15 Summer Programs for High School Students in Colorado
- Stephen Turban
- Oct 12
- 9 min read
If you are a high school student looking for a way to spend your summer learning and gaining beneficial experience, a summer program can be a great next step! Summer programs give you early exposure to college-level academics, hands-on skills, and professional environments beyond what you can learn in a classroom. They also give you the chance to meet experts in the field, expand your perspectives, and apply what you’ve learned in meaningful ways. And if you’re based in Colorado and don’t want to travel beyond the state for the summer, you’re spoilt for choice with local programs.
Colorado is home to universities and organizations that host summer programs for high school students each year. Attending a local program can save on travel costs while giving you opportunities to explore areas like science, technology, the arts, or leadership, and to start building meaningful contacts for the future. No matter your area of interest, these experiences can help you grow academically and develop valuable skills.
To make your search easier, we’ve rounded up 15 top summer programs for high school students in Colorado.
15 Summer Programs for High School Students in Colorado
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program (financial aid available)
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Academically strong high school students. Accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week research experience designed for high school students like you. You work 1-on-1 with a Ph.D. mentor to design and complete your own independent project. By the end of the program, you’ll have written a research paper that reflects your own findings. You can choose topics across a wide range of fields, including psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, and international relations. Alumni have gone on to publish their work, win research competitions, and use their projects to strengthen future applications for college and scholarships.
Location: Denver, CO
Cost: Free; includes housing, meals, classes, and field trips
Dates: July 22–26
Deadline: Not posted; early application encouraged
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors from any Colorado high school
The Summer Link to College Program is a five-day, residential pre-college program hosted by the University of Denver through its Volunteers in Partnership initiative. The program gives you a firsthand experience of college life with dorm living, university-level classes, and cultural enrichment. You attend academic workshops led by DU professors, take part in leadership development sessions, and join seminars on financial aid and college readiness. You also receive training in time management and study skills, and participate in cultural field trips and campus events. The program provides ongoing mentorship from DU student leaders and includes follow-up activities during the school year.
3. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program (financial aid available)
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. The AI Scholars program is a short, group-based experience where you learn the basics of AI and machine learning by working on hands-on projects. It’s designed to help you understand core concepts and how they apply to real-world problems, like image recognition or recommendation systems. The AI Fellowship is a longer, more advanced option. You’ll work one-on-one with a mentor over 12 to 15 weeks to design and complete your own research project. This could be anything from building a predictive model to exploring ethical issues in AI.
4. Access DU
Location: Denver, CO
Cost: Free; includes housing, meals, and materials
Dates: July 17–19
Deadline: May 16
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; all backgrounds welcome
The Access DU Program is a three-day summer program hosted by the University of Denver for rising high school juniors and seniors. You can join if you are first-generation college-bound, from a rural or small-town community, from a low-income household, or from a historically underrepresented background. You connect with DU faculty, staff, and current students through workshops and campus activities. You explore college readiness topics, including admissions, financial aid, and essay writing. You also take part in leadership development, cultural competency sessions, and identity-based discussions.
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Cost: Free; includes housing, meals, and materials
Dates: May 31 – June 6
Deadline: April 25
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; priority for students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM
The Campos EPC ENvision Engineering Summer Program is a seven-day residential program at Colorado State University for rising high school juniors and seniors from across the U.S. You get hands-on experience in engineering through workshops, design challenges, and mentorship from CSU faculty and current engineering students. You take part in interactive learning sessions in multiple engineering fields, work on team-based design projects that simulate real-world problem-solving, and experience campus life through dorm stays and social activities. Priority is given to students from historically excluded populations.
Location: Colorado School of Mines, Colorado, US
Cost: Free ($50 for confirmation)
Application Deadline: February 28
Program Dates: Session 1: May 31 – June 5; Session 2: June 7 – June 12; Session 3: June 21 – June 26
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (current juniors); priority for first-gen and underrepresented students in STEM
The Summer Mines Engineering and Training Program at Colorado School of Mines is a one-week, residential program for rising high school seniors. You get an introduction to college-level science, engineering, and technology while living on campus. You work on a main design project with a team, applying engineering principles in a collaborative setting. You also attend mini-workshops in fields such as mechanical engineering, computer science, and chemistry. The program includes a tour of the Edgar Experimental Mine.
Location: Fort Collins, CO (Christman Field and CSU Drone Center)
Cost: Free; includes instruction and equipment use
Dates: June 11–17 | June 25–July 1 | July 23–29
Deadline: Rolling deadlines by session; final deadline expected in early July
Eligibility: High school students ages 14–18; no prior drone experience required
The Drone Aviation Pathways Summer Program at Colorado State University is a free, week-long experience for Colorado high school students and instructors who are interested in aviation, aerospace, and drone technology. You take part in hands-on training with unmanned aircraft systems and prepare to earn your FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification. You learn to fly a variety of drones at the CSU Drone Flight School, simulate UAV operations and data collection through mission planning exercises, and attend classroom sessions on flight safety, regulations, and drone applications. At the end of the week, you take the FAA Part 107 certification exam.
Location: Denver School of the Arts, Denver, CO
Cost: Free to attend; meals included
Dates: June 9 – July 2 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–1:30 PM)
Deadline: Not specified; orientation held June 5
Eligibility: Incoming 9th–12th grade students; priority for students from marginalized backgrounds
The Achieving Excellence Academy is a multi-year summer program for high school students, especially those from historically underserved communities. Hosted by Denver Public Schools, the program focuses on cultural learning, leadership development, and student empowerment while celebrating Black, Latinx, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander, and Native American and Indigenous identities. You take part in workshops and cultural excursions that explore heritage, identity, and community. Daily instruction led by community partners helps you develop self-awareness and skills for building coalitions.
Location: Boulder, CO
Cost: Free; includes housing, meals, and instruction
Dates: July 20 – August 1
Deadline: Typically March–April
Eligibility: String musicians ages 11–17 (violin, viola, cello, bass); video audition required
The Sphinx Performance Academy is a full-scholarship summer program for string musicians aged 11 to 17 who play violin, viola, cello, or bass. You attend the program at top institutions such as the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, The Juilliard School, or the University of Colorado Boulder. The program focuses on chamber music and solo performance while emphasizing cultural diversity and artistic development. You receive private lessons from faculty, participate in masterclasses and recitals to refine your technique and stage presence, and train in chamber orchestra and solo repertoire specific to your instrument. You also take part in career enrichment sessions and mentorship from professional musicians.
Location: Boulder, CO
Cost: Free; includes meals, instruction, and materials
Dates: June 21–27
Deadline: Expected May–June; check program site for updates
Eligibility: Colorado high school juniors (rising seniors); priority for first-gen and underrepresented students
The KeyBank Business Leadership Program is a fully-funded, week-long residential program hosted by the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. You work in teams on real-world business challenges through a case competition, often creating marketing campaigns for corporate partners such as KeyBank, EY, Deloitte, and Arrow Electronics. You also attend professional development sessions on diversity, equity, and inclusion, social identities and networking, social media strategy, business ethics, and entrepreneurship.
Location: Denver, CO
Cost: Free to attend
Dates: Year-round program with monthly workshops and summer residential experience
Deadline: Students are nominated by school counselors; no public deadline
Eligibility: First-generation high school students with a minimum 2.5 GPA; must attend a partner school
The CU Denver Pre-Collegiate Development Program is a year-round academic enrichment program for high school students who are first-generation college-bound, meaning neither parent has completed a four-year college degree. You take part in monthly Saturday Academies that focus on study skills, test preparation, time management, and leadership development. You also receive guidance on college planning, including financial aid, career exploration, and course selection. The program includes cultural enrichment activities to promote appreciation of the arts and diverse identities.
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Cost: Not Specified
Application Deadline: April 21
Program Dates: June 10-14
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (current juniors graduating in May)
The Black Issues Forum at Colorado State University is a five-day, residential summer program for rising high school seniors who want to learn more about Black heritage and engage in discussions on issues affecting the African Diasporic community. You stay on the CSU campus in Fort Collins and take part in research, personal development workshops, and leadership training in an immersive environment. You live in residence halls, work with CSU faculty, staff, and student mentors, and explore topics through structured activities and group discussions. On completion, you will earn one free CSU credit hour and may qualify for the Partnership Award, a scholarship for those who choose to attend CSU.
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Cost: $1770 (residential), $1170 (commuter)
Application Deadline: February 3
Program Dates: June 16-20
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10–12 in Fall; must be at least 15 years old by June 15th
The SciVet Summer Program at Colorado State University is a week-long, hands-on experience for high school students entering grades 10 to 12 who are at least 15 years old. You explore veterinary medicine through lab investigations and outdoor fieldwork, including moderate hiking, while working with CSU faculty, guest presenters, and mentors. You study topics such as wildlife research and water quality, equine-assisted therapy, scientific illustration and dendrochronology, integrative veterinary medicine and veterinary business, and native bee studies and wolf ecology. Y
14. CSU Dance Lab
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Cost: $75 registration + $1,400 tuition
Dates: August 3–16
Deadline: June 14 (first-come, first-served; limited to 24 dancers)
Eligibility: Dancers ages 14+ at any experience level
The CSU Dance Lab is a two-week college preparatory summer program hosted by Colorado State University’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. The program gives you training in classical and contemporary dance, choreography, repertory, theory, and composition. You take daily technique classes in movement and performance, attend writing sessions to develop artist statements, and participate in lectures on dance history, music, nutrition, and injury prevention. You also rehearse repertory pieces that are performed publicly at the end of the program. Faculty, current dance majors, and guest artists provide mentorship. Past guest instructors have included Melissa Hale Coyle for ballet and Shoko Tamai, a choreographer known for blending martial arts and contemporary dance.
Location: Colorado State University, CO, USA
Cost: $3750
Application Deadline: June 1
Program Dates: July 13-23
Eligibility: Open to current high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
The Global Business Academy at Colorado State University is a 10-day summer program for high school students aged 15 to 18 who want to explore entrepreneurship, leadership, and global business strategy. You stay in university dorms and take part in hands-on learning experiences that give you real-world insight into business innovation. You participate in team-building exercises at CSU’s Mountain Campus, workshops on entrepreneurship, ethics, innovation, and decision-making, and fireside chats and site visits with local and global executives. You also get college and career coaching from CSU faculty and advisors and take part in outdoor activities such as hiking and whitewater rafting to strengthen leadership and collaboration skills.
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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