7 Business Summer Programs for High School Students in Colorado
- Stephen Turban
- Jul 8, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: May 19
Are you a Colorado high school student interested in exploring business? Or a budding entrepreneur with a great startup idea? Then you should consider using your summers to gain extra knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship!
A summer program (especially from a prestigious institute) can boost your college applications by indicating your interest in the subject. This list of programs we’ve compiled will enable you to do this. Each program will allow you to learn about business through lectures, mentorships, competitions, research papers, and more.
So let’s get started with our list of 7 of the best business summer programs for high school students in Colorado. Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a challenging 12-week summer program designed for high school students with a passion for research. It offers unparalleled one-on-one mentorship from Ph.D. researchers across a wide range of academic disciplines typically explored at the high school level. Students delve into an independent research project under the close guidance of their Ph.D. mentor and by the end of the program, participants will have completed an independent research paper showcasing their findings! Subject areas encompass various fields, including business, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, and more.
However, the program goes beyond simply mentors assisting with existing research projects. Students are encouraged to develop their own independent research questions. With their mentor's guidance, they navigate the entire research process, right from identifying a specific topic and area of investigation, to learning how to design a research methodology to gather and analyze data effectively and learning to communicate their research findings in a clear, concise, and well-structured research paper.
Location: Remote! You can participate from anywhere in the world.
Cost: $2,800; Need-based financial aid available.
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on cohort.
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in high school, with a high level of academic achievement (an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4).
EFL Virtual covers a wide range of topics within economics, including international markets, money and inflation, incentives and innovation, government, labor markets, and more. You will learn about leadership concepts within the context of the Leadership Pyramid Matrix, a framework commonly used in college-level courses. By fostering a deeper understanding of economic theory and its practical applications, EFL can help you navigate business challenges. For an additional fee, this program offers college credit. For a deeper dive into the program, check out this blog post here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $35 application fee; $800 program fee; scholarships ranging from $100 to $400 are available; an additional fee of $244 is applicable for college credit.
Program dates: Multiple 4-day programs over June and July.
Application deadline: Typically in May.
Eligibility: Sophomores and juniors in high school are eligible to apply.
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up bootcamp 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 having 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.
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2900. There is need-based financial aid.
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
Program Dates: Vary according to cohort
Application Deadline: Vary according to cohort
You can access the application link here!
4. CSU’s IT in Business Summer Business Program
IT in Business is a five-day program that explores how technology is shaping the business world. It offers high school students the opportunity to explore the intersection of technology and business. Led by CSU's College of Business faculty, you'll gain experience through activities like building robots, creating apps, and battling cybersecurity challenges. You will also learn about data visualization, tour campus facilities, and discover the potential of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence in entrepreneurship. There is a strong emphasis on networking with like-minded peers.
Location: Colorado State University - College of Business, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Cost: Free for all accepted participants; teaching materials and lunch included.
Program dates: June 17 - 21.
Application deadline: Applications typically open till the end of May.
Eligibility: Colorado residents who are enrolled in a Colorado high school.
The University of Colorado Boulder's KeyBank Business Leadership Program (BLP) is a fully funded, week-long program designed for students from underrepresented backgrounds, students of color, and first-generation students who are interested in business. The program allows you to explore business, develop leadership skills, and network with like-minded peers. You will work in teams to analyze a business problem presented by a corporate partner. This could involve creating a marketing campaign, crafting a solution to a customer service challenge, or proposing a new product or service idea. The winning team gets a $1,000 scholarship towards the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado.
Cost: Free for all accepted participants.
Program dates: June 23 - 29.
Application deadline: Applications typically open in December and close in April.
Eligibility: Students from underrepresented backgrounds, students of color, and first-generation high school students entering their senior year. Priority will be given to Colorado Residents and students enrolled in a Colorado High School.
The Global Business Academy is a summer business program hosted by Colorado State University. As a participant, you will experience campus life while gaining valuable skills that will support your entrepreneurial pursuits. You'll tackle business challenges, interact with industry leaders, and see firsthand how businesses function. You'll participate in interactive workshops, team-building exercises, skill development sessions, and more. By the end of the program, you will have a network of like-minded peers.
Location: Colorado State University - College of Business, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Cost: $3,750 program fee; scholarships are available.
Program dates: July 14 - July 24
Application deadline: Typically in June.
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 15-18 years old who are enrolled in a high school for the fall.
The Venture Validator Summer Camp is a week-long exploration of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. You will identify challenges, brainstorm solutions, and launch your own business. You will gain exposure to design thinking, a powerful framework used by businesses of all sizes. In one week, you will gain practical skills through customer discovery, market research, and business model development. You'll learn to analyze competition, prototype products, and pitch your ideas with confidence. The program also introduces core business principles and exposes you to diverse career paths in fields like marketing, supply chain management, and innovation.
Location: Both virtual and in-person options available (Fort Collins CSU Campus, SPUR Denver Campus, Fort Morgan, Sterling)
Cost: $75 program fee.
Program dates: June 10 - 14
Application deadline: Applications are typically open till the end of May.
Eligibility: Colorado residents who are enrolled in a Colorado high school.
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.
Image Source: Colorado State University logo