If you’re a high schooler in California interested in engineering and looking for opportunities beyond the classroom, consider a summer engineering program!
Why should I do a summer engineering program as a high schooler?
Summer engineering programs are designed to provide hands-on experiences, allowing you to work on real-world projects and tackle challenges that professionals in the field face. These programs typically include robotics, aerospace, civil engineering, computer science, or even a basic introduction to engineering if you’re just starting out. They provide specialized training that helps you gain expertise in a specific area.
Through these programs, you will learn advanced technical skills and enhance your problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork abilities. You will also have the chance to collaborate with industry experts, professors, and fellow students.
California, specifically, is home to multiple universities and organisations that offer rigorous engineering summer programs – these make for more accessible options than in-person programs held outside of California, especially if you’re a California resident!
If you’re looking to explore engineering this summer, here are 10 summer engineering programs for high school students in California that provide you with hands-on learning and in-depth exposure.
1. National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) Engineering Summer Program
Cost: $4,195
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts run between June 13 and July 27
Deadline: April 1
Location: University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco, CA
Eligibility: High school students can apply
This program will help you develop the technical toolkit to think like an engineer, tackle multifaceted challenges, and innovate with precision. You will learn real-world engineering applications, such as bridge construction, programming, water filtration systems, model rocket design, and wind turbine engineering.
The program also includes using industry-standard software like AutoCAD to model and test your structural designs, sharpening your spatial reasoning and CAD skills. You will also engage with coding platforms like Python, where you will learn more about control systems, robotics, and simulations.
2. Robotics Summer Camp by Education Unlimited
Cost: $3,115 for extended day camp; $3,625 for overnight camp
Program Dates: July 20 – July 26
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders
In this course, you will work with the VEX5 robotics platform, one of the most advanced tools in educational robotics. In this one-week program, you will explore electrical circuits, power systems, and communication protocols that are the essential aspects of building a robot.
You will also employ the engineering design process, including designing, testing, and iterating, to enhance problem-solving within the robotic system and improve your skills in maintaining and servicing robotic machines. Overall, the program will train you to build a robot that tackles challenges such as navigating terrain and transporting objects. The week culminates in a robotics sports competition.
3. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Cost: Free; new participants receive a $4,000 stipend, and returning participants receive $4,500.
Program Dates: The internship lasts eight weeks during the summer, and it can be extended for up to two additional weeks.
Deadline: November 1
Location: Multiple SEAP lab locations in California
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least 9th grade, are at least 16 years old, and are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply, including graduating seniors. You should check if your selected lab has any additional requirements or exceptions.
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) provides high school students with internships in STEM fields, working alongside Navy scientists and engineers. Over eight weeks, you will contribute to naval research projects in the Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories, gaining hands-on experience.
This competitive program is designed for academically driven sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in the intersections of science, engineering, and naval technology. Selection is based on academic performance, recommendations, personal statements, and research interests, and placements are aligned with individual interests.
4. California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS)
Cost: $5,256
Program Dates: July 6 – August 2
Deadline: February 7
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz
Eligibility: California High School Students in grades 8-12
The COSMOS curriculum is designed with specific faculty expertise and research focus, providing specialized opportunities in various STEM disciplines. This program gives you access to resources and mentors who help you shape your educational journey and, eventually, your career options. It is a four-week program where you’ll get to dive deeply into subjects such as biotechnology, environmental science, robotics, and computer science.
5. Stanford University Introduction to Engineering Program
Cost: $5,177 – $18,443
Program Dates: June 23 — August 17
Deadline: May 23
Location: Stanford University. Stanford, CA
Eligibility: High School Students with AP Physics and AP Calculus or equivalent as prerequisites
This course takes an integrated approach and introduces you to basic concepts of engineering through fundamental scientific principles. The program involves applying balance equations to defined systems through concepts like conservation of mass, atomic species, charge, momentum, angular momentum, energy, and entropy, all expressed through. The program also includes laboratory experiences that will give you hands-on exposure to these principles in action, helping you lay a strong foundation for advanced engineering courses.
6. USC Summer Programs
Cost: $7,812 (commuter); $11,347 (residential)
Program Dates: June 15 – July 12
Deadline: May 2
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: High School Students
The USC Summer courses cover a broad range of engineering disciplines such as aerospace, biomedical, chemical, computer science, electrical, environmental, industrial, and mechanical engineering. In this program, you can work on diverse engineering challenges such as building and launching rockets, designing and flying RC airplanes, creating Arduino-based systems, constructing bridges, flying drones, using 3D printers, and programming robots and sensor devices. This program offers an immersive engineering experience where you get to visit industry locations like the Hyperion Treatment Plant, Apple, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
7. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) – Principles of Engineering Design
Cost: $1,500
Program Dates: June 29 – July 18 | July 20 – August 8
Deadline: May 2
Location: UC Santa Cruz, CA
Eligibility: Grades 7-11
In this course, you will design, build, and test working models and prototypes of projects like amphibious vehicles, solar-powered cars, bridges, or skyscrapers. This course will give you an overview of the principles of engineering design through training in skills such as using composite materials for vehicle strength, energy innovations, and bridge engineering. The most valuable aspect of the course is learning to integrate economic and ethical considerations into the engineering design process.
8. TryEngineering at the University of San Diego
Cost: $4,095
Program Dates: June 12 – June 19 | June 24 – July 2
Deadline: Rolling admissions (Early applications recommended)
Location: San Diego, CA
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
The TryEngineering Summer Institute offers hands-on projects, exciting workshops, and industry tours designed to build skills and enhance creativity in the dynamic world of engineering. You can choose any program that feels like the right fit for you. You can explore electrical engineering by building circuits and an AM radio or dive into mechanical engineering with hydraulic robot arms and a dice tower challenge. Other options are aerospace and civil engineering.
9. Ladder Internships (Engineering Track)
Cost: $2,490 (Financial Aid Available)
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Deadline: Summer cohort – April 13
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is an exclusive program designed for motivated high school students eager to gain experience in the start-up ecosystem. Participants will intern with rapidly growing start-ups across diverse sectors, including technology, health tech, journalism, engineering, and consulting. These start-ups often secure significant funding, with many raising over a million dollars. Notable founders of these companies may include YCombinator alumni and individuals with backgrounds from major corporations like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.
Interns work on real-world projects, contributing directly to a company’s growth while receiving mentorship from both company leaders and a dedicated Ladder coach. They will also present their work to the company, enhancing their professional development. The program provides individualized training in vital skills such as communication and time management, along with group training opportunities with peers. Typically, this virtual internship spans eight weeks, offering participants a comprehensive learning experience.
10. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Cost: $2,990 (12 weeks) | $5,900 (16-20 weeks). Financial aid is available.
Program Dates: June to August (summer). Fall, winter, and spring cohorts are also available.
Deadline: Summer deadlines are usually in March, April, and May.
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.3 out of 4 GPA
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program, founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, offers high school students the opportunity to work one-on-one with PhD mentors to develop an independent research project in their subject area. Selected students will undergo immersive sessions with their mentors, who will help them produce a college-level research paper based on their projects. Support from writing coaches will also be provided.
You can work in subject areas like mathematics, biology, data science, economics, psychology, business, gender studies, linguistics, environmental studies, philosophy, astrophysics, engineering, and more. The program will end with a symposium and give students a potential chance at publication.
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 – NSLC logo
