Looking to make the most of your summer and explore new academic interests? San Francisco offers a wide range of summer programs for high school students, providing a unique opportunity to dive into subjects like STEM, arts, and sustainability.
Whether you’re passionate about bioengineering, software development, or creative arts, San Francisco’s summer programs allow you to gain hands-on experience, learn from experts, and explore potential career paths. These programs not only broaden your knowledge but also help you build valuable skills that will set you apart in college applications and future career pursuits.
Check out these 15 San Francisco summer programs and internships for high school students in 2024 - 2025:
15 San Francisco Summer Programs + Internships for High School Students
Location: Virtual
Application Date: Winter II Cohort – December 1, 2024; Summer Cohort – Between February to May
Program Dates: Winter II cohort - December 16 ; Spring cohort - March 3, 2025; Summer cohort - June 16, 2025
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student, as well as detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and on college applications. Apply here!
2. Veritas AI
Subjects Offered: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Finance, Medicine
Location: Virtual
Cost: AI Scholars: $2,290; AI Fellowship: $5,400. Need-based financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Winter cohort – December 1, 2024; others vary by cohort. Apply here.
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Open to high school students. Applicants for the AI Fellowship should have completed the AI Scholars program or possess prior experience in AI and Python.
Founded by Harvard alumni, Veritas AI offers programs tailored for high school students eager to explore artificial intelligence. In the AI Scholars program, you’ll work alongside peers on AI projects with real-world applications across industries like healthcare, finance, and education. This program helps you develop practical skills through collaboration and problem-solving. The AI Fellowship offers one-on-one mentorship from PhD experts, guiding you through intensive AI research. You’ll explore AI’s impact in areas like finance, healthcare, and gaming, with opportunities to publish or present your work.
Subjects Offered: Technology, Business, Finance, Machine Learning, AI, Healthcare, Software Engineering, and more
Location: Remote
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; the deadline for the winter cohort is December 3, 2024. Click here to apply.
Program Dates: Year-round cohorts, with the winter cohort beginning on December 16, 2024
Eligibility: Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap-year students able to commit 10-20 hours per week for 8-12 weeks.
The Ladder Internship Program provides high school students with an opportunity to gain practical experience in high-growth startups across diverse industries such as technology, AI, and health tech. Throughout an 8-week internship, you’ll work on real projects, guided by seasoned managers and a dedicated Ladder Coach. Through personalized training and collaborative sessions with peers, you'll develop essential skills in a professional environment. The program culminates in a presentation of your work, allowing you to showcase what you've learned.
Subjects Offered: Business and Entrepreneurship
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students
Application Deadline: Spring cohort – February 9, 2025; others vary by cohort.
Dates: Varies by cohort; the spring program runs from March 3, 2025
Cost: $2,900 (4 weeks) | $3,500 (12 weeks). Financial aid available
The Young Founders Lab, established by Harvard entrepreneurs, is an immersive boot camp designed to help you transform your business ideas from concept to reality. This startup-centric program guides you in developing revenue-generating businesses, either individually or in teams while collaborating with founders from established companies like Fintech Launch and Fair Opportunity Project.
Throughout the course, you will engage with essential business concepts including ideation, market research, prototyping, growth strategies, and marketing, all supported by mentors and industry leaders. The experience concludes with Demo Day, where you’ll pitch your startup to a group of peers, mentors, and potential investors.
Subjects Offered: STEM, Humanities, Social Sciences
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum GPA of 3.3
Application Deadline: The winter cohort deadline is November 24, 2024
Program Dates: The winter cohort typically begins around December 18
Cost: $2,990 (12 weeks); $5,900 (16-20 weeks); $8,900 (6-12 months). Financial aid available
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program provides high school students with a distinctive chance to conduct independent research under the mentorship of PhD experts. In this program, you will explore a topic of your choice in fields like biology and data science to philosophy and social sciences, all while receiving tailored guidance to produce a college-level research paper. Writing coaches will assist you through each stage of your paper, and the program concludes with a research symposium where you can present your findings, with the possibility of publication.
Location: San Francisco, California
Cost: No cost, however, there is a stipend that varies from year to year.
Application Deadline: Usually March 1
Program Dates: TBD. However, MSA usually starts the third Monday of June and is six weeks long. The previous year's dates were June 17 to July 26 for 30 hours per week.
Eligibility: Applicants must be sophomores in high school during the 2024-2025 academic school year and be residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City with a minimum 2.0 Cumulative GPA.
The Meta Summer Academy (formerly Facebook Summer Academy) offers San Francisco high school students a unique hands-on experience in the tech industry. As a participant, you will gain practical skills in coding, financial literacy, art, and media, along with essential soft skills like networking and career reflection. Through workshops, mentoring, and interactions with Meta employees and executives, you can explore career paths and build foundational skills aimed at fostering economic stability and mobility.
Location: Various govt department offices in San Francisco with a hybrid option
Cost: No cost, stipend TBD ($ per hour)
Application Deadline: TBD. Coming Soon
Program Dates: TBD
Eligibility: All applicants must be entering junior year, senior year, or college-bound freshman in Fall 2025; must live or attend high school in San Francisco, and have at least a 2.75 GPA from their last finished semester
Project Pull, sponsored by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), offers paid summer internships for eager high school and college students from diverse communities in San Francisco. This hybrid program will provide you with professional mentorship in STEAM fields, fostering skills such as leadership, teamwork, and creativity while introducing them to careers in the public sector. You will engage in meaningful projects, develop self-empowerment, and gain a foundation for future success in college and employment. However, with applications yet to open and the competitive nature of the program, securing a spot may be a challenge for interested students.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Application fee of $95 and program fee is $4,500 USD
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2024 session are closed,
Program Dates:
- Program 1: June 24, 2024 to July 5, 2024
- Program 2: July 15, 2024 to July 26, 2024
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 16 years of age on the first day of the program. The only exception we make for students below 16 years of age is if they are a junior in high school.
Stanford University's Summer Internship in Cardiothoracic Surgery offers high school students a unique, hands-on introduction to cardiac and thoracic diseases and surgical techniques. Guided by expert faculty, surgical residents, and staff, you will engage in interactive lectures and supervised laboratory sessions to master skills such as knot tying, suturing, dissection, coronary artery bypass grafting, and valve replacement. This program gives you valuable exposure to surgery, helping you build both basic and advanced skills. However, it can be intense, especially if you have little experience in medicine or surgery.
Location: UC San Francisco
Cost: No cost, stipend is as follows
- Part-time = 25 hours/week earns $3200 upon program completion.
- Full-time = 35 hours/week earns $4500 upon program completion.
Application Deadline: February 25th
Program Dates: The program usually begins in June
Eligibility: Applicants must be current high school juniors, enrolled in an SFUSD high school, SF charter school, or College Track San Francisco, and from backgrounds historically marginalized in the sciences
The UCSF High School Intern Program (HIP) offers an 8-week paid summer internship for San Francisco high school seniors, where you can conduct original biomedical research under the guidance of UCSF scientists. You’ll gain hands-on experience in areas like neuroscience, immunology, cancer, and stem cell research, while also developing communication skills and professional networks. HIP emphasizes inclusivity, targeting students from underrepresented backgrounds and expanding career perspectives in biomedical sciences.
10. SF YouthWorks
Location: Various locations depending on hosting office, San Francisco CA
Cost: No cost, stipends are $18.93/hr for school-year interns and $19.70 for Youth Leadership Program participants
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for the school year intern and applications for the Youth Leadership Program are coming soon, check here
Program Dates: TBD
Eligibility: Applicants must be in 11th - 12th grade and must reside or attend school in SF
The SF YouthWorks program offers San Francisco high school juniors and seniors a chance to gain hands-on experience in the public sector through paid internships and job readiness workshops. As an intern, you’ll work in various city departments like Public Utilities, the SF Library, and SFO Airport, exploring fields such as public health, urban planning, and community services. You’ll also receive training in professional skills, networking, and civic engagement while contributing to meaningful projects. However, with its broad range of roles, finding a perfect match for your specific interests may be challenging. Despite this, SF YouthWorks provides invaluable exposure to public service and government operations.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Not mentioned
Application Deadline: December 13th 2024, apply here
Program Dates:
- Session 1: Jan 7, 9, 14 (4-5 pm) & 16 (4-6 pm)
- Session 2: Feb 18, 20, 25 (4-5 pm) & 27 (4-6 pm)
Eligibility: All students are welcome to apply
The SFO AIM High program offers you a free virtual introduction to the aviation industry, focusing on career exploration and professional development. Over four sessions, you’ll learn about aviation careers, resume building, job applications, and interview skills, with an optional on-site tour and graduation ceremony at SFO. The program provides valuable insights into airport operations, environmental initiatives, and career paths while helping you enhance your networking and job-readiness skills. While the virtual format may limit hands-on experiences, full benefits require active participation. Still, SFO AIM High is a great opportunity to gain industry knowledge and prepare for future career opportunities.
Location: Oakland CA, San Francisco Bay Area
Cost: No cost mentioned
Application Deadline: No deadline mentioned
Program Dates: Kindly mail these info@rpscollective.org
Eligibility: Applicants must be between the ages of 15-25
The Rock Paper Scissors Collective (RPSC) internship program offers you the chance to explore artistic expression, curatorial practices, and entrepreneurial skills through hands-on projects and mentorship. If you're between 15 and 25 years old, you can collaborate with local organizations like the Oakland Museum of California and the Oakland Public Library, gaining real-world experience in arts organizing and producing customizable projects. Many participants have earned full scholarships to prestigious art schools like the California College of the Arts. While the program promotes creativity and community engagement, its volunteer-run structure and non-hierarchical organization may require you to adapt to a less structured, self-driven environment.
Location: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
Cost: No cost, but all internships are paid
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2025 session haven’t opened yet. However 2024 deadline was April 1, 2024.
Program Dates: Multi-year, year-round participation
Eligibility: Applications open for 9th - 12th graders
The Careers in Science (CiS) program is a transformative, multi-year paid internship for San Francisco high school students from underrepresented communities in STEM, including girls and students of color. Hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, it offers hands-on fieldwork, science communication training, leadership opportunities, and exposure to diverse STEM careers. As an intern, you can earn above minimum wage, facilitate public learning experiences, work on research projects, and attend college tours and STEM conferences.
Location: Emeryville, CA and virtual
Cost: No cost, participants are rewarded with a stipend of $3,000
Application Deadline: TBD, Likely to be mid-March 2025
Program Dates: TBD for 2025. Previous year’s dates were June 14 to July 26, 2024.
Eligibility: Eligibility requires students aged 15+ (by Dec 31, 2024), enrolled as sophomores/juniors in Alameda, Contra Costa, or SF County, with a 2.5+ GPA, US citizenship/residency/DACA status, Algebra 1 & Biology completion, and household income below county-specific limits. Check here for specific info.
The iCLEM (Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology) program is a 7-week paid internship for rising high school juniors and seniors from underrepresented, low-income backgrounds in Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco counties. You’ll work on real-world research projects in cutting-edge labs at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), earning a $3,000 stipend while learning microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and synthetic biology. The program also helps prepare you for college admissions, offering personal statement guidance, financial aid workshops, and STEM career exploration through company visits and professional talks.
Location: Online, virtual sessions
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: Not mentioned
Program Dates: TBD, likely from early July to early August 2025
Eligibility: Students must live in the Bay Area and attend a local high school and be at least 15 years old and have completed the ninth grade by the beginning of the Academy
The Norman Mineta Bay Area Summer Academy offers high school students in the Bay Area a paid opportunity to explore regional issues like transportation equity, housing, environmental justice, and air quality management through interactive, mostly online seminars with agencies like MTC, ABAG, BCDC, and the Air District. Over four weeks, you will learn about public sector careers, community health, and decision-making processes that shape local policies, culminating in a presentation on a regional challenge.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.