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Writer's pictureStephen Turban

10 Free Summer Programs for Chicago High School Students in 2024

Summer programs can be a valuable investment for students looking to explore career paths, gain practical experience, and develop skills beyond the scope of high school. These experiences offer unique personal and professional development and can have a positive impact on your college applications. 


Fully funded programs are particularly helpful for college admissions because they tend to be more competitive. Participating in a free summer program such as the ones listed here can show admissions officers that you stand out amongst a pool of accomplished high school students. 


Here are 10 free summer programs for high school students in Chicago.



Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!

Eligibility:

  • You must be currently enrolled in high school

  • Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)

  • No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!

Program Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, Spring from March to June 

Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The main summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, and May 15


The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. 


The program pairs high-school students with PhD mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.




Location: Virtual

Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.

Program Dates: Various according to the cohort

Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort

Cost: Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here 


Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs tailored for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects. 


Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. The fellowship encourages students to explore interdisciplinary approaches, enabling them to merge AI with various fields such as finance, medicine, sports, environmental science, and more! You can also check out some examples of past projects here. 




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!

Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year

Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort 

Cost: Financial aid is available


Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. Past founders have included YCombinator alumni, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. 


Interns are offered one-on-one training in communication, time management, and other such valuable skills and will also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.




Location: Virtual 

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

Program Dates:

  • Summer seminar: June 24 – September 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)

  • Lab dates are flexible, but students must apply 4 weeks in advance

Application Deadline: May 21, 2025 for the summer cohort (tentative, based on the 2024 program)

Cost: Financial aid is available


Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. 


Once you select a particular subject track and the type of research you wish to carry out, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar from a reputed university who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. 


This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects. Apply here!




Location: Virtual

Eligibility: Open to all students who are currently enrolled in high school

Program Dates: 3 weeks in the summer

Application Deadline: TBA for 2025, summer deadlines are typically in May. You can access the application link here!


The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.


Apart from building the start-up itself, you will also participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more.


The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.




Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Eligibility: Current 11th-grade students who are at least 15 years old and enrolled in a U.S. high school

Program Dates: July 21 – 26, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)

Application Deadline: March 5, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)


This program, held at the University of Chicago, offers high school students a unique STEM learning opportunity. It begins with a virtual mathematics preparatory course hosted by Schoolhouse.world, after which students benefit from a week-long residential experience on campus. During this week, you will participate in classes, tours, and lectures on various STEM disciplines. 


You will hear from the UChicago faculty and alumni in various fields, including computer science, mathematics, and molecular engineering. You will also visit the Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and other cutting-edge research facilities. This program aims to promote inclusivity and diversity in STEM by offering students from various backgrounds access to STEM education and exploration.




Location: Virtual

Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors OR rising college freshmen who can commit to 4 hours per day on weekdays for the 2-week program

Program Dates: 2-week, part-time program that typically runs in the second half of July

Application Deadline: March 4, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)

Stipend: $500 taxable stipend


This multi-institutional program aims to give women and other underrepresented students an introduction to the scientific community. It is funded by the American Cancer Society and is ideal for students interested in medicine, particularly cancer biomedicine. Up to 20 trainees are enrolled each year. The program involves hands-on cancer research with a home laboratory kit. 


You will research genetics and work on a patient case study project as you explore key facets of cancer science and care. Faculty lectures, skill-building workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities further enhance the experience and ensure that you have the knowledge and resources to pursue a biomedical career.




Location: Discovery Partners Institute, Chicago, IL

Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-grade students as well as first-year college students at City Colleges of Chicago and Illinois institutions

Program Dates: June 24 – August 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)

Application Deadline: May 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)


An intensive summer experience, the Digital Scholars Program was launched in 2020 and has served over 250 students. It aims to diversify the pool of Illinois students who are interested in tech-related or computer science degrees. The program is especially focused on serving Black and Latinx, CPS and Chicago-area, young women and first-generation students.


Courses include Data Science Discovery, Exploring Electrical Engineering, Swift Mobile App Development & Design, and Foundations in Computer Science & Coding. You will also benefit from making industry connections through networking opportunities, including workshops and daily talks. Skill-building efforts in collaboration, communication, and personal brand-building further enhance this course and ensure you will receive a holistic experience that boosts your career readiness.




Location: Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL 

Eligibility: Middle school, high school, and college students. Post-graduate students are also welcome!

Program Dates: 4 to 7 weeks in the summer

Application Deadline: Not specified

Stipend: Paid internships are offered for eligible Chicago Public High School students in the College First program


Chicago Botanic Garden’s Science Career Continuum has two main programs for high schoolers: Science First and College First. In the Science First program, about 40 students are selected from various Chicago Public Schools to travel to the Garden and spend 4 weeks building new skills. These include honing their observational skills in display areas such as the Waterfall or Rose Gardens, interviewing plant geneticists in research labs, and learning about predator-prey relationships through educational games. 


Upon completing the Science First program, students are invited to apply for College First. College First is a paid internship program offered to about 20 eligible Chicago Public High School students, which includes career mentorship and college prep and assistance.

You will spend 7 weeks exploring various science careers and have access to the Garden’s resources as you learn about native plants and ecosystems. You will also work on research projects and presentations in preparation for your academic and professional career. 




Location: Chicago, IL

Eligibility: High school or college students

Program Dates: Rolling dates

Application Deadline: Rolling deadline. Applications must include a single PDF with a cover letter, resume, transcript, writing sample, and ARDC printout (if applicable)

Stipend: None


This is a highly competitive program that enables high school students to work closely with a recognized legal organization, offering a challenging but rewarding experience.


It gives you a realistic picture of what working in law and public service entails. You can work on diverse legal projects, conduct research and analysis, and shadow attorneys and law students to gain first-hand insights into how the legal system works. While there is no one-on-one mentorship involved, this is a great program for students who wish to hone their research skills.




Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Eligibility: Current 11th-grade students who are at least 15 years old and enrolled in a U.S. high school

Program Dates: July 28 – August 2, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)

Application Deadline: March 5, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)

Cost: The application fee is automatically waived for any applicant who selects any Enrichment Program as their first choice


This is a week-long residential program that introduces students to various careers in the energy and policy sector. It includes rigorous discussion-based classes, lectures, reading, and collaborative practical projects. This helps you learn about current issues in climate and energy as well as the academic and professional opportunities available in the field.


The program includes a tour and discussion panel at Invenergy's Chicago headquarters, where the organization’s members discuss their experiences in the industry. You will gain a clearer understanding of what you can achieve with a STEM degree. To apply, you must submit an online application, transcript, supplement, essays, at least one teacher’s recommendation, and one parent/guardian’s confirmation email.


Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.



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