If you’re a high schooler in Colorado looking to gain some experience in a subject during the summer, consider a summer program in the state! The summer holidays offer the perfect chance to dive into new experiences and build your skillset, without the stress the school year brings. There are multiple summer programs for high school students in Colorado that offer a deep dive into science, technology, and the arts. By learning about these subjects in depth and at a university level, these programs will give you a leg up in your academic journey.
Such workshops and immersions not only enhance your knowledge but also improve your research, networking, and leadership skills. In this article, we highlight 15 of the best summer programs for high school students in Colorado, each offering unique opportunities to learn and explore academics beyond your school curriculum.
Subject area: Multiple fields available
Application deadline: May 21, 2024, for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024, for the fall cohort
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.
Program dates:
- Summer seminar - June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024
- Fall seminar - October 23, 2024 - February 19, 2025
- Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Location: Virtual
The Horizon Academic Research Program allows you to develop a university-level research paper while you’re still in high school. The program will pair you with a professor or PhD scholar, who will mentor you through the process of selecting a topic, conducting research, and developing a research manuscript. The process allows you to study a specialized topic in depth and gain a better understanding of it. You can choose from several subject areas like data science, biology, political theory, neuroscience, machine learning, and more. You can find more information about the application here!
Subject area: Artificial Intelligence
Application deadline: The program runs in cohorts throughout the year, with different deadlines for each.
Eligibility: Applicants must be ambitious in high school and can be anywhere in the world. For the AI Scholars program, no previous experience is required – applicants need to show a keen interest in AI. For the AI Fellowship program, applicants will either need to complete the AI Scholars program or have had experience with AI concepts or Python.
Program dates: Rolling. Applications for the summer are between February and May.
Location: Online
Fee: This program does have a fee but also offers 100% financial aid
Veritas AI offers a variety of programs for individuals eager to dive into hands-on AI research. The programs vary in duration and prerequisites, which you can explore here. You can choose between the AI Scholars and Deep Dive tracks, focusing on collaborative learning through group projects, or the AI Fellowship, which provides mentorship for building a personalized AI model. While the focus is on AI, previous students have worked on projects that intersect with fields like healthcare, finance, gaming, education, environmental studies, and more.
Subject area: Multiple fields available
Application deadline: Four cohorts throughout the year, applications due in February, May, September, and December. You can apply here.
Eligibility: All high school students
Program dates: There are four cohorts throughout the year spring, summer, fall, and winter
Location: Online
Financial assistance: You can check out the Lumiere Foundation, a non-profit research program, which offers assistance to low-income students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is another program that offers you the opportunity to work on an individual research project under the mentorship of a PhD student. With their guidance, you can explore a subject in depth and enhance your knowledge and research skills in the field as you develop your project. There are several different STEM and humanities subjects available and previous students have worked on projects in the fields of gene editing, cultural perceptions, neural networks, microbiology, and more.
Subject area: Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Genomics, Synthetic Chemistry
Application deadline: February 16, 2024
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and a few sophomores, who are at least 15 years old and have completed the required courses
Program dates: Mid-June to July (tentative, based on previous years)
Location: Multiple options including Purdue University, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Colorado, New Mexico State, Indiana University, Georgia College & State University, Georgetown University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Fee: $8,800
Financial assistance: Need-based financial aid is available, offering partially discounted fees as well as complete fee waivers
Organized by a non-profit institution, the Summer Science Program is an immersive summer program. You will be working in groups of three on a real-world project that focuses on hands-on experimental science. The program has four tracks to choose from — astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics, and synthetic chemistry. You can expect plenty of data analysis and hands-on work in specific research areas like asteroid orbit determination, fungal crop pathogens, evolution of antibiotic resistance, and creation of macrocyclic drugs. Not only does the SSP offer significant practical experience, but it is also highly competitive, and prestigious, and is considered one of the country’s top programs.
Subject area: Engineering, science and technology
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors from underrepresented communities
Program dates: Session 1 from June 2, 2024 – June 7, 2024, Session 2 from June 9, 2024 – June 14, 2024, Session 3 from June 23, 2024 – June 28, 2024,
Location: Colorado State University
Fee: Only a $50 confirmation fee is required, the rest of the program is free
Aimed to encourage students from disadvantaged communities to pursue STEM, the SUMMET program offers an immersive experience in STEM learning. It is a one-week residential program that combines coursework, hands-on projects, and team-building activities. You will work on a main design project with a group, attend mini-workshops, and cover a wide range of topics such as chemistry, mechanical engineering, computer science, etc. The curriculum also includes a tour of the Mines Edgar Experimental Mine.
Subject area: Healthcare
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: High school seniors who are at least 18 years of age
Program dates: June 3, 2024 – August 2, 2024
Location: Children’s Hospital Colorado
Stipend: $3,500
This summer program is meant for high school students to learn about research in the field of child health. You will conduct research alongside a mentor and do plenty of hands-on work in a lab. At the end of the program, you will have learned how to build scientific abstracts, conduct research, and make poster/oral presentations of your findings. The program even provides support for you to present your work at a scientific meeting, should your work get accepted.
Subject area: Engineering design
Application deadline: March 10, 2024
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th grade students who are at least 14 years of age. Students from underserved communities are encouraged to apply.
Program dates: June 17, 2024 – July 19, 2024
Location: University of Colorado, Boulder
Stipend: Students are paid but the amount has not been specified
This is a 4-week internship that aims to give high school students hands-on experience in the field of engineering design and within a workplace setting. As an intern, you will work in groups and learn how to design and develop a product that fits the needs of your client — typically an organization dealing with visual impairment or mobility issues. Through the process, you will learn about design principles, empathy-driven design, tactile and multi-modal learning skills, and maker technologies like 3D modeling, computer programming, laser cutters, and more. The program generally has 12-16 interns per cohort who complete a total of 100-120 hours of work.
Subject area: Bioengineering
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: All rising high school students
Program dates: June 10, 2024 – June 13, 2024
Location: University of Colorado, Denver
Fee: $900
Financial assistance: Scholarships are available
BOLT is a four-day commuter program where you will learn the basics of biomedical engineering while also enhancing your leadership skills. The highlight is that you and your group will build a prototype that solves a clinical problem, through which you will learn how to design, test, and create a product. The program also includes a design competition. Previous students have conducted a CRISPR Cas-9 tissue engineering experiment, visited a cadaver lab, and learned skills like soldering and building circuits.
Subject area: Music
Application deadline: February 16, 2024
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 11 and 17 who play the viola, violin, cello, or bass
Program dates: June 20, 2024 – June 30, 2024
Location: University of Colorado, Boulder
Fee: Free
The Sphinx Performance Academy is a music education program that focuses on chamber music and solo performance. If you play the viola, violin, cello, or bass, this free program offers an intensive experience in developing your skills. You will attend private lessons, masterclasses, and recitals while also receiving mentorship on how to move forward in your career. The program is residential, generally accepts about 22 students per cohort, and requires an audition video during the application process.
Subject area: Business
Application deadline: April 7, 2025
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, seniors, and recent graduates who are first-generation students
Program dates: July 21, 2025 – July 26, 2025
Location: Colorado State University
Fee: Free
This summer program is for first-generation students who are interested in business and also want to experience living on campus. Aside from learning business fundamentals, you will also take part in a case study competition where you and your team must analyze a problem and create a business that solves the issue. Through the process, you will improve your skills in the various fields involved such as marketing, design, management, and finance. The best business pitches will receive prizes!
Subject area: Arts and Media
Application deadline: May 15, 2025
Eligibility: All rising high school students and recent graduates
Program dates: Multiple one-week and two-week options are available in the months of June and July, residential and commuter options are available
Location: University of Colorado, Denver
Fee: Ranges from $600 - $2,500 depending on whether the duration and format of the camps
Financial assistance: Scholarships and opportunities for reduced tuition are available
The goal of the LYNX program is to expose high school students like you to topics from the arts and media fields and give you a taste of what studying them in college could look like. The program offers a deep dive into the topic and you can choose from several different subjects like animation, filmmaking, illustration, audio production, photography, and more. Apart from developing your skills in these areas, you will also build a network of peers and explore the various career options from guest speakers and faculty.
Subject area: Engineering
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
Program dates: June 2, 2024 – June 6, 2024
Location: Colorado State University
Fee: Free
The Envision Summer Program focuses on introducing high schoolers to the various disciplines within the field of engineering. You will explore each subdivision through a combination of lessons, practical activities, and visits to research labs. As a residential program, you will also learn about living on a college campus and connect with current college students and faculty. By participating in this program, you will also be eligible for a scholarship toward an engineering degree at Colorado State University.
Subject area: Writing
Application deadline: Registration remains open till the class fills up
Eligibility: Options are available for students between the ages of 8-18
Program dates: Multiple dates are available to choose from
Location: Lighthouse Literary Centre, Denver
Fee: Varies depending on which course you choose
Financial assistance: Financial aid is available
The Lighthouse Writers Workshop is a non-profit organization known for hosting literary events. One of their programs is the Young Writers Summer Camp and you can choose from a variety of camps, each covering a different topic like short story writing, novels, lyric writing, sci-fi and fantasy, and experimental fiction. Another option is choosing the summer intensive, a week-long camp that looks at multiple forms of writing including fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and screenwriting. In both cases, you will learn from published authors and leave the camp with a piece of your creation.
Subject area: Science
Application deadline: TBA but the deadline is generally in mid-March
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors. Students from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds are encouraged to apply
Program dates:
Location: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Stipend: A stipend and lunch vouchers are provided but the amount is not specified
As a teen science scholar, you will work within the Science Division of the Denver Museum and work alongside museum scientists. You will be assigned to a department such as archaeology, earth sciences, zoology, ornithology, photography, etc. Previous students learned about archaeological digs, DNA extractions, 3D printing of fossils, ground penetrating radar work, and even created visualization modules for planetary systems. You can expect to work on similar activities and then present your work during a student showcase at the end of the program.
Subject area: STEM
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: All high school students who are at least 16 years of age by the time the program begins
Program dates: June 7, 2024- July 26, 2024
Location: University of Colorado, Boulder
Fee: $1,995
If you’re interested in learning the tools of scientific research and getting laboratory experience, consider this research program. During the six-week research immersion, you and another student will be paired with a mentor. You will work on an assigned project, attend group meetings, and conduct independent research as well. Through the program, you will learn how to select a topic, conduct research, read scientific articles, analyze data, and determine its validity. The program culminates in a Research Expo where you will show your work through a poster presentation.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.