In-Person Opportunities for High School Students
Browse 148 verified in-person opportunities for high schoolers across research programs, internships, and more.
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
School teams design an experiment that NASA flies on a high-altitude test vehicle in summer 2027. A teacher or school employee submits the team's proposal, and 60 winning teams are chosen.
AMC 10/12
The nation's largest high school math competition, and the first step toward AIME, USAMO, and the IMO team. Register through your school's math department.
LaunchX Summer Entrepreneurship Program
Selective summer program where teams launch a real startup, offered in person and online. Priority applications land in mid-November with a final round in early March; need-based awards are available.
Tar Heel Business Academy
One-week business courses taught by Kenan-Flagler professors in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, including Business Essentials, Business of Sports, and Entrepreneurship. The fee is $2,995 and a need-based scholarship can be requested. Apply by the November 16 priority deadline.
Cedars-Sinai Teen Volunteer Program
Session-based hospital volunteering in Los Angeles where teens work alongside patients and staff. You must be 14 to 18 and complete a full session. The volunteer jacket costs $30.
HOSA-Future Health Professionals
Career organization for students interested in health careers, with 70+ competitive events, leadership conferences, and community health service from state to international level. Join through a school chapter.
Research Science Institute
Six-week research program on MIT's campus pairing juniors with a mentor for original STEM research, capped by a formal presentation. Free, including room and board; seniors are not eligible.
GTRI High School Summer Internship
Five-week paid summer internship for Georgia high schoolers (Georgia residents only, 16+ by April 2027) working on real STEM research projects — robotics, drones, radar physics, piezoelectric systems — with GTRI engineers and scientists. Runs June 14–July 23, up to 24 hrs/week; no housing provided.
Lockheed Martin High School Internship Program
Nine-plus week paid internship working alongside aerospace and defense engineers on real projects at a Lockheed Martin site (Denver, Sunnyvale, Cape Canaveral, King of Prussia, Huntsville, or Herndon), with mentoring, workshops, and networking events. Must be 16+, live within commuting distance of a site, and not a graduating senior.
Yale Young Global Scholars
Two-week residential academic session on Yale's campus, with students from over 150 countries and all 50 states choosing one interdisciplinary track. Need-based financial aid is offered.
JCamp
Week-long multicultural journalism training camp where students report, write and produce alongside working journalists. Open to sophomores and juniors of any background — you do not need to be Asian American to apply.
Interlochen Arts Camp
Residential summer arts camp in northern Michigan covering music, theatre, dance, visual arts, film, and creative writing in sessions of one to six weeks. Tuition is steep, but 86% of families who requested aid received it last summer.
F=ma Exam & USA Physics Olympiad
Take the F=ma exam at your school in February; top scorers advance to USAPhO and possibly the U.S. Physics Team camp. Your school registers, not you, and there's a school plus per-student fee.
Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research
Paid summer research internship in an NIH laboratory for students who are at least 17 years old, working alongside scientists on biomedical research in Bethesda or another NIH campus.
U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad
Tiered competition: a local-section exam in late winter, a national exam in April, and a June study camp for top finishers. Register through your local ACS section, which sets its own cutoff.
Law Academy
One-week pre-college academy in Washington, DC covering criminal law, constitutional law, and Supreme Court cases through lectures and mock trials. Applying by the early deadline waives the application fee.
USA Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad
Three-round astronomy competition starting with a proctored first round in February and a national round in April. Registration is $30 per student, discounted for groups, with financial aid available.
USA/North America AI Olympiad
Multi-round AI competition with a February first round of non-coding and Colab coding tasks, an invitational second round, and a June camp that selects Team USA. Exams are proctored at your school or a test site.
Iowa Young Writers' Studio
Two-week residential creative writing workshop in Iowa City. Applications need a writing sample, statement of purpose, and a teacher recommendation; need-based aid includes several full-tuition grants.
Summer High School Advanced Research Program (SHARP)
Summer research program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for high school sophomores and juniors. For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, with a 3.0 GPA, a completed science course, and two recommendation letters considered.
CMU CS Scholars
Fully funded four-week residential computer science program at Carnegie Mellon for 10th graders. Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and documentation of financial need is required to apply.
CMU AI Scholars
Fully funded four-week residential AI program at Carnegie Mellon for 11th graders, with research projects and faculty lectures. Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and documentation of financial need is required to apply.
Simons Summer Research Program
Seven-week research fellowship for juniors, working in an active Stony Brook lab in science, math, or engineering under a faculty mentor. Tuition-free, with a $1,000 stipend on completion; commuting avoids the optional housing cost.
COSMOS
Four-week residential program at a UC campus. Students join a research cluster — robotics, AI, marine science, and more — alongside university faculty.
Clinical Summer Internship
Two-week program covering clinical medicine through lectures, simulation labs, and hands-on skills practice, on campus or virtual. This is simulation-based instruction, not patient shadowing; fee waivers exist for households under $80,000.
Global Stock Pitch Competition
Students pick a public company and build their best stock idea, alone or in teams of two, then pitch it. The fee is $30 per person, registration opens December 15, 2026, and finalists attend the Global Youth Investment Summit.
Princeton Summer Journalism Program
Free year-long journalism and college-preparation programme for juniors from limited-income backgrounds, built around a summer intensive that ends in a ten-day residency on campus and a student-produced newspaper. Admitted students also work with a college adviser through senior year.
SEES Summer High School Internship
NASA-funded research internship using real mission data in astronomy, planetary science, and remote sensing, with a two-week on-site stay in Austin plus virtual projects. For U.S. citizens in 10th or 11th grade who are 16 by the start. Selected students attend on scholarship or as fee-based participants, and travel scholarships may be available. The 2026 deadline was February 22 and the next cycle is not announced; the program says its future depends on funding.
Canada/USA Mathcamp
Five-week residential program teaching advanced, exploratory mathematics beyond the standard curriculum. Fully free for families earning under $100,000, with sliding-scale tuition above that.
PhysicsBowl
A 40-question, 45-minute multiple-choice physics exam given at participating schools each spring, split into first-year and second-year divisions and scored individually and by team. Enter through a teacher.
PROMYS
Six-week residential program where students work through open-ended number theory problem sets alongside counselors and visiting mathematicians. Tuition is fully covered for families earning under $80,000.
California State Summer School for the Arts
Four-week state-run residential arts intensive at Cal Poly Pomona in animation, film, dance, music, theater, visual arts, and creative writing. Nearly 60% of students recently received full or partial scholarships, limited to California residents.
National Youth Science Camp
Three-week residential science camp in the Monongahela National Forest for graduating seniors, with two delegates selected per state. Lectures and field studies run alongside outdoor expeditions; phone service on site is limited.
Ross Mathematics Program
Six-week residential number theory intensive built around discovery — students prove their own theorems instead of memorizing someone else's.
Young Scholars Program
Six-week residential research program placing about 40 students in UC Davis labs to run original biological, agricultural, or environmental science projects.
Young Writers Workshop
Two-week intensive creative writing workshop at Kenyon College with no application fee. Need-based aid is generous — the program says it usually meets the full amount admitted students request.
California Boys & Girls State
Week-long government simulation at CSU Sacramento where delegates run for office, draft legislation, and argue cases. There's no direct application — your school nominates you and a local Legion post sponsors the fee.
Northeastern Young Scholars Program (YSP)
Free six-week research placement in Northeastern labs in engineering, science, and health sciences for Massachusetts juniors. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and live within commuting distance of Boston.
GENIUS Olympiad
International project competition on environmental topics, with tracks including AI, robotics, and science. Applications open in December 2026, cost $75 per project, and finalists present at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York in June 2027.
Beaver Works Summer Institute
Four-week project-based summer program at MIT in AI, autonomous racing, radar, and satellites. Admission requires finishing a free online prerequisite course that opens in winter; tuition is free under $200,000 family income.
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair
The world's largest pre-college science fair. You qualify by winning at an affiliated regional or state fair, not by applying directly.
INSIGHT
All-expenses-paid, multi-day program at Jane Street's New York office introducing women, transgender, and gender-expansive juniors and seniors to quantitative trading and software engineering. No finance background required.
Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program
Eight-week summer research internship placing students in a Mason faculty lab. Remote, hybrid and in-person wet-lab placements are offered; wet-lab placements require you to be 16 by the start date, the others 15.
Urban Journalism Workshop
Summer reporting workshop at NYU where students cover New York neighbourhoods and produce published work. The programme is free for admitted students.
√mathroots
Free residential summer math program at MIT for current high school students. There is no tuition or housing cost.
AEOP Internships and Fellowships
Paid research internships in Army research labs and partner university labs. Positions are competitive.
Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
Five-day journalism programme in Washington, D.C. for 51 high school juniors — one from each state and the District of Columbia. Includes newsroom visits and time with national journalists.
American Legion Auxiliary Girls State
State-based government simulation where selected high school students form a model government, campaign for office, debate issues, and learn civic participation.
American Legion Boys State
State-based government simulation where selected high school students create and operate a model state government through elections, legislation, and civic debate.
American Legion Oratorical Contest
Scholarship speech competition focused on the U.S. Constitution, civic knowledge, and prepared and extemporaneous public speaking.
American Regions Mathematics League
Team mathematics competition where regional teams of fifteen compete across individual, relay, and team rounds. Students join through a regional or school team rather than registering alone.
American Rocketry Challenge
The world's largest student rocket contest: teams of three to twenty-five design, build, and launch a model rocket meeting a specific altitude and flight-time target for a chance to compete nationally.
Babson Summer Study
Three-week program for rising juniors and seniors on building an entrepreneurial mindset, offered online or in person in 2027. There is a $100 application fee, waived for students applying for need-based aid.
Beaver Works Summer Institute
Four-week, project-based STEM summer program at MIT. Students complete an online prerequisite course, then take on an intensive team project in autonomy, robotics, AI, or quantum computing. No tuition.
Breakthrough Teaching Fellowship
Paid summer teaching internship where high school and college students teach middle school classes through a Breakthrough affiliate site, receiving training and classroom coaching.
Business Professionals of America Events
Workplace-skills competitive events in finance, management, information technology, and digital communication, run through a school's BPA chapter from regional to national leadership conferences.
Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program
Join a local Civil Air Patrol squadron to learn aviation and leadership. Annual dues are $25 to $50.
Clark Scholar Program
Seven-week summer research program pairing high school students with Texas Tech faculty for a mentored original project across the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. No tuition, and a stipend is provided for housing.
Close Up Washington, D.C.
Civic education program built around discussions with public officials, visits to government institutions, and student-led policy workshops in Washington, D.C.
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX)
Scholarship to live with a host family in Germany and attend a German high school. No previous German is required.
Congressional Art Competition
Visual art contest run in each congressional district every spring. You enter through your own member of Congress's office.
Cooper Union Summer STEM
Three- or six-week college-level engineering and computer science classes at Cooper Union in New York City. Financial aid is available, with priority for NYC residents. Applications for 2027 open December 11, 2026.
CyberPatriot
National youth cyber defense competition where school and community teams work as IT professionals to secure simulated networks across online rounds. Teams register through an adult coach.
DECA Competitive Events
Join your school's DECA chapter to compete in marketing, finance, and management case-study events, advancing from regionals to states to nationals.
Economics for Leaders
Residential and online program using economics to explore public decisions, leadership, tradeoffs, and policy choices.
Essentially Ellington
Free Jazz at Lincoln Center program for high school jazz bands. Your school band takes part as a group.
FBLA Competitive Events
Compete in banking, accounting, and financial-systems events through your school's FBLA chapter, from local conference up to nationals.
Fed Challenge
School-team competition where students analyze economic conditions and present a monetary-policy recommendation to Federal Reserve judges.
FIRST Robotics Competition
Teams get a common kit of parts and about six weeks to build an industrial-size robot for the season's game. You join through a school or community team rather than applying individually; the team pays the season fee.
FIRST Tech Challenge
Design, build, and program a smaller reusable robot for the annual game — the 2026-27 season game is BIOBUZZ. Join through a registered school or community team.
Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS)
Summer STEM camp at Army research sites. There is no fee, and students get a small stipend.
Girl Scout Gold Award
The top Girl Scout award for a lasting community project you lead. You must be a registered Senior or Ambassador Girl Scout.
Global Youth Institute
Students research a global food-security challenge and write a paper, then present at a multi-day institute alongside scientists and policymakers. Participation is usually through a state or regional youth program.
Grammy Camp
Summer music industry camp in cities such as Nashville, Miami, and New York. Tuition runs $2,500 to $3,600 by location.
Habitat for Humanity Youth Programs
Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity through its youth programs and help build homes near you.
Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics (HCSSiM)
Intensive residential summer math program. The 2026 session cost $7,208.
Harvard Model Congress
Student-led congressional simulation in which delegates represent legislators, debate bills, negotiate amendments, and practice committee procedure.
Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
Two competitions a year — one at Harvard in November and one at MIT in February — with individual and team rounds across algebra, geometry, and combinatorics.
High School Investor Challenge
Pre-college finance program where students manage a $100,000 virtual portfolio and learn securities analysis and portfolio management. The 2027 application has not opened yet.
High School Journalism Institute
Summer journalism workshops at Indiana University covering reporting, photojournalism, design and yearbook. Open from rising high school freshmen through rising college freshmen.
High School Research Academy
Five-week non-residential research experience embedded in a UT Austin lab, at roughly 15–25 hours a week. Open to Texas residents who will be rising sophomores, juniors or seniors, with preference for juniors and seniors. The 2027 program runs June 7 to July 14. Tuition is $4,500, and a limited number of need-based scholarships may be available. The 2027 application opens in mid-January, with a deadline in March.
Idyllwild Arts Summer Program
Two-week summer intensives on a Southern California mountain campus in visual arts, dance, theatre, music, film, fashion, and creative writing. Rolling enrollment until sessions fill; need-based scholarships available.
International Brain Bee
Neuroscience competition testing knowledge of the brain and nervous system, running from local and national chapters to a world championship. Study resources are published by the organization.
JA Company Program
Start and run a real student company with classmates through Junior Achievement.
JA Titan
Junior Achievement business simulation where you make decisions to run a company.
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
Students present original scientific research — by poster or oral presentation — at regional symposia, with selected students advancing to a national symposium. Free to enter.
Junior State of America
Student-led civic organization that ran conventions, seminars, and debate programs on public policy. It announced it would close and stop operating on August 31, 2024, and its website no longer loads. Kept for reference only.
Key Club International
The largest student-led high school service organization, on 5,000+ campuses, where members commit to at least 50 service hours a year. Join your school's chapter or petition to charter one; small annual dues.
Magee-Womens HS Summer Research Internship
Six-week biomedical research internship in Pittsburgh where each student runs their own project with an investigator. Students must be over 16, and a $1,800 stipend is available to students from households that qualify. Applications for 2027 open in late fall 2026.
MathILy
Intensive residential summer math program for strong math students. Tuition is charged.
Met Museum Summer High School Internship
Paid summer internship placing NY/NJ/CT high schoolers (grades 10-11) with Met museum professionals in curatorial, education, design, imaging, or social media teams. Interns receive a $1,100 completion stipend. 2027 application deadline not yet published — check the Met's internship page.
MITES Summer
Six-week residential academic enrichment program at MIT for rising seniors, with rigorous coursework in engineering, science, and humanities. Free of charge, including housing and meals.
Model United Nations
Model United Nations resources and conferences where students research countries, negotiate resolutions, and practice multilateral diplomacy.
Mu Alpha Theta Membership & Competitions
National high school and two-year-college mathematics honor society that hosts conventions and competitions and recognizes student research and community outreach in math.
NASA HUNCH
Classes at participating schools design and build real products for NASA. You take part through your school.
National History Day Contest
Research a topic tied to the annual theme and present it as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website, advancing from local and state contests to nationals in Maryland.
National Honor Society
School-chartered honor society recognizing scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Membership is selected by a local faculty council, so requirements vary by chapter.
National Model Arab League
Academic diplomacy simulation where students represent Arab League member states and develop negotiated solutions to regional policy questions.
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
Buzzer-style regional competition on marine biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and ocean policy, with winners advancing to national finals. A coach registers your school or organization team.
National Personal Finance Challenge
Nationwide contest on earning, spending, saving, investing, and credit. Teams with a coach compete at state and national levels.
National Science Bowl
Fast-paced buzzer competition covering math and all sciences, run by the U.S. Department of Energy from regional events through a national finals in Washington, D.C. Teams register through their school.
National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
Merit-based scholarship for high school students to study a critical language, either abroad or online.
National Speech & Debate Association
National speech and debate community offering competitive events, resources, and a pathway from local school competition to national tournaments.
NCF-Envirothon
Teams of five test hands-on field knowledge of soils, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and a rotating current issue, advancing from area to state to the North American finals. California entries go through California Envirothon.
Next Generation STEM Internship Program
Seven to ten weeks on site at Oak Ridge working alongside research and professional staff on a STEM project. Open to rising juniors and seniors and to recent graduates who have not yet enrolled in a degree programme.
NIST Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP)
Seven-week unpaid research internship with NIST scientists. You must be a U.S. citizen with at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA.
NYLF: Medicine & Health Care
Eight-day residential pre-college program on host campuses including UC Berkeley, with simulated trauma cases and suturing practice plus optional college credit. Open enrollment rather than competitive admission, and the clinical work is simulation.
One Summer Chicago
Chicago's summer jobs, internships, and training for youth ages 14 to 24, with city agencies, companies, and community groups.
Optimist International Essay Contest
Essay contest run by local Optimist Clubs. Club winners move up to district contests, which award college scholarships.
Optimist International Oratorical Contest
Speech contest run by local Optimist Clubs, with college scholarships at the district level.
Pathways Research Explorers (High School Explorers Program)
Two-week introduction to cancer research at Fred Hutch in Seattle, with hands-on lab activities. It costs nothing to attend, students who finish get a $500 award, and applicants must live in the Seattle area. Applications for 2027 open next January.
Poetry Out Loud
National poetry recitation contest. You memorize and perform poems, starting at your school and moving up to state and national finals. Your school must be registered with the state coordinator.
Princeton Model Congress
High school congressional simulation featuring committee hearings, legislative debate, and public-policy research.
Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC)
Student-run math contest at Princeton. Teams come from high schools or well-defined regions.
PYNtern Program
Paid work-based learning in Philadelphia. Rising 9th and 10th graders start with career exploration, and older teens move into internships.
Reading Partners Volunteer Tutoring
One-to-one literacy tutoring for elementary students in under-resourced schools, with training and a structured curriculum provided. Many regions offer in-person and online tutoring sessions.
Red Cross Youth & Young Adult Programs
Volunteer opportunities through local Red Cross chapters, including blood drives, disaster preparedness education, and Red Cross Club leadership. Some roles carry age minimums.
Research in Science & Engineering (RISE)
Six-week summer research practicum placing students in Boston University labs to work on an independent project with a faculty mentor, ending in a research paper and symposium presentation.
Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Debate Series
High school debate competition built around constitutional questions, public argument, and civic leadership, with regional events and scholarships.
Rotary Interact Club
Rotary-sponsored service club for ages 12-18 where members run at least two projects a year — one local, one international — with mentorship from a sponsoring Rotary club. Join or start a chapter through your school.
Science Olympiad (Division C)
Teams of up to 15 prepare for 23 events spanning lab science, study topics, and build-and-test engineering, advancing from regionals to state to nationals. Participate through your school's team.
Science Research Mentoring Program
Multi-year mentored research program where New York City students work on museum research projects in biodiversity, astrophysics, or earth science and present results at a symposium.
Smithsonian Internships
Internship listings across Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo, spanning collections, science, education, and communications. Each posting states its own grade and age requirements.
Solar Car Challenge
Teams of high school students learn to build a roadworthy solar car, then take part in the Challenge.
Spirit of America Youth Leadership
Four-day residential civics and leadership program at Valley Forge with a free enterprise team challenge. The fee is $850, and many students attend free thanks to donor support. Sessions run from October 2026 through July 2027.
Stockholm Junior Water Prize (U.S.)
Science fair-style contest for water research projects. State winners go on to the national competition.
Student Conservation Association Programs
Paid conservation crews and internships where students work on trail building, habitat restoration, and park service projects in national parks and public lands. Positions list their own age and session requirements.
Student Leaders Program
Paid eight-week summer internship with a local nonprofit plus a week-long national leadership summit, for students with a record of community involvement.
Summer Academy for Math and Science
Residential summer academy at Carnegie Mellon for rising seniors from groups historically underrepresented in STEM, building calculus, physics, and programming foundations with college application support. No tuition.
Summer Science Program
Five-week residential program where small teams carry out a genuine original research project in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics, or synthetic chemistry. Need-based financial aid is available.
Summer Science Research Program
Six-week mentored laboratory research placement in biomedical science at Rockefeller University, with a stipend and a closing research symposium. Open to New York-area students.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Paid summer work and career exploration for New York City youth ages 14 to 24.
TAG-Ed High School Summer Internship
Eight-week summer STEM internship in Georgia where interns are matched with host companies and work in pairs on a defined project. Paid and unpaid placements exist, and students must be 17 by June 1 and able to work in the U.S.
U.S. Senate Youth Program
National civic education program for high school students who hold leadership roles in student government, public service, or civic organizations; selection is administered by each state.
UCSC Scholar Immersion Program (SIP)
Summer research with UC Santa Cruz mentors on open-ended projects. The SIP 2027 application fee is $68, and fee waivers are available.
USA Biology Olympiad
Tiered competition starting with an open online exam in February, then a semifinal exam, then a residential selection camp for the national team. Registration is through your school.
Van Andel Institute HS Graduate Research Program
Eight-week paid lab research program for graduating high school seniors, working full time with scientists on cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, and more. It pays $15 an hour and has 10 spots. U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. Applications run January to mid-March 2027.
VEX Robotics Competition
Season-long engineering competition where teams build and program a robot for a new game, advancing from local events to regional, national, and world championships.
VEX V5 Robotics Competition
Two-team alliances compete with V5 robots in the 2026-27 game Override, from local fall tournaments through the spring World Championship. You compete as part of a registered team.
Victory Briefs Institute
Two- and four-week residential debate camps in Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, and World Schools at the University of San Diego and UT Austin. Registration is rolling once dates post.
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
Classroom-based constitutional civics program culminating in simulated congressional hearings where student teams present and defend policy positions.
Wharton Moneyball Academy
Summer program at Wharton where rising juniors and seniors study sports analytics. Tuition is charged.
Whitney Youth Insights
After-school and summer program at the Whitney where New York City teens work with contemporary artists.
Women's Technology Program
Four-week summer program at MIT for rising 11th-grade students who are girls or gender-expansive, combining computer science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering classes with hands-on labs. No tuition.
Yale Model United Nations
International affairs conference where high school delegates simulate UN committees, research global issues, and negotiate resolutions.
Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)
Class run by local YEA! chapters where you build a real business. Top students compete for college scholarships and start-up money.
Young Writers Workshops
Multi-genre writing workshops run by The Kenyon Review — two weeks residential on the Kenyon College campus, one-week summer intensives, and six-week online workshops during the year.
Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)
Paid summer job on a crew in a national park, doing needed work on public lands. Open to U.S. permanent residents ages 15 to 18.