pre-training vs. fine-tuning, and practical considerations.
Perfect for beginners and professionals alike, this series will equip you with the fundamentals to navigate the world of machine learning with confidence.
Register now and start your ML journey today!
Thank you to Cognizant for supporting the ShiftKey Academy UP program, making these courses possible.
📅 Dates: May 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📌 Location: Virtual
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register Here: https://bit.ly/4jh8b7E

Note: Attendance is required for 3 sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Academy UP: Fundamentals of Cloud Administration with Azure (3/4)
2025-05-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Encryption Foundations Workshop
2025-05-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Nova Scotia
(Now at 6-8pm!)
Dive into the essentials of data security with our Encryption Foundations Workshop! Master AES, RSA, SHA encryption, and Bcrypt, plus experience hands-on practice with CyberChef. Whether you’re new to encryption or looking to deepen your skills, this workshop will give you the tools to protect sensitive data effectively. Join us and take your cybersecurity knowledge to the next level.
🔗 Register Now: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy UP: Machine Learning Basics (3/4)
2025-05-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual

Academy UP: Fundamentals of Cloud Administration with Azure (2/4)
2025-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Academy UP: Machine Learning Basics (2/4)
2025-05-14 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual

Here We Code: Networking Mixer
2025-05-13 17:00 - 20:00 | The PIER, 1209 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Calling all students who want to begin their careers in tech!
Join us on May 13th at the PIER for the Here We Code: Networking Mixer from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.
Lower and upper-year students, connect about your experiences and careers, and also get to know industry professionals in the tech field! Discuss your career and academic goals, listen to a panel of upper year students, alumni, and industry professionals, and much more.
Don’t miss this chance to connect, network, explore your options, and get to know the tech industry! 🧑‍💻🎓🤝
Thanks to Digital Nova Scotia and SuperNOVA for their ongoing support for the Here We Code initiative!
Click here to register: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Summit for Women in Future Technology
2025-05-10 09:00 - 17:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Are you ready to take charge of your path in tech?
🚀 The Summit for Women in Future Technology (SWIFT) is created by CS students for CS students, with one goal in mind: to empower you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to succeed in the tech industry.
👩‍💻 Open to all women and gender-diverse individuals, this summit offers a full day of hands-on workshops and interactive sessions led by experienced professionals and industry leaders.
✨ Join us for an experience designed to elevate your voice, your skills, and your future!
Presented by the Leacross Foundation and Tech@RBC.
Schedule:

Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy UP: Fundamentals of Cloud Administration with Azure (1/4)
2025-05-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada

Academy UP: Machine Learning Basics (1/4)
2025-05-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Virtual

Internet of Things: A Beginner Workshop
2025-05-06 16:30 - 19:30 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
Smart homes, wearable tech, and connected cities all run on IoT. Want to know how? Join us for this beginner-friendly workshop where you’ll learn how IoT works and build your own smart device. We’ll walk you through the basics using Arduino or Raspberry Pi in a fun, collaborative setting. Perfect for beginners from all academic backgrounds.
Prerequisites
Bring a laptop (if possible)
Some exposure to programming (e.g., Python or C++) is a bonus but not required
Curiosity and a willingness to learn!
📅 Date: May 6th, 2025
⏰ Time: 4:30pm-7:30pm
📌 Location: The Goldberg Computer Science Building Room 134
🔗 Register Here: https://bit.ly/shiftkey-events

Academy UP: Practical CyberSecurity (4/4)
2025-03-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
The Practical CyberSecurity Course by ShiftKey Academy UP, led by Aman Bhalla, is your gateway to the world of cybersecurity. Designed for students eager to learn the basics of ethical hacking, threat protection, and more! This course is open to participants from all disciplines and skill levels.
Thank you to Cognizant for supporting the ShiftKey Academy UP program, making these courses possible.
📅 Dates: March 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📌 Location: Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, Room 1020
💰 Cost: FREE!
Register now: https://bit.ly/4jOZdPz

Note: Attendance is required for 3 sessions to earn certification, as well as successful completion of assessment.

Alumni Speaks: Andres Collart
2025-03-24 16:00 - 17:30 | Goldberg Computer Science Building, 6050 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1W5, Canada
📅 Date: March 24, 2025
⏰ Time: 4:00PM-5:30PM
📌 Location: Goldberg Computer Science Building
