15 Summer Programs for High School Students in Orange County, CA
- Stephen Turban
- 4 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you are a high school student, summer is a great time to try something new and build skills outside of school. Summer programs give you the chance to work on projects or research with mentors, while others place you in real work environments. You can learn how professionals in different fields work and can explore subjects like science, healthcare, technology, politics, and the arts.Â
Orange County is home to various top universities and organizations that host programs during the summer. For an Orange County resident, a program close to home is often more affordable and easier to manage. It also gives you chances to meet local professionals, mentors, and peers who share your interests. Those connections, combined with the skills you gain, can give you a solid edge when applying to colleges.
To help you get started, we have put together a list of 15 summer programs for high school students in Orange County, CA!
Location: Students will be placed within a 45-minute commute of their home
Stipend: $3,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15%
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors or rising college freshmen who are at least 16 years old by the start of the internshipÂ
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program matches you with a local fisheries or aquatic science professional for eight weeks of mentored fieldwork. You’ll spend the summer learning about marine and freshwater environments through hands-on activities such as sampling, observation, and data collection. Along the way, you’ll complete progress reports and a final project to reflect on your experience. In addition, working closely with a mentor will give you direct exposure to career paths in fisheries biology.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
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: Kaiser Permanente centers nationwide
Stipend: $24/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application Deadline: January 6
Eligibility: High school students who are 16–19 years old
The KP Launch High School Program offers a workplace-focused internship in healthcare administration. Over seven weeks, you’ll work full-time alongside professionals in departments like nursing, internal medicine, or patient care services, though your projects will remain administrative to ensure compliance and safety. You’ll also take part in networking activities with peers, supervisors, and senior leaders. Mentorship is a key feature, as you’re paired with supervisors who guide you through your responsibilities and help you explore healthcare career options.
4. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
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.
Location: UCI Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences, Irvine, CA
Cost: $2,500 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: Session 1: July 7 – 18; Session 2: July 21 – August 1
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Rising high school students (including graduating 12th graders)
UC Irvine’s Summer Academy is a two-week program for high school students where you get to explore subjects like computer science, data analytics, AI, and software engineering. You’ll choose up to two areas to focus on, and work in small teams to solve real-world problems. The sessions are taught by UC Irvine professors, with help from graduate and undergraduate mentors. At the end, you and your team will present your findings to an audience of peers, parents, and faculty.Â
Location: Fowler School of Engineering, Orange, CA
Cost: $75/workshop
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: Several days across June – July
Application Deadline: Typically early June
Eligibility: High school students
Chapman University’s Fowler School of Engineering offers one-day summer workshops for high school students that are all about hands-on learning. You’ll get to explore topics like Python programming, machine learning, Arduino electronics, and game development, all in a practical, project-based format. In the Python workshop, you’ll learn the basics of coding and build small applications using real-world logic and data structures. The Arduino Smart Car session lets you solder circuits and program a microcontroller to navigate an obstacle course. If you’re into AI, the machine learning workshop introduces you to Python tools like OpenCV and shows how computer vision works.
Location: Chapman School of Pharmacy, Orange, CA
Cost: $1503
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Each cohort has 3–5 students
Dates: July 8 – 26
Application Deadline: Typically late May
Eligibility: High school students interested in research and/or health sciences with a 3.0+ GPA
The Pharmacy Summer Research Program at Chapman School of Pharmacy gives you the chance to spend three weeks exploring pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences in Orange, California. You’ll take part in lab experiments, research seminars, and guided projects where you design and complete your own study. Along the way, you’ll learn how to read and evaluate scientific literature, discuss health policies and evidence-based medicine, and explore new developments in pharmacy. The program also helps you practice presenting your findings in a professional setting, so you gain both technical and communication skills.
Location: UCI Medical Education, Irvine, CA
Cost: $1,750 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Session 1: June 23 – 27; Session 2: July 7 – 11
Application Deadline: Typically late March
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–19
MedAcademy at UC Irvine is a five-day summer program that gives high school students a hands-on introduction to medicine. You’ll spend the week learning and practicing real clinical skills such as suturing, ultrasound, and CPR at UCI’s Medical Education Simulation Center. You’ll also work with standardized patients (trained actors) to build your diagnostic and communication skills. Beyond the technical side, the program includes leadership training, advocacy workshops, and small group activities. You’ll hear directly from current UCI medical students about their journeys, and take part in team-building games and puzzles that help you connect with your peers.
Location: WeWork Irvine Spectrum Center, Irvine, CA
Cost: $1,495
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: OC Designer Camp 101: July 14 – 18; OC Fashion & Styling Camp: July 21 – 25
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 7th to 12th graders
The OC Designer Camp and OC Fashion & Styling Camp are summer programs for high school students in Orange County, CA that highlight design from multiple angles. At Designer Camp 101, you explore areas like branding, photography, interior styling, and visual merchandising. Workshops and industry talks are paired with behind-the-scenes tours, letting you see how design choices come to life in professional settings. At OC Fashion & Styling Camp, the emphasis shifts toward fashion: covering sketching, draping, styling, and trend forecasting. Both camps include the development of a portfolio you present at the end of the week, a piece you can continue building on after the program.
Location: TVT Community Day School, Irvine, CA
Cost: $650/course; $1,200 for the full day combo
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: ​June 30 – July 17
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 1 – 10
The UCI Writing Project’s Summer Youth Program is a well-rounded academic experience for students in grades 1 to 10. You can choose from writing, math, and science courses, each taught by certified instructors using research-based methods. Writing classes help you build stronger reading and composition skills, while math and science sessions focus on logic, problem-solving, and analytical thinking. Each course includes 30 hours of live instruction, split into morning (9:00 to 11:30 a.m.) and afternoon (12:00 to 2:30 p.m.) blocks.
Location: Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music, Orange, CA
Cost: $1,495 (limited financial assistance available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Instrumental Camp: July 6 – 12; Vocal Camp: June 22 – 28
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th graders
Chapman University’s summer music camps are immersive, week-long residential programs for high school students entering grades 9–12. Held on campus in Orange County, CA, the camps are split into two tracks: one for instrumentalists and one for vocalists.
The Instrumental Music Camp includes ensemble work for woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. You will also choose electives like film scoring, music technology, songwriting, and jazz improvisation. Each day features studio classes and masterclasses led by Chapman’s award-winning faculty and guest artists. The Vocal Music Camp focuses on large choir rehearsals, small ensemble work, and voice classes tailored to each student’s vocal range. Like the instrumental track, it includes daily instruction and masterclasses with experienced educators. Both camps end with a capstone performance at the Musco Center for the Arts, a professional venue on campus where students showcase what they’ve learned.
Location: Bytes & Bots, Irvine, CA
Cost: $300
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: Several camps across June – August
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students aged 6–18
Bytes and Bots runs week-long summer programs for high school students in Orange County, CA, where you learn coding, robotics, electronics, game design, and more through hands-on projects. Each camp has a different theme, such as building and programming LEGO robots, creating functional electronics with sensors and Python, or designing original video games. The open lab format encourages you to test ideas, solve problems, and move at your own pace. You’ll also practice applying STEAM concepts across your projects, blending creativity with technical skills. Programming tracks introduce logical problem solving and interface design, while robotics challenges emphasize engineering principles.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $40 application fee (can be waived) + $850 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 25 students
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students over the age of 14 who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship is a two-week virtual program where you explore how artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare. You will spend each day in live sessions with Stanford researchers and student mentors while also working on a team project that mirrors real research. Your schedule includes technical instruction on AI fundamentals, mentoring sessions, and group work where you and your peers build solutions to healthcare problems using AI. You’ll also hear career talks from professionals in academia, industry, nonprofits, and government, giving you a wider view of how AI connects to medicine.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: June 1 – August 1
Application Deadline: May 19
Eligibility: High school students (excluding graduating seniors) with a minimum 3.5 GPA
Run in partnership with USC’s Wrigley Institute, this online internship focuses on environmental policy and sustainability. You’ll complete two major assignments: a policy memo and a legislative process analysis, both tied to a bill you select. The bill can be current, passed, or one that failed in the legislative process, allowing you to explore how policy evolves. Alongside writing, you’ll attend five check-in sessions for feedback and guidance. Successful participants will see one of their assignments published online and gain recognition as a Summer Research Intern with both institutes.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Session One: June 23 – July 11; Session Two: July 14 – August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling until late January/early February
Eligibility: High school students who are 15–18 years old with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4 and are interested in healthcare research
The UCI Summer Online Research Program is a three-week virtual experience designed for high school students interested in biomedical research. Led by faculty from the UC Irvine School of Medicine, the program introduces you to core research methods, including how to conduct studies responsibly, evaluate medical literature, and write a formal research report. You’ll work at your own pace using email, Zoom, and podcasts, with guidance from undergraduate and postgraduate coaches. One of the standout features is the opportunity to draft and submit a research abstract to a national meeting, where accepted students may be listed as coauthors.
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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