15 STEM Programs for High School Students in Orlando, Florida
- Stephen Turban
- 1 hour ago
- 9 min read
If you are a high school student interested in STEM, finding programs can be an excellent choice to build a deeper understanding, learn advanced concepts, and connect with people working in these fields. STEM programs give you time to focus on how these fields are studied at higher levels and applied in industry.
Why consider a STEM program in Orlando, Florida?
Orlando has universities, research centers, hospitals, and technology-focused organizations that run programs for high school students. In these programs, you might work in labs, analyze data, or build projects. STEM programs add depth to your college applications by showing that you’ve chosen to spend time developing your interests. Staying local helps keep costs lower, since travel and housing are typically not required.
To help you explore your options, here are 15 STEM programs for high school students in Orlando, Florida!
Location: Orange County, FL
Cost: Free. You earn a stipend
Dates: June 15 – July 23
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school juniors enrolled in Orange County Public Schools
The Career Exploration Experience (CEE) is a hybrid program run by Central Florida Leaders and Organizations Consortium that blends real workplace exposure with structured skill-building. You split your time between working with a host company and joining workshops focused on how professional environments function. At the company, you collaborate on a group project, sit in on meetings, and see how teams communicate and make decisions. Alongside that work, CLAOC sessions focus on practical topics like communication, networking, personal branding, financial basics, and using AI tools in a work setting. The program ends with a formal presentation of your project to the host company, giving you experience in presenting ideas in a professional context.
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by the program. Full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students; strong academic performance
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. You are paired one-on-one with a Ph.D. mentor and work on an original research project in a field of your choice. Subjects range from computer science and data science to chemistry, economics, and psychology. Over the program duration, you develop a full research paper under close mentorship. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Location: U.S. Army Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC), Orlando, FL
Cost: Free
Dates: Summer sessions, dates vary by cohort
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Middle and high school students interested in STEM and workforce development.
The GEMS Central Florida Summer Program introduces you to STEM through the lens of modeling, simulation, and training work used in real industries. Hosted at the U.S. Army Simulation and Training Technology Center, the program shows how simulation tools are used to test ideas, train professionals, and solve complex problems. You work through hands-on activities led by industry professionals and near-peer mentors, with examples drawn from defense systems, healthcare training, and large-scale simulations. Support from groups like STARBASE Central Florida and the National Center for Simulation keeps the focus on careers and workplace skills, treating you more like a junior professional than a student.
4. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by the program. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs 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, you will be 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, you 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. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
Location: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: $450
Dates: July 14–July 18
Application Deadline: Check here for the latest updates.
Eligibility: High school students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or healthcare
The Health Leaders Summer Academy is a hands-on summer program hosted by the University of Central Florida for high school students interested in medicine and health-related careers. During the academy, you will engage in clinical activities, explore health-focused academic pathways at UCF, and tour university campuses and facilities. You also have the opportunity to connect with healthcare providers from a range of specialties, helping you better understand different roles within the medical and health professional workforce.
Location: CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: Early Bird: $550 | Regular: $650
Dates: One-week camps held in July
Application Deadline: Registration closes June 15
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10–12
The Laser & Photonics Summer Camp is a one-week, hands-on STEM program hosted by CREOL at the University of Central Florida. This program introduces you to the fundamentals of photonics and how light-based technologies are used in areas such as medical imaging, fiber optics, autonomous vehicles, and digital displays. Each day combines short lectures with interactive lab sessions, allowing you to experiment with optical concepts and tools in a university research setting. You will also attend presentations by CREOL faculty and industry professionals, offering insight into academic pathways and real-world applications of photonics.
7. Camp Connect
Location: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: Camp Connect I & II: $200 | Camp Connect Advanced: $300
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions held June–July
Application Deadline: Varies by track; applications generally close between April and May
Eligibility: Rising 8th–12th-grade students, age and prerequisite requirements vary by track
Camp Connect is a hands-on engineering program hosted by the University of Central Florida that focuses on showing how engineering and computer science work in practice. You will rotate through activities that introduce fields like mechanical, electrical, aerospace, civil, environmental, and computer engineering, along with computer science. The days mix lab tours, faculty-led sessions, and team projects that mirror how problems are approached at the university level. The program is structured in three tracks, starting with broad exposure for beginners, moving into more hands-on continuation for returning participants, and ending with an advanced option where you work in teams on discipline-specific projects with closer faculty guidance.
Location: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: $450
Dates: July 22–July 26
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in February
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who have completed a general biology course with a B or higher and can provide a teacher recommendation.
The Biology Summer Institute is a one-week, non-residential STEM program hosted by the University of Central Florida for high school students interested in biology, ecology, and environmental science. The program focuses on Central Florida’s ecosystems and introduces you to field techniques used in water quality assessment, vegetation monitoring, forest ecology, and wildlife studies involving species such as gopher tortoises and marine turtles. You spend most days engaged in hands-on fieldwork alongside professional biologists, along with one dedicated lab day focused on basic data analysis and scientific communication. The institute also includes an overnight field experience with university-provided transportation to a coastal wildlife refuge.
Location: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: $1,250
Dates: June 1– June 19, weekdays only
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in January; early and final deadlines fall in late March and mid-April
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in grades 7–11 who are at least 13 years old.
The Computer Science Summer Institute is an intensive three-week, non-residential program hosted by the University of Central Florida for students interested in computer science and computing technologies. The program combines interactive instruction with individualized support, allowing you to build foundational skills in programming while exploring broader topics through lectures. Instruction is organized into multiple levels, including programming and game design tracks as well as an introduction to competitive programming, with placement based on experience and math background. Enrollment is capped at 35 students, making the program selective and academically focused.
Location: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: $275
Dates: One-week program; summer dates announced in early spring
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in mid-February
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors must be at least 15 years old and meet academic requirements.
The Mathematical Exploration Summer Institute is a non-residential program designed for high school students interested in mathematics beyond the standard high school curriculum. Hosted by the University of Central Florida, the program emphasizes conceptual understanding through hands-on activities, group work, and lectures led by UCF faculty. You will explore advanced mathematical ideas by developing arguments, solving non-routine problems, and communicating insights to peers. Admission is selective, with preference given to students who have completed Algebra II, maintain a strong academic record, and demonstrate sustained interest in mathematics. Enrollment is capped at 20 students, allowing for focused instruction and meaningful peer interaction.
Location: Orlando Science Schools, Orlando, FL
Cost: Not specified
Dates: Offered during the academic year
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students enrolled at Orlando Science Schools.
The PLTW Engineering Pathway is a rigorous, multi-year STEM curriculum offered at Orlando Science Schools through Project Lead the Way. The pathway introduces you to core engineering disciplines through project-based learning that emphasizes the engineering design process, problem-solving, and application. Coursework includes topics such as sustainability, aerodynamics, digital electronics, manufacturing systems, and robotics, with you using industry-standard software and tools. The sequence typically begins with foundational engineering design and principles courses, followed by specialization options such as aerospace engineering, civil engineering and architecture, digital electronics, or a capstone engineering design course.
Location: Orlando Science Schools, Orlando, FL
Cost: Not specified
Dates: Offered during the academic year
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students enrolled at Orlando Science Schools.
The PLTW Biomedical Science Pathway at Orlando Science Schools offers an in-depth, case-based exploration of medicine, human biology, and public health through the Project Lead the Way framework. The curriculum allows you to study topics such as human body systems, genetics, microbiology, disease prevention, diagnostics, and medical interventions using real-world scenarios. Coursework progresses from foundational biomedical principles to advanced applications, culminating in an innovation-focused capstone where students design solutions to contemporary health challenges. Throughout the pathway, you develop scientific reasoning, data analysis, collaboration, and communication skills aligned with healthcare and life sciences careers.
Location: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: $1,600–$2,900 per course
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions held June–July
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students; international and out-of-state students may apply
Future Physicians America (FPA) runs a modular summer medical program on the campus of the University of Central Florida that lets you choose how deeply you want to engage with medicine. You can take individual one-week clinical courses or stack multiple sessions to explore different areas. Coursework centers on simulation and case-based learning in fields such as cardiology, trauma and surgical skills, neurology, psychiatry, and dermatology. For a deeper academic focus, advanced options introduce medical writing or clinical research, where you learn how studies are designed, analyzed, and presented. Most learning happens in person, with small groups and close instructor guidance shaping the experience.
Location: Lake Highland Preparatory School, Orlando, FL
Cost: Not specified
Dates: Summer sessions, dates vary by camp
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Kids and teens, including high school students.
Drobots Company offers drone and technology-focused summer camps designed to introduce you to STEM through hands-on, team-based challenges. Hosted in Orlando at Lake Highland Prep, the camps emphasize robotics, drones, and applied technology using a project-based, gamified learning approach. You work in small teams to solve missions that require creativity, problem-solving, and coordination, with instruction led by trained adult staff. A core feature of the program is balancing technology use with physical activity, encouraging learning in both indoor and outdoor environments. The camps are run by Drobots Company and are structured to support collaboration, confidence-building, and practical STEM skill development.
Location: SeaWorld Orlando, FL
Cost: $500 per week
Dates: Weekly sessions held June – August
Application Deadline: Rolling admission; registration typically opens in late Fall/Early Winter and spots fill quickly.
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12
The Marine Zoological Careers Camp is a specialized week-long program at SeaWorld Orlando designed for high school students seriously interested in animal sciences, veterinary medicine, and marine biology. Unlike a standard summer camp, this program focuses on career exploration. You go behind the scenes to see how a large-scale zoological facility operates, learning from animal care specialists and trainers. The curriculum includes water quality testing, diet preparation, and behavioral observation, culminating in exclusive experiences like an in-water shark encounter.
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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