Here’s a list of some of the top high school STEM summer programs and competitions. More details can be found in the links below.
- Columbia University Science Honors Program (NY, NJ area)
- The Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program
- National Institute of Health Summer Internship Program
- MIT Research Science Institute
- State Governor’s School
- Summer Science Program (New Mexico Tech and UC Boulder)
- AwesomeMath Camp
- Regeneron STS
- ISEF
- Siemens
- Google Science Fair
General Overview
These prestigious STEM programs could potentially lead to research opportunities. STEM school year programs are often regional in nature, as they may require a weekly commute. STEM Summer programs are often available to students from outside the region, but may require nearby housing if not provided through the program.
Potential programs include lectures during the school year, summer research opportunities usually offered through universities, summer STEM camps, science fairs, math competitions, and robotics competitions.
School Year Science Programs
Columbia University Science Honors Program (NY, NJ area)
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/shp/
Saturday lecture courses at Columbia University covering college level material in courses such as Relativity and Quantum Mechanics and Physiology.
Summer STEM Programs
The Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program
http://www.rockefeller.edu/outreach/summer_science
7 week biomedical research program at The Rockefeller University where students are paired with a research mentor.
National Institute of Health Summer Internship Program
https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip
Biomedical summer research at the NIH campuses in Maryland.
MIT Research Science Institute
http://www.cee.org/research-science-institute
Summer research program at MIT, selecting only 80 students internationally.
State Governor’s School
Depends on state availability. Summer STEM programs for rising seniors in each state. Students participate in lectures, hands-on labs and projects, and interact with guest speakers.
Summer Science Program
http://www.summerscience.org/
Two 39 day camps held on New Mexico Tech and University of Colorado Boulder campuses. Scholars participate in astrophysics hands-on research, lectures, and colloquia.
AwesomeMath Camp
https://www.awesomemath.org/summer-program/overview/program-information/
Paid summer math camp at University of Texas Dallas, Cornell University, and University of Puget Sound. Students engage in math education as well as recreational activities. Students often participate in the American Mathematics Competitions.
Science Fairs
Regeneron STS
https://student.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts
Regeneron Science Talent Search (formerly Intel STS) is a world-wide science fair/competition for high school aged students.
ISEF
https://student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef
Intel Science & Engineering Fair is a world-wide science fair/competition for high school aged students.
Siemens
https://siemenscompetition.discoveryeducation.com/about
Siemens Competition is a world-wide STEM fair/competition for high school aged students.
Google Science Fair
https://www.googlesciencefair.com/en/
Google Science Fair is a world-wide science fair/competition for high school aged students.
JSHS
https://www.jshs.org
Junior Science and Humanities Symposia is a prestigious scholarship program to engage students in science and research.
Maker Faire & Make Magazine
http://makerfaire.com/
The concept behind the Maker Movement is to get people into STEM by promoting the concept of DIY and individual creation.
STEM Competitions
USA Olympiads
American Mathematics Competitions (AMC/AIME/USAMO)
http://www.maa.org/math-competitions
National series of math exams culminating in the International Math Olympiad.
USA Biology Olympiad (USABO)
https://www.usabo-trc.org/
National series of biology exams.
U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/students/highschool/olympiad.html
National series of chemistry exams.
USA Physics Olympiad (USAPO)
https://www.aapt.org/physicsteam/2016/
National series of physics exams.
USA Computing Olympiad
http://www.usaco.org/
National series of computer science exams.
Science Olympiad
https://www.soinc.org
Team-based regional, state, and national competitions in various events such as Robot Arm, Forensics, and Invasive Species.
Hackathons
PennApps
http://2016f.pennapps.com
Hackathon at University of Pennsylvania
HackRU
http://www.hackru.org
Hackathon at Rutgers University
Online Courses and MOOCs
MIT OCW
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
With a goal to spread STEM education MIT OCW provides real courses from real professors prominent in the areas of study.
Coursera
https://www.coursera.org
Spreading knowledge and learning opportunities, Coursera provides courses from professors and respected institutions such as Stanford, MIT, Ivy League Colleges, and more.
Udacity Nanodegree Program
While it started out providing university style courses, it has in recent times pivoted to offering more direct vocational training and skill-based courses. Save 10% off when you use our link.
Udemy
A platform for anyone to start their own courses, it offers relatively focused and specific coursework in a wider range of topics than the traditional online course provider. Examples include their popular Python Bootcamp and top ranked ML course.
FutureLearn
Featuring learning resources primarily from the UK.
Robotics
FIRST Robotics
https://www.firstinspires.org
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. FIRST Robotics is an organization devoted to bringing STEM education to all ages of students. FIRST Lego League (FLL) caters to elementary school students, FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is geared towards middle school students, and FIRST Robotics Competition brings STEM education to high schoolers around the world. FIRST is the world’s most prestigious robotics competition with teams from around the world meeting in Saint Louis, Louisiana every year for the World Championships. It’s student engineering, at its best.
VEX Robotics
https://www.vexrobotics.com/vexedr/competition/
Compete on the world stage with VEX robotics. For middle school to high school aged students the VEX robotics competition offers a simpler alternative to FIRST, yet still expands STEM education and promotes the future of technology.
DARPA RC
https://www.darpa.mil/program/darpa-robotics-challenge
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA is the US government home of advanced robotics and technology. DRC or the DARPA Robotics Challenge is the world’s most prestigious search & rescue competition. Teams from numerous respected research institutions such as MIT, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory develop the world’s most advanced robots to compete in the DRC.
NASA Robotics
https://robotics.nasa.gov/events/competitions.php
The command center of robotics NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory support a wide range of robotics programs across the country.
