If you’re a high school student curious about anthropology, summer programs provide the chance to explore the field and potential career opportunities. These will not only help you work on an advanced skillset in the field but also help you build a solid network for future research projects or internships.
Whether you’re set on anthropology or simply exploring your options, these programs offer ways to connect social theory with practical areas like development, diversity, policy, and healthcare. You’ll also get hands-on experience through activities like fieldwork, ethnographic studies, and cultural analysis, which can enhance your understanding of human behavior and societies.
Here are 8 free anthropology programs for high school students, featuring university courses, internships, and immersion programs that are fully funded:
1. Virtual Internship at the American Anthropological Association
Subject Areas: Anthropological research, public education, migration, and displacement.
Location: Online.
Program Dates: May 20 – June 14 (tentative, based on the previous year’s program)
Cost: There is no cost for the program, and information about a stipend is not provided.
Eligibility: All high school students can apply.
Application Deadline: April 26 (tentative, based on the previous year’s program)
The primary focus of this program is to adapt contemporary anthropological scholarship for a 6th–12th-grade audience. Each year, the secondary project varies, typically centering on accessibility or public education initiatives.
In this role, you’ll work closely with staff to simplify anthropological articles. Your work will primarily involve making the articles accessible to younger students who may be new to the field or unfamiliar with its application to complex issues such as migration and displacement. Past interns have created research summaries, infographics, and educational videos. Previous projects have emphasized topics like migration, with examples available to review here.
2. Hoya Summer at Georgetown University: Disability Studies
Subject Areas: Anthropological research, public education, migration, and displacement.
Location: Residential/commuter.
Program Dates: July 8 to Aug 9 (tentative, based on the previous year’s program)
Cost: Need-based full scholarships available
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors.
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Disability Studies is a critical area within Anthropology, exploring how societies define normalcy and abnormality. Georgetown’s summer program, “Disability Studies: The Mad Turn,” examines the intersection of gender, sexuality, and race in shaping the experiences of individuals with psychiatric disabilities within an anthropological framework.
In addition to coursework, you’ll participate in evening workshops focused on college preparation and discussions on educational inclusivity. Weekend activities include excursions to the National Mall, baseball games, and local parks, offering a blend of academic and social experiences.
3. Penn Summer Prep: Thinking Like an Anthropologist
Subject Areas: Anthropology, philosophy, and society science.
Location: Residential, University of Pennsylvania.
Program Dates: July 8 – July 19 (tentative, based on the previous year’s program).
Cost: Penn Summer Scholarship available
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.5 GPA
Application Deadline: April 27
The Penn Summer Prep Program offers high school students a chance to experience college-level academics without the pressure of earning credits. You’ll select two modules from various disciplines and gain access to the university’s resources. Classes run in the mornings, while afternoons, evenings, and weekends are filled with extracurricular activities and excursions.
For those drawn to anthropology, the “Thinking Like an Anthropologist” module explores cultural, genetic, and linguistic diversity through time and across societies. You’ll explore key anthropological theories and methods, including participant observation and interviews, and learn how anthropology applies to policy, history, and crime-solving. With opportunities for ethnographic research, this course encourages you to understand different perspectives and reflect on your own.
4. Harvard Pre-College Summer School Program—The Overdose Epidemic
Subject Areas: Anthropology, biology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, economic insecurity, and social factors.
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Program Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 3
- Session II: July 6 – 18
- Session III: July 20 – August 1
Cost: Need-based financial aid is available
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors aged 16–19 who will graduate high school in 2026 or 2027
Application Deadline:
- Early Application Deadline: January 8
- Regular Application Deadline: February 12
- Late Application Deadline: April 9
Harvard’s Pre-College Summer School Program offers a two-week on-campus experience for high school students, allowing you to take a college-level course in a field of interest. With over 30 non-credit courses in subjects like business, STEAM, humanities, and sociology, this program provides an academic environment with small class sizes of 12 to 18 students. Courses are taught by Harvard-affiliated instructors, meeting for three hours daily, with additional assignments and research presentations to deepen your learning.
If anthropology intrigues you, the course “ANTH P-16210: The Overdose Epidemic” explores the opioid crisis through a biosocial framework. You’ll analyze how economic instability, social conditions, and pharmaceutical access drive the epidemic. The course investigates the relationship between opioid addiction and crime, especially in impoverished and violent settings, and examines barriers to care and support. You’ll also explore innovative solutions such as housing programs and fentanyl detection tools, gaining a nuanced understanding of the crisis and potential responses beyond conventional medicine.
5. Harvard University’s Secondary School Program—Anthropology of Food and Foodways
Subject Areas: Anthropology, culture, food activism, social justice, food production, distribution, and consumption
Location: Online or in-person at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA .
Program Dates:
- 4-week session: July 13 – August 8 (residential)
- 7-week session: June 21 – August 9 (residential, online, or commuting)
Cost: Financial aid is available.
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 to 19 who will graduate and start college in 2025, 2026, or 2027
Application Deadline:
- Early application deadline: January 8
- Regular application deadline: February 12
- Late application deadline: April 9
The program offers over 200 courses in diverse fields, including physics, biology, literature, computer science, economics, psychology, and more. Each course typically involves 8–12 hours of weekly work outside of class, depending on assignments and workload.
For those interested in anthropology, the course “ANTH S-1068: Anthropology of Food and Foodways” delves into the cultural and social dimensions of food. You’ll explore food production, distribution, and consumption through readings, podcasts, discussions, and hands-on activities, including field excursions. Key themes include food’s role in shaping community, identity and social justice, the impact of industrialized diets and changes in global food systems.
6. University of California Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program
Subject Areas: Anthropology, history, psychology, sociology, astronomy, biology, computer science, engineering, film studies, and more
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
Program Dates: June 16 – August 1
Cost: A limited number of scholarships are available, based on need, qualifications, and availability. Priority is given to California residents.
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–11 with a minimum GPA of 3.8 are eligible to apply. Exceptional 9th graders may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Accepted students must attend an RMP Preparation Webinar to get ready for the program.
Application Deadline: March 17
UC Santa Barbara’s Research Mentorship Program (RMP) offers high school students the chance to engage in university-level research under the guidance of a mentor, such as a graduate student, postdoc, or faculty member. You can choose a project from diverse fields, including anthropology, psychology, sociology, astronomy, biology, engineering, and more.
The program includes GRIT talks, where UC Santa Barbara researchers share insights on cutting-edge projects and technology. You’ll spend 35–50 hours weekly on your research, conducting fieldwork, collecting data, and utilizing library resources. By the program’s end, you’ll complete a technical research paper, present your findings at an academic symposium, and earn 8 college credits through courses in research and presentation techniques.
7. Lumiere Research Scholar Program—Anthropology Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Financial aid is available.
Program Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the fall from September to December, the winter from December to February, and the spring from March to June.
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Application deadlines vary by cohort.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week opportunity for high school students to conduct independent research with guidance from a PhD mentor. Throughout the program, you’ll work closely with your mentor and a writing coach to refine your research topic and develop a university-level research paper.
Workshops on research methods complement the mentorship experience, with fields spanning history, psychology, physics, engineering, economics, data science, anthropology, chemistry, international relations, and more. If your interests extend beyond these areas, the program also allows topic customization.
8. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP) – Anthropology Track
Subject Areas: Sociology, anthropology, philosophy
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
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.
Application Deadline: Application deadlines vary by cohort.
Cost: Financial aid is available
Horizon’s trimester-long research programs offer high school students the opportunity to explore fields like history, data science, anthropology, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering. Whether focusing on quantitative or qualitative research, you’ll explore topics such as gene editing or medical sociology under the mentorship of a professor or PhD scholar.
Throughout the program, you’ll produce a 20-page research paper at a university level, with the option to submit it for academic publication. Alongside expert guidance, you’ll receive detailed feedback and a letter of recommendation, both valuable for future projects and college applications.
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