15 Business Summer Programs for High School Students in Colorado
Summer break can be a great time to gain hands-on experience and explore your interests in business. Business summer programs for high school students offer opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and leadership while building practical skills and connecting with peers and mentors. These programs let you test ideas, understand how companies operate, and develop skills that can help in college and future careers.
If you’re a high school student living in Colorado, there are many programs nearby that make it easier to participate without incurring high travel or housing costs. Local programs also allow you to connect with professors, industry professionals, and fellow students in your region. Colorado offers both in-person programs across the state and virtual options, giving you flexibility while still providing meaningful exposure to business concepts and experiences.
To help you explore these opportunities, we’ve compiled a list of 15 business summer programs for high school students in Colorado, including several virtual programs you can join from anywhere.
15 Business Summer Programs for High School Students in Colorado
1. Colorado State University Global Business Academy
Location: Colorado State University College of Business, Fort Collins, CO
Cost: $3750; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July 13–23 (10 days)
Application Deadline: February 1 Early; June 1 Final
Eligibility: High‑school students aged 15–18
Hosted at CSU’s College of Business, the Global Business Academy immerses you in college life while teaching core business concepts. You’ll spend 10 days living in residence halls, participating in team‑building activities at CSU’s Mountain Campus, and touring local companies to see business principles in action. Classes cover finance, marketing, leadership, and global business. You’ll also meet executives from international firms and collaborate on a team project that culminates in a final presentation. This program offers a comprehensive introduction to business and a taste of college life in Fort Collins.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies based on program type; full need‑based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing
Ladder connects you with start-ups and high-growth companies for 8-week virtual internships. You’ll work on real projects, such as market research, product development, or social media strategy, and meet weekly with mentors from the company and a Ladder coach. Ladder’s flexible schedule makes it one of the more accessible business summer programs for high school students in Colorado, especially if you want real‑world experience without relocating.
3. CSU IT in Business Program
Location: Colorado State University College of Business (Rockwell Hall), Fort Collins, CO
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 2–6
Application Deadline: May 11
Eligibility: High‑school students
CSU’s five‑day IT in Business program introduces you to the role of technology in modern enterprises. You’ll build a simple app, program a robot, play cybersecurity games, and analyze data visualizations while learning from professors and industry professionals. You’ll also tour campus facilities like the Morgan Library’s maker space and the College of Business trading room. The small cohort ensures plenty of hands‑on time with faculty. If you’re curious about how coding and analytics intersect with business, this program offers a low‑cost way to explore that field.
4. Young Founders Lab
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program type (team-based/individual); need‑based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Vary based on cohort and program type
Application Deadline: Varies based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students worldwide (grades 9–12)
Young Founders Lab gives you the chance to create a start‑up from scratch. You’ll brainstorm ideas, validate them through customer interviews, and develop a prototype, all while receiving guidance from mentors in Silicon Valley. The group program requires 8–10 hours per week and includes live workshops, self‑paced assignments, and weekly mentor check‑ins. An individual track is available if you want a more flexible schedule. The program ends with a demo day where you pitch to investors, gaining valuable practice in presenting your idea.
5. CSU Venture Validator Summer Camp
Location: CSU SPUR campus, Denver, CO
Cost: $75 with scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 9-13
Application Deadline: Until filled
Eligibility: Rising 7th–10th graders
This week‑long camp helps you identify, develop, and test a business idea using thinking tools based on CSU’s venture‑validation process. After identifying a real-world problem that you want to tackle, you’ll conduct customer interviews, perform market research, and build a prototype before pitching to the judges. In addition to entrepreneurial skills, you’ll tour the new CSU SPUR facility and meet start‑up founders.
6. CSU First‑Generation Business Summit
Location: Colorado State University College of Business, Fort Collins, CO
Cost/Stipend: None (requires a $25 refundable registration fee)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Exact dates vary yearly
Application Deadline: March - April
Eligibility: First‑generation students entering 10th–12th grade or recent graduates
CSU’s First‑Generation Business Summit supports students who are the first in their families to attend college. This business summer program for high school students in Colorado offers mentorship and resources to help you chart your path. During the week, you’ll live in campus dorms, team up for a case‑study competition, learn about business majors, and visit Fort Collins companies to see how local businesses solve production and distribution problems. You’ll also have the opportunity to pitch your business ideas to a mock board of investors and win prizes. High‑performing teams receive scholarships to CSU’s College of Business.
7. University of Colorado Boulder Business Leadership Program
Location: Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: None (best team wins a $1,000 scholarship to the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: June 21–27 (one week)
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: High‑school juniors who are Colorado residents, including those from underrepresented or first‑generation backgrounds
Leeds’ Business Leadership Program (BLP) selects talented high‑school juniors for an intensive case‑based experience. You’ll stay on campus for a week, work on a marketing campaign for a corporate partner, and compete for a $1,000 scholarship. Workshops cover leadership, ethics, and career exploration, and you’ll tour Boulder and meet business executives. Because the program is free, thanks to corporate sponsors, it’s an accessible way for students from diverse backgrounds to explore business at a top‑ranked university.
8. Women in Business Case Competition
Location: Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: None (compete to win a $1,000 scholarship to the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: June 10–12
Application Deadline: December 1 - March 13
Eligibility: High‑school juniors who are Colorado residents, including those from underrepresented, low‑income, or first‑generation backgrounds
This three‑day case competition challenges you to solve a business problem with a gender‑equity lens. Working in small teams, you’ll analyze a real‑world case and present your innovative solution to a panel of faculty and corporate partners. The program is free because corporate sponsors cover tuition, housing, and meals, and the winning team earns a $1,000 scholarship toward the Leeds School of Business. In addition to honing your analytical and presentation skills, you’ll tour campus, network with college students and executives, and gain insight into women’s experiences in business.
9. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Location: Placements at local non‑profits across Colorado with a week‑long summit in Washington, D.C.
Stipend: Undisclosed; Bank of America covers travel, lodging, and meals for the summit in DC
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: July 21-26; exact dates vary by program
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors legally authorized to work in the U.S.
Student Leaders is a national program that pays you to intern at a local non‑profit and attend a leadership summit in Washington, D.C. In this 8-week paid internship program, you’ll work about 20 hours per week, tackling projects like fundraising, community outreach, or program evaluation. During the summit, you meet government officials, discuss civic engagement, and network with peers from across the country. If you’re looking for business summer programs for high school students in Colorado that combine leadership, service, and pay, this program is a good option.
10. Foundation for Teaching Economics – Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy
Location: Residential programs at selected university campuses; also has a virtual option
Cost: Residential cost varies based on program location ($2000-$2600); virtual $900; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective; 30-40 students
Dates: One‑week sessions (exact dates vary by site)
Application Deadline: Varies based on site
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
FTE’s Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy (EGE) program teaches you how markets work and how entrepreneurs solve problems. Professors cover supply and demand, trade, externalities, and economic reasoning, while guest entrepreneurs share practical insights. You’ll participate in simulations, work in small teams to analyze a market and develop a business idea, culminating in a final pitch. Though locations vary, Colorado students can attend sessions at nearby universities or participate online.
11. Moolah U Kid Business Camp
Location: Virtual
Cost: $425/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; small groups
Dates: One‑week sessions during the summer with three Zoom calls daily (dates vary)
Application Deadline: Rolling until sessions fill
Eligibility: Ages 8–16 (includes early high‑school students)
Moolah U’s week‑long camp teaches you how to launch a micro‑business from start to finish. Each morning, you brainstorm ideas and conduct market research; midday sessions focus on pricing and budgeting; and afternoons are devoted to marketing and making your first sale. You’ll meet mentors, design a minimum viable product, and learn to pitch to an investor panel. Sessions are entirely online with three daily Zoom calls and self‑directed work in between. If you’re a younger high‑schooler looking for a flexible, at‑home option, Moolah U offers practical lessons in entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
12. Junior Achievement Dream Accelerator
Location: Daniels Fund JA Dream Accelerator at the JA Free Enterprise Center, Greenwood Village, CO
Cost/Stipend: None; includes pre‑ and post‑lesson curriculum resources
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: scheduled throughout the year
Application Deadline: Teachers and organizations schedule visits; no public deadline
Eligibility: High‑school students; open to schools and youth groups
This business summer program for high school students in Colorado is an immersive career‑exploration experience. In these 90-minute sessions, you’ll rotate through interactive stations such as Picture Your Strengths, Colorado Business Hall of Fame, Reality Check, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Colorado Companies to Know, and Career Pathways & Education. These stations help you identify personal strengths, understand Colorado’s business history, create a monthly budget, and develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Volunteers and Colorado entrepreneurs mentor these sessions, helping you discover careers and align your passions with future opportunities.
13. Business at a Glance: Program for Diverse High School Students
Location: Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: None; includes breakfast, lunch, materials, and parking
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: September 13 (the date may vary yearly)
Application Deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: First‑generation, low‑income, or diverse high‑school students
This one‑day campus event gives you a taste of business school life. Throughout the day, you’ll rotate through workshops on accounting, social responsibility and sustainability, finance, strategy/entrepreneurship/operations, and marketing. A Lunch & Learn session allows you to interact with faculty and current students. By attending this business summer program for high school students in Colorado, you can explore different business disciplines, build connections with peers, and get practical advice on applying to college.
14. Economics for Leaders
Location: Virtual
Cost: $900 (need-based scholarships available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort: 25-40 students per site
Dates: Multiple 5/6-day sessions offered in summer (exact dates vary)
Application Deadline: Mid-December - TBD
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors at the time of application (rising juniors/seniors)
Economics for Leaders (EFL) is a selective online summer program run by the Foundation for Teaching Economics. It teaches high school students key economics concepts alongside leadership development in an interactive format. The virtual academy, led by university economics professors and leadership experts, uses live group discussions, simulations, and games to demonstrate how economic reasoning applies to real-world policy and business problems. Each session lasts one week, during which you will engage in hands-on exercises to build analytical and decision-making skills. Students who complete the program can earn a certificate with an option for college credit.
15. JA Be Entrepreneurial: Creative Problem Solving & Rapid Business Planning
Location: High‑school classrooms across CO
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Offered to class groups; availability depends on volunteer resources
Dates: Modular lessons scheduled during the school year and summer
Application Deadline: Schools and teachers can request a program at any time
Eligibility: High‑school students (grades 9–12)
JA Be Entrepreneurial is a business summer program for high school students in Colorado that challenges you to think like a founder. This modular program combines Creative Problem Solving, where you brainstorm venture ideas and refine them with help from local entrepreneurs, and Rapid Business Planning, which teaches you to use tools like the Lean Canvas and Business Model Canvas to structure your concept. Volunteers from Colorado’s business community guide you through writing a business plan and preparing a pitch. Students can even enter JA USA’s Social Innovation Challenge for national recognition.
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