If you are considering a future in environmental science or engineering, renewable energy programs can help you test that path before college. They give you a first look at the kind of work the field involves.
Renewable energy summer programs often include hands-on projects and simple engineering challenges. Some also introduce research, data work, or field-based learning. Even if you are not sure what you want to study in college yet, this is a good way to test whether you enjoy energy, sustainability, or environmental science in a more focused way.
Why should you choose a renewable energy summer program?
A renewable energy program gives you exposure to topics that most high school classes do not cover in depth. You learn how energy systems work, what problems engineers and researchers are trying to solve, and what careers exist in clean energy. Many programs also give you a chance to work with mentors who study or work in the field, which can make the subject feel more real.
These programs can also strengthen college applications. They show that you spent time exploring a serious topic outside school and that you can handle focused learning. You also walk away with projects or experiences you can write about in essays or talk about in interviews.
With that, below is our list of renewable energy summer programs for high school students! If you’re still exploring related pathways, you may also want to look at Earth Sciences Summer Programs and Online Environmental Science Programs for high school students!
15 Renewable Energy Summer Programs for High School Students
1. Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) – Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation
Cost: $3,960 (commuter); $10,190 (residential); $4,360 (online). Need-based scholarships are available.
Location: Johns Hopkins University (multiple U.S. commuter/residential sites) and online
Program Dates: June 29–July 24 (in-person commuter & residential); June 29–July 31 (online synchronous)
Application Deadline: Applications open in December; deadline varies by program format and location
Eligibility: Current high school students or recent graduates; typically rising juniors and seniors; Algebra II and a lab-based high school science course required
SEE is a college-level sustainable energy engineering course where you work through real energy systems using data analysis, modeling, and applied design. You study how solar, wind, hydropower, smart grids, and energy storage function at a systems level, while evaluating trade-offs related to efficiency, environmental impact, and grid stability. Hands-on labs include turbine modeling, hydropower case studies using real plant data, and team-based sustainable infrastructure design projects. You regularly collect, analyze, and present data, building comfort with engineering workflows that mirror undergraduate coursework.
2. Renewable & Alternative Energy Engineering – Syracuse University Summer College
Cost: Residential: $4,995; Commuter: $4,024. Discounts, merit-based scholarships, and need-based financial assistance are available.
Location: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Program Dates: July 5–July 17
Application Deadline: December 15–May 1 (rolling admissions)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, or recent high school graduates; minimum GPA of 3.0 required
In this two-week, on-campus engineering course, you study how renewable and non-renewable energy systems shape environmental, economic, and societal outcomes. You work through core engineering concepts such as force, work, power, stress–strain relationships, and material behavior, applying them to solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and hydrogen-based energy systems. Hands-on labs include energy analysis of hydrogen fuel reactions and design-oriented team projects that introduce you to basic engineering workflows and problem-solving methods. You also build technical communication skills through structured presentations and collaborative design work. Field trips to power plants, solar farms, wind facilities, and energy research sites give you exposure to how renewable energy systems operate outside the classroom.
3. Green STEP Summer Certification Program – Energize Connecticut
Cost: Free to participate; Students receive monetary incentives (amount varies by certification)
Location: Energize Connecticut, Connecticut (in-person and virtual options)
Program Dates: Summer program; exact session dates vary by certification offering
Application Deadline: Varies by program track and school district
Eligibility: High school students in Connecticut public and technical high schools
Through the Green STEP Summer Certification Program, you receive technical training in sustainability, energy efficiency, and clean energy systems while working toward industry-recognized credentials. You can study building science, home energy performance, and green construction concepts through certifications such as BPI Building Science Principles, Healthy Housing Principles, duct leakage testing, and LEED Green Associate fundamentals. The program emphasizes applied learning, exposing you to real-world energy efficiency practices used in residential and commercial buildings. You also gain early familiarity with workforce pathways in weatherization, clean energy installation, and green building operations. Alongside technical instruction, the program connects energy concepts to career readiness through work-based learning and industry-aligned skill development.
4. Stanford Young Investigators – Energy Research Track
Cost: Free to participate
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Program Dates: Summer program (exact dates vary by research group)
Application Deadline: February 1–March 15
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least one year of high school; must live and attend school within 25 driving miles of Stanford University
In the Energy track of Stanford’s Young Investigators program, you work one-on-one with scientists or engineers on active sustainability and energy research projects. Depending on lab placement, your work may involve studying battery efficiency, energy materials, crude oil–interface behavior, or AI-based systems for early wildfire detection. You learn how research questions are framed, how experimental or computational data is collected and analyzed, and how results are interpreted within broader energy and climate systems.
5. Energy Storage Virtual Internship – EnergyMag
Cost: Free to participate
Location: Remote
Program Dates: Summer sessions available; duration ranges from 2–8 weeks (half-time, ~20 hours/week). Longer part-time options are available year-round.
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a GPA above 3.25; at least one honors-level science or English course preferred
In this virtual internship, you work on research and analysis projects focused on energy storage technologies and their role in renewable energy systems. Your assignments may involve evaluating specific storage technologies, companies, or market segments related to grid-scale and distributed energy storage. You learn how to conduct structured technical and market research, synthesize information from multiple sources, and produce written analysis suitable for publication. Interns work closely with a mentor and receive guidance on professional research methods, data interpretation, and technical writing. If your work meets publication standards, your analysis is published on the EnergyMag site with attribution.
6. Energy Unplugged Summer Camp – Georgia Tech EPICenter
Cost: Not publicly disclosed
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Program Dates: One-week summer session (dates announced annually)
Application Deadline: Typically spring
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
In this weeklong, energy-focused STEAM camp hosted by Georgia Tech’s Energy Policy and Innovation Center, you work through hands-on simulations that model how energy systems actually function. You explore renewable and non-renewable generation, electric vehicles, grid operations, and energy efficiency using simplified market simulations, physical demos (solar panels, batteries), and scenario-based decision exercises. The curriculum emphasizes how policy, technology, and economics interact in real energy markets. You build systems-level thinking by evaluating trade-offs like cost, reliability, emissions, and equity, while collaborating in small teams on applied challenges.
7. Clean Energy and Smart Grids Program — Purdue University Northwest
Cost: No cost to participating students (grant-funded for partner schools)
Location: Purdue University Northwest (Hammond & Westville, IN) + regional energy sites
Program Dates: Summer sessions (dates vary by partner school)
Application Deadline: School-nominated participation
Eligibility: High school students from select Northwest Indiana partner schools
In this program, you work through hands-on clean energy modules that mirror real grid behavior, using small-scale hardware to simulate renewable generation, load balancing, and smart-grid control logic. Site visits to operating facilities (solar and wind) ground the theory in operational constraints like intermittency, reliability, and grid stability. In the Smart Grid Design Lab, you analyze system behavior, discuss data flows in digitally monitored grids, and connect engineering decisions to community-level energy outcomes.
8. The Junior Academy — The New York Academy of Sciences
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Multiple 10-week Innovation Challenges (offered year-round, including Summer)
Application Deadline: Rolling; challenge-specific (typically opens a few weeks before each cycle)
Eligibility: High school students ages 13–17 (global)
The Junior Academy is a selective, project-based research and innovation program where you collaborate in international teams to solve real-world STEM challenges. Several challenges directly align with renewable energy and sustainability, including Energy Infrastructure: Solar Power, offshore wind, food waste reduction, and climate resilience. You work through research design, data analysis, and solution prototyping on NYAS’s custom Launchpad platform, guided by STEM experts from academia and industry. The 10-week challenge format makes this a strong summer option for students interested in clean energy, climate systems, and applied research.
9. Summer Science Academies for High School Students — The Watershed Institute
Cost: $525–$575 per week; need-based scholarships are available
Location: Pennington, NJ
Program Dates: July 6–31 (week-long sessions)
Application Deadline: Registration opens before February 3; full payment due March 18
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12)
This set of week-long summer academies focuses on sustainability, climate, water systems, and green infrastructure. You choose a themed session, such as Green Architecture, Water & Climate (with Princeton University’s High Meadows Environmental Institute), Field Research, or Green Infrastructure Pro, and spend the week working with scientists, architects, and environmental professionals. Activities include water-quality testing, climate and hydrology labs, sustainable building design using CAD tools, soil analysis, and native-plant–based infrastructure planning. Each session culminates in a formal presentation of your work, and select tracks offer industry-recognized certifications.
10. Young Innovators: Climate & Energy — University of Chicago
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $2,500; full need-based aid is available (fee waived for households ≤$125,000; fee + domestic travel covered for households ≤$60,000)
Program Dates: July 12–July 17
Application Deadline: February–March
Eligibility: Current 11th grade students; minimum age 15
Young Innovators: Climate & Energy is a one-week residential program focused on the science, policy, and economics of modern energy systems. You engage in discussion-driven seminars led by faculty from the Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC), the Becker Friedman Institute, and the Climate Impact Lab, examining trade-offs between energy reliability, affordability, and climate risk. The program emphasizes applied policy analysis, collaborative problem-solving, and team-based projects addressing real-world climate and energy challenges. You also participate in an industry site visit and panel at Invenergy’s Chicago headquarters, gaining exposure to clean energy careers and large-scale renewable deployment.
11. STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) High School Summer Intern Program — University of Texas at Austin
Cost: $2,000; Free for scholarship recipients; virtual option is free
Location: University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (on-site) or virtual
Program Dates: June–July (on-site: July 5–July 18; virtual projects extend through July 21)
Application Deadline: February 22 (recommendation due by early March)
Eligibility: U.S. citizens; current high school sophomores or juniors (rising juniors/seniors); must be 16 by early July
SEES is a nationally competitive research internship where you work on NASA-aligned Earth and space science projects using real mission data. You develop technical skills in areas such as remote sensing, Earth systems modeling, Python-based data analysis, geospatial workflows, and systems thinking, depending on your assigned project theme. The program combines required distance-learning modules (Earth science and Python), mentored project work, and either an on-site research residency or a fully virtual track. You collaborate with scientists and engineers from NASA, academia, and industry, present your results at a virtual science symposium, and earn a NASA–UT Center for Space Research certificate upon completion.
12. Clean Water Ambassadors Internship – Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust
Cost: Free; Stipend: $20/hour
Location: Seattle, WA
Program Dates: July–August (typically early July to early August)
Application Deadline: Spring (applications usually close by March–April)
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+; must be eligible to work in the U.S.
The Clean Water Ambassadors Internship is a cohort-based environmental education and workforce program run by the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust in partnership with King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division. You will learn about clean water systems, environmental justice, and regional sustainability challenges through a mix of workshops, field trips, and applied learning. The program emphasizes communication and public engagement, with interns teaching others and delivering a structured final presentation. Participants also explore environmental career pathways by interviewing and interacting with professionals working in water management and conservation.
13. Environmentor – Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE)
Cost: Paid research mentorship program; Stipend: Up to $1,200
Location: Far Rockaway, NY
Program Dates: June–mid-August
Application Deadline: Late February (application portal typically opens in late February)
Eligibility: NYC high school students in grades 9–11; must attend school in or near the Rockaway Peninsula
Environmentor is a fully in-person summer research mentorship program that places you in authentic environmental science projects focused on Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway shoreline. You will work closely with scientists from local universities and research institutions to design and conduct independent research on topics such as coastal flooding, air quality, ecosystem restoration, and climate-linked environmental change. The program combines structured research training with fieldwork and data collection, alongside water safety and CPR certification. You also get to engage in applied outdoor learning activities such as kayaking, biking, and shoreline monitoring, reinforcing real-world environmental systems thinking. The program culminates in research presentations and includes community service participation through RISE-led initiatives.
14. Environmental Science & Sustainability – National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC)
Cost: $4,495 (residential); scholarships available
Location: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Program Dates: June 12–June 20; June 24–July 2
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Eligibility: High school students
In this program, you explore sustainability and environmental systems that intersect directly with renewable energy and climate decision-making. You study ecosystem dynamics, climate systems, and conservation strategies while working through applied simulations such as water and soil analysis and green building design. The curriculum introduces how sustainability principles guide energy use, urban planning, and resource efficiency at a systems level. Guest speakers and field experiences expose you to real-world environmental and energy-related challenges faced by cities and institutions.
15. Earth and Environmental Sciences: The Earth, The Environment, and You – UConn Pre-College Summer
Cost: $2,250–$2,350 (residential)
Location: University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Program Dates: July 12–July 18
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; early applications encouraged (applications open in winter)
Eligibility: High school students; non-credit pre-college eligibility requirements apply
This immersive summer course introduces you to Earth and environmental systems that directly intersect with climate change, sustainability, and resource management. You work through field and lab demonstrations focused on rock, soil, and water sampling, learning how environmental data is collected, analyzed, and interpreted. The program emphasizes Earth system science, environmental geochemistry, and climate-driven processes that shape ecosystems and human sustainability decisions. You interact with UConn Earth Sciences faculty and researchers, gaining exposure to how environmental scientists model hazards, resource use, and long-term environmental change.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like solar and wind energy systems, energy storage, climate policy, sustainable materials, and energy economics, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
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