If you’re a high school student interested in designing, building, and programming machines, robotics programs are a good place to start.
These programs provide hands-on learning opportunities in coding, electronics, engineering principles, and mechanical design. You’ll work with tools and technologies like Python, Arduino, and CAD, and gain practical skills like problem-solving and system development. All of these programs are free, allowing you to focus entirely on experimenting, learning, and building.
To help you get started, here’s a list of the 8 best free robotics summer programs for high school students!
8 Best Free Robotics Programs for High School Students
1. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) at the Department of Navy (DoN)
Location: Positions are offered at multiple lab locations across the country
Cost/Stipend: Free to join. New participants get a $4,000 stipend, and returning participants receive $4,500.
Application Deadline: November 1, 2025
Program Dates: The internship spans eight weeks during the summer, with an option to extend for up to two additional weeks
Eligibility: High school students who’ve completed at least 9th grade, are 16 or older, and U.S. citizens can apply. Graduating seniors are eligible.
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) offers high school students the chance to intern in STEM fields, providing hands-on research experience in Department of Navy (DoN) labs. Over eight weeks, you’ll work on real naval research projects in areas like earth science, applied mathematics, meteorology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, environmental science, oceanography, biology, engineering, computer science, and more.
If you’re interested in robotics, you can pick a lab focused on this area, like the NAWCAD Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Systems in Lakehurst, New Jersey. You’ll gain hands-on experience with advanced technologies, including electromagnetics, aviation information systems, avionics, diagnostics, unmanned aerial systems, and more.
2. MIT Lincoln Laboratory High School Internship Program
Location: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; participants will receive a stipend
Application Deadline: April 30, 2025
Program Dates: July 9 – August 15, 2025
Eligibility: Local high school rising seniors, aged 16 or older by the program start date, with U.S. citizenship
The Summer High School Internship Program at MIT Lincoln Laboratory offers rising seniors from New England high schools a valuable opportunity to explore STEM careers before selecting a college major. You’ll gain access to the Laboratory’s technical and professional resources.
If robotics interests you, you can work on projects focused on radar, electronic warfare, and technologies for future integrated air and missile defense systems. Past robotics projects have included Vine Robots for Collapsed Structure Mapping, Undersea Vision-Based Navigation and Pose Determination for Human-Robot Teaming, and Coordinating Teams of Autonomous Systems. You can explore more project examples here.
3. NYU’s ARISE Program
Location: Remote workshops and in-person labs at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Tuition is covered by a full scholarship, and a stipend of at least $1000 is provided for completing the program.
Application Deadline: February 21, 2025
Program Dates: June 2 – August 8, 2025
Eligibility: NYC students who will have completed 10th or 11th grade by June 2025
New York University’s ARISE program gives you a chance to explore engineering and STEM fields. You’ll engage in hands-on experiments, classroom sessions, and workshops focused on ethics, lab safety, data collection, and college admissions preparation. The program covers STEM fields like engineering, robotics, AI, and computer science through research labs.
For robotics enthusiasts, the ECE Machine Learning Lab offers opportunities to work on projects that combine machine learning, deep learning, and robotics. Current projects include generative modeling, sensor fusion for self-driving cars, and deep learning model visualization. You can find more details about robotics research opportunities here.
4. NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Location: Depending on the project, interns may work either remotely or on-site at one of NASA’s 10 field centers across the country
Cost/Stipend: Participation is free; interns may qualify for a stipend depending on their academic level and the length of the session
Application Deadline: Summer 2025: February 28, 2025; Fall 2025: May 16, 2025
Program Dates: These internships are available in three sessions, with dates varying based on the specific opportunity:
- Fall: 16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December
- Spring: 16-week program, from mid-January to early May
- Summer: 10-week program, from late May or early June to August
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, and U.S. citizenship
If you’ve ever dreamed of working on cutting-edge projects at NASA, their Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) internships are a great opportunity. You can apply as a high school or college student to get mentorship, training, and career development in fields like science, IT, business, and engineering. If robotics excites you, you could work on projects like AI & ML for Air Traffic Management, Equity Strategies for Emerging Aviation, or JWST Cosmic Ray Rejection using ML.
You’ll also have the chance to explore areas like engineering, astronomy, aeronautics, space science, space microbiology, technology, or outreach. Your tasks will include designing experiments, collaborating with researchers, assisting with mission preparations, and analyzing data.
5. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Internships are available in fully remote, hybrid, and in-person formats at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA
Cost/Stipend: The program is free to participate in, with a $25 application fee that can be waived for applicants with financial need. However, transportation and housing are not provided, and the internship is unpaid.
Application Deadline: February 2, 2025
Program Dates: June 18 – August 8, 2025
Eligibility:
- Interns for remote, in-person, or hybrid internships in computer labs must be at least 15 years old by the program start date.
- Interns for in-person or hybrid wet-lab internships must be at least 16 years old by the program start date.
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program at George Mason University offers high school students a chance to explore robotics through hands-on research. You can expect to gain experience with advanced equipment, develop scientific writing and communication skills, and learn from faculty researchers. You’ll work on projects that introduce you to key concepts in robotics, such as human-robot interactions, bio-inspired robotics, and resource allocation.
Through this internship, you’ll learn about designing and programming robots, working with machine learning algorithms to improve autonomous navigation, and solving challenges in multi-robot systems. You will also explore the practical aspects of robotics, including how robots interact with their environments and how to plan robot movements in unknown situations. More details about previous robotics-based research can be found here.
6. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: Virtual or in-person at MIT in Cambridge, MA
Cost: The program costs $2,350 for participants from families with an income above $150,000. However, participation is free for those from families earning less.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2025
Program Dates: July 7 – August 2/August 3, 2025
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–11 who attend school in the U.S. can apply. Most accepted students are usually in 11th grade.
The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) offers hands-on STEM courses for high school students in a workshop format. Robotics courses include Autonomous Air Vehicle Racing, where you’ll learn about UAVs and work with robotics software; Autonomous RACECAR Grand Prix, where you’ll explore autonomy research and demonstrate navigation with an MIT-designed RACECAR robot; and Autonomous Cognitive Assistance (CogWorks), where you’ll learn about AI fundamentals like natural language processing.
You will also have the chance to explore quantum computation in the Quantum Software course, where you’ll develop coding skills and quantum algorithms. BWSI provides a solid opportunity to learn from MIT Lincoln Laboratory faculty, improve programming skills, and collaborate with peers. Current course offerings can be found here.
7. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Robotics Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
Application Deadline: Application deadlines vary by cohort. The deadline for the upcoming spring cohort is on February 9, 2025.
Program Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the fall cohort from September to December, the winter cohort from December to February, and the spring cohort from March to June.
Eligibility: High school students with an unweighted GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program offers high school students a 12-week opportunity to conduct independent research. During the program, you’ll be paired with a Ph.D. mentor who will guide you throughout the research process. You will also work with a writing coach to help you select and develop your research topic.
You’ll participate in workshops on research methods and receive support in writing a detailed independent research paper. Fields of study include data science, deep learning, physics, chemistry, engineering, sociology, history, economics, and more. If you have interests outside these fields, you can customize your research topic to suit your preferences. You can find out further details about the application process here.
8. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Complete need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort. You can apply here!
Program Dates: There are several cohorts throughout the year.
Eligibility: All high school students can apply for the AI Scholars program. Students with a basic understanding of Python or those who have completed the AI Scholars program are eligible to apply for the AI Fellowship.
Veritas AI, led by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students interested in artificial intelligence. The AI Scholars program is a 10-session boot camp that covers the fundamentals of AI, machine learning, and data science, with opportunities to work on real-world projects.
For advanced students, the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase provides individualized mentorship from top university experts to help you develop specialized projects. The fellowship includes access to an in-house publication team, which assists in publishing your work in high school research journals. The program encourages interdisciplinary exploration, allowing you to apply AI to fields like finance, medicine, sports, and environmental science. Examples of past student projects can be found here.
Image source – Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) logo
