If you are a high school student looking for ways to use your summer more intentionally, summer programs are one of the most practical options.
Summer programs give you time to focus on a subject or skill without the pressure of grades or packed schedules. These programs include academic sessions, projects, group work, or hands-on activities, depending on the field. This helps you understand what studying a subject actually involves beyond what you see in school.
Why choose Phoenix for a summer program?
One of Phoenix’s strengths is the variety of summer programs available to high school students. Whether you are interested in science, health, engineering, arts, or community-focused work, you can find programs that offer structured learning and real engagement.
Local programs also reduce costs and time spent on travel, while still offering meaningful exposure and mentorship. These experiences give you concrete experiences you can reference in applications and interviews, showing how you used your summer with purpose.
With that, here are 15 summer programs for high school students in Phoenix, Arizona! If you’re looking for summer opportunities in Arizona, you can find programs for high school students here. You can also check out more programs for high school students in Phoenix here.
15 Summer Programs for High School Students in Phoenix, Arizona
1. Barrow Neurological Institute’s Summer High School Internship Program
Location: Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 8 – July 9; orientation is held on June 5
Application Deadline: January 6 – February 10
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 or older
Barrow Neurological Institute’s Summer High School Internship Program allows students to explore research areas such as neuropsychology, neuroimaging, stroke, neuro-oncology, neurosurgical devices, and neurodegenerative diseases. You’ll choose a lab that fits your interests and work with a mentor. You’ll explore research questions, study biology and disease, read scientific papers, use lab methods, and develop communication skills. You’ll complete a research project that may be presented at competitions or published. The program will also allow you to learn how non-lab teams such as Marketing, Neuroscience Publications, and the Barrow Neurological Foundation help with research, and how neuroscience connects to mental health, including conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
2. Mayo Clinic CARES (Career Advancement, Research, and Education Summer) In-Person Program
Location: Mayo Clinic campus, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: June 2 – 11 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays)
Application Deadline: January 15 – February 15
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores or juniors in Arizona can apply; no prior clinical experience is required
Mayo Clinic CARES is a short, in-person summer program held on the Mayo Clinic campus. You spend your time learning how different healthcare roles function inside a hospital setting. The program includes group-based observation of physicians, physician assistants, surgeons, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. You explore a wide range of fields such as rehabilitation medicine, radiology, medical laboratories, biomedical research, engineering, clinical genomics, social work, public health, and community research. Sessions also cover practical skills like public speaking, interview preparation, resume writing, wellness, and college planning. After the summer portion, you are matched with a mentor in your area of interest for continued guidance.
3. TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy
Location: Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, AZ
Cost/Stipend: Free | Graduates of the program receive a $1,000 scholarship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 20 students
Dates: June 15 – 26
Application Deadline: December 15 – February 4
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors in Arizona who are 16 or older by the program’s start date
The TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy is a two-week summer program focused on bioscience and precision medicine. You take part in lab shadowing, journal clubs, facility tours, and structured classroom sessions led by TGen scientists and staff. Topics include experimental design, lab techniques, bioethics, clinical trials, and how genomic medicine is used in healthcare settings. You study disease areas such as cancer, neurological conditions, infectious diseases, and diabetes. The program also includes leadership-focused sessions on science communication, teamwork, networking, public speaking, and professional conduct in research environments. Daily instruction is supplemented with optional readings and assignments.
4. University of Arizona Summer Scrubs Sessions
Location: University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Explore Medicine Program: $500 (Residential Camp) and $300 (Day Camp) | Healthcare Team: $250; full & partial needs-based scholarships are available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Explore Medicine Program: 24 students (Residential Camp) and 36 students (Day Camp) | Healthcare Team: 26 students
Dates: Explore Medicine Program: May 31 – June 6 (Residential Camp) and June 8 – 12 (Day Camp) | Healthcare Team: June 15 – 18
Application Deadline: December 1 – March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors can apply to the Explore Medicine Program. Rising sophomores and juniors can apply to the Healthcare Team option
Summer Scrubs is a multi-option health career exploration program held through the University of Arizona College of Medicine. In the Explore Medicine track, you learn about physician specialties through lab activities, professional talks, and hands-on sessions. Doctors from fields such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, radiology, anesthesiology, dermatology, orthopedics, psychiatry, and family medicine lead sessions and share their work. The Healthcare Team track focuses on a broader view of healthcare careers, including nursing, physician assistant roles, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health fields. Across both options, the program focuses on exposure through labs, site visits, and direct interaction with healthcare professionals.
5. ASU’s Camp Cronkite
Location: Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus, AZ
Cost: $899; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Limited cohort sizes
Dates: June 7 – 12 | June 21 – 26
Application Deadline: January 15 – March 15
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors between the ages of 15 and 17
Arizona State University’s Camp Cronkite is a summer media enrichment program that gives high school students hands-on experience at the Cronkite School. During the day, you’ll learn from Cronkite faculty, staff, and student mentors through practical activities in the school’s modern building on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. In the evenings, you’ll take part in scheduled programs and then head back to Gordon Commons, the residential hall across the street, for supervised downtime. You’ll participate in core sessions focused on writing, visual storytelling, interviewing, and personal branding. You’ll also customize your experience by choosing elective sessions in areas like producing, podcasting, weather, videography, social media, and other media topics. If you have any questions, you can contact the camp team here.
6. The Burton Family Foundation’s Summer Health Institute
Location: ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus, AZ | Creighton University’s Phoenix campus at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free, but students are responsible for travel to and from the camp
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: June 15 – June 21 | June 22 – June 28 (tentative)
Application Deadline: April 6 (tentative); applications will open in late February
Eligibility: Students who have finished their junior year of high school
The Burton Family Foundation Summer Health Institute at ASU’s College of Health Solutions gives high school students the chance to explore a range of health careers and experience college life. You’ll learn what it’s like to work as a doctor, dentist, physician assistant, optometrist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and other healthcare professionals. Each day includes around three hours of hands-on simulations at Creighton University School of Medicine, where you’ll practice skills such as intubation, suturing, IVs, and injections. You’ll also connect with members of healthcare teams and tour medical facilities located throughout Arizona’s health corridor. You can check out the sample schedule here.
7. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Teen Navigator Program
Location: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Six weeks beginning in June
Application Deadline: January to May
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years old, fluent in English, and have strong listening and speaking skills
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s Teen Navigator Program allows high school students to volunteer and explore careers in airport operations, ground handling, and customer service. It aims to help you learn about career options while helping travelers. You’ll assist around 130,000 daily visitors by providing directions, staffing interactive directories, and offering a friendly presence. The program can also count toward service learning requirements and offers a close look at how the airport supports Arizona’s economy. You should have a welcoming attitude, be open to learning, be able to stand for four-hour shifts or use a mobility device, and be fluent in English with strong listening and speaking skills.
8. Helios Scholars at TGen
Location: TGen’s main headquarters in downtown Phoenix, AZ | TGen North, Pathogen Genomics Division, Flagstaff, AZ
Cost/Stipend: Free | High school students earn $15.15 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application Deadline: December 15 – February 4
Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years old, have U.S. work authorization, and either will graduate from an Arizona high school by June 8 or currently attend a college or university in Arizona
Helios Scholars at TGen is an eight-week summer internship for local students interested in biomedical research. You’ll attend skill-building seminars, practice scientific writing, explore bioscience careers, present your work, and create a scientific poster. You’ll work full-time with a TGen scientist on a research project, either in Phoenix studying the genetics of neurological disease, diabetes, and cancer, or in Flagstaff focusing on public health and pathogens like Valley Fever and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Opportunities span lab research, math and statistics, computational biology and bioinformatics, and research administration. The program concludes with a research symposium, during which some interns are selected for oral presentations. Past interns have published research, earned national recognition, and gone on to competitive graduate and medical programs.
9. HonorHealth Summer Teen Volunteer Program
Location: Various HonorHealth medical centers across Arizona, including Phoenix
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive program with limited volunteer positions available at each campus
Dates: June 1 – July 17
Application Deadline: February 25
Eligibility: Arizona students who are rising juniors or seniors can apply. Applicants must have finished 10th grade and be at least 15 years old by the program start date
HonorHealth’s Summer Teen Volunteer Program allows high school students to support their community while learning about healthcare. As a volunteer, you’ll work with patients, families, guests, and staff, take on hands-on tasks, and interact with different healthcare professionals. The program focuses on service roles that add comfort and support for patients and their families and does not include job shadowing, research, or internships. The program runs for seven weeks and requires two four-hour shifts each week, with at least six weeks of participation. Missing three or more shifts can lead to your dismissal. You’ll volunteer at medical centers or the Desert Mission Food Bank, helping at places like the Information Desk, Supply Chain, Surgery Waiting Room, or the food bank.
10. Phoenix Center for the Arts Youth Classes
Location: Online or in person at Phoenix Center for the Arts, Downtown and North Phoenix campuses, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: $65–$500, depending on the class
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 6–10 slots are available per class
Dates: Year-round opportunities are available; the exact dates vary depending on the class
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 6–18
The Phoenix Center for the Arts offers year-round classes for students aged 6 to 18 in art, theatre, music, and writing. You can develop your creative skills through a wide range of options, including visual arts classes like pencil drawing, oil painting, and anime or manga drawing. Music classes will help you improve your voice or learn piano or guitar, with small class sizes, rhythm and melody training, and note reading, offered both in person and online. Instruments are available to use during in-person classes at the Center. Theatre classes cover the basics of acting, improv, writing, and devising. Writing classes will allow you to explore short stories, playwriting, and poetry in both in-person and online formats.
11. ASU’s SUCCESS: A Survey of Computing, Coding, and Engineering Software Systems
Location: ASU Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, around 40 minutes from Phoenix, AZ
Cost: $300; full and partial scholarships are available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: May 27 – 30
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–12 can apply; no coding experience is required
ASU’s SUCCESS camp is a summer program that gives students hands-on experience with computing and a practical introduction to tech. Each day covers a different computing area, including AI, mobile and web development, embedded systems, VR and AR, game design, and cybersecurity. The camp, led by ASU software engineering faculty, will allow you to create video games and experiment with virtual reality tools. You’ll build an AI-powered web app, try VR headsets, design games, create an LED message wall, and practice real-world cybersecurity skills. You’ll also explore tech career paths and learn how these tools are used in fields like finance, healthcare, and entertainment.
12. ASU Popular Music Summer Music Camp
Location: Arizona State University campus, Tempe, around 18 minutes from Phoenix, AZ
Cost: $1,600 (Overnight Program) | $1,100 (Daytime Program) + $100 non-refundable registration fee; scholarships are available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 14 – 19
Application Deadline: May 10 (Overnight Program) | May 31 (Daytime Program)
Eligibility: Students aged 14–19
ASU’s Popular Music Summer Camp allows students to explore songwriting, performance, production, engineering, music entrepreneurship, and college life. With help from faculty and staff, you’ll learn about different music paths, develop your skills, and prepare for college-level music study. You’ll write, produce, engineer, and perform music while learning from songwriters, industry professionals, and emerging artists. Days include classes in music production, songwriting, beatmaking, engineering, and performance, along with visiting artist talks, office hours, group feedback, and collaboration time. Evenings include social events like karaoke, museum visits, movie nights, or a Diamondbacks game, plus time to hang out and jam with students from the music camp and Camp Cronkite. You’ll work in studio suites, writing rooms, rehearsal and performance spaces, and digital media labs with modern equipment.
13. ASU’s Transportation Extravaganza
Location: Arizona State University, Tempe, around 18 minutes from Phoenix, AZ
Cost: $150 + $25 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 – 5
Application Deadline: April 10
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors who either live in Arizona or will be staying there over the summer, and have a good GPA
The Transportation Extravaganza is a summer day camp at Arizona State University for rising 11th- and 12th-graders interested in transportation, including walking, trains, cars, biking, and airplanes. The program includes interactive workshops, team activities, and real-world experiences to help you explore the various careers involved in moving people and goods. You’ll get a glimpse of college life and learn about engineering innovation. You’ll also complete a hands-on project guided by a faculty member from the ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering. Over five days, you’ll work on hands-on transportation challenges, explore ASU labs, and go on field trips to local transportation sites like traffic management centers, airports, and engineering facilities.
14. Arizona State University’s Healthcare Discovery Camp
Location: ASU’s Polytechnic campus, Mesa, around 40 minutes from Phoenix, AZ
Cost: $350 ($50 off for returning campers); need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – 19 | June 22 – 26
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students entering 8th or 9th grade in high school
ASU’s Healthcare Discovery Camp allows students entering 8th or 9th grade to explore health and wellness careers. During the camp, you’ll explore fields like veterinary medicine, nutrition, counseling and psychology, dentistry, and pre-med through hands-on activities, workshops, lab work, and panels with healthcare professionals. You’ll experience ASU’s Dreamscape Learn Lab. You’ll spend time at ASU’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa, learning alongside faculty, staff, and students from the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts. You’ll also develop important skills like communication, problem-solving, leadership, and creativity, as well as experience college life.
15. ASU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Bootcamp
Location: Arizona State University, Tempe, around 18 minutes from Phoenix, AZ
Cost: $500 + $25 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Small cohort sizes
Dates: June 8 – 12 | June 22 – 26
Application Deadline: April 10
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with a strong GPA who live in Arizona or plan to stay there over the summer
The EPICS Bootcamp is a nationally recognized social entrepreneurship program that allows students to learn about programs at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, explore engineering, and connect with ASU faculty and students. During the camp, you will design, build, and test engineering solutions for nonprofits, schools, and charities. You will learn engineering design, prototype testing, and rapid prototyping using tools like CAD, laser cutting, Arduino, and 3D printing. You will take part in project-based activities, tour ASU’s engineering labs and campus, and complete a hands-on project guided by engineering faculty. Community partners will share the real challenges their nonprofits face, and you will spend the week developing solutions. Past projects include 3D-printed prosthetics, service dog training tools, solar-powered battery systems, and enrichment toys for animals at the Phoenix Zoo.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, 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!
Image source – Arizona State University