15 Earth Science Summer Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in the environment and earth science, earth science summer programs are a great way to explore the field and learn about different career pathways. These programs will give you an opportunity to experience college-level learning, build practical skills, and connect with mentors and other students. Doing an earth science summer program can also help you stand out when you’re applying to college by showing admissions officers that you’ve explored your interests outside of school.
Many earth science summer programs for high school students are experiential, where you’ll get out in the field and complete tasks such as collecting data, studying ecosystems, and working on sustainability projects. Whether you’re interested in environmental science, geology, ecology, or sustainability, these programs will let you explore topics that matter to you. To help you get started, we’ve narrowed down a list of the top 15 Earth science summer programs for high school students.
1. Teen Research and Education in Environmental Science (TREES) Program
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Selective
Program Dates: June 30–August 8
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students must have completed grade 9, 10, or 11 before the summer; minimum GPA of 3.0; strong interest in environmental science and research
The Teen Research and Education in Environmental Science (TREES) Program is an earth science summer program for high school students passionate about the environment. In the program, you’ll discover various ecological science and health-related pathways and receive guidance on how to pursue them. The program will teach you to take a scientific approach towards environmental issues through scientific methodology, laboratory skills, literature review, and field work. You’ll have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a mentor to design and work on a research project of your choice. You’ll present your findings in a research report at the end of the summer.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. Columbia Environmental Health Sciences Research Program
Location: Virtual with an in-person symposium at Columbia University, New York City, NY
Stipend: Paid, but the amount is not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Program Dates: 10 weeks in summer (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students and teachers from three Native communities in the Northern Plains
The Environmental Health Sciences Research Program is an environmental health sciences research program that introduces high school students to environmental health sciences, public health sciences, and aligned fields. You’ll work in a small group, accompanied by a high school teacher, and conduct locally relevant environmental health sciences research under the guidance of ecological researchers. The program includes seminars, workshops, and research meetings with mentors. Past projects have focused on topics such as dietary exposures, uranium and gold mining, air pollution, and evaluating water quality. At the end of the program, you and your team will present your research findings at the EARTH research symposium.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
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. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP)
Location: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and The Piermont Marsh in New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Selective
Program Dates: Six weeks in the summer (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students and their science teachers; priority given to students from under-resourced NYC public schools
The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP) is a six-week field and laboratory research program hosted by Columbia Climate School. As a student, you’ll collaborate with Lamont researchers on a scientific research project about ecological and physical processes in wetlands. The field work will take place in The Piermont Marsh, NY, where you’ll work in teams and collect samples to perform lab experiments. Along the way, you’ll explore topics such as Natural carbon sequestration, soil-bacteria-powered rechargeable batteries, non-chemical invasive plant management, nutrient cycling, and more. The program also includes coursework on wetland ecology, field sampling, and data analysis. After your research work is complete, each team will present its work at a summer symposium.
6. Stanford Young Investigators
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate: Highly Competitive
Program Dates: Not specified (typically takes place between June and August)
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least one year; must reside and attend school within 25 driving miles of Stanford in the San Francisco Bay Area; authorized to work in the U.S.
The Stanford Young Investigators program, hosted by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, allows high school students to conduct research on sustainability, earth, and environmental sciences. You’ll work in research groups and take part in lab work under the guidance of mentors, learning about different career paths along the way. You can work in any area that interests you, including Energy, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Social Sciences, Oceans, Environment, & Earth Systems. The program also features guest talks, lab tours, and field trips that give you a behind-the-scenes look at how sustainability research is done.
7. Johns Hopkins Sustainable Energy Engineering
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Stipend: $9,950 (residential fee)
Acceptance rate: Competitive
Program Dates: June 30-August 8
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Rising Seniors and undergrad college students; live or study in MA; authorized to work in the U.S.; available full-time during program duration
The Johns Hopkins Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) is a summer course designed for high school students who are keen about sustainable energy technologies. You will learn about the challenges and opportunities in sustainable energy, while also receiving guidance on career pathways. Some of the topics you’ll study include hydropower, marine energy, electric grids, geothermal, biomass, and fuel cells. The course consists of daily lectures, homework assignments, and lab work, where you’ll see demonstrations of how sustainable energy systems work using physical models. To wrap up, you’ll collaborate on a capstone project — past examples include designing sustainable spaces – and present your work on the last day of class.
8. UConn Earth and Environmental Sciences
Location: University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT
Cost: $2,150 (Full and partial scholarships available, apply here)
Acceptance rate: Selective
Program Dates: June 22–28
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–11
The Earth and Environmental Science introduces high school students to the world of Environmental Science by letting them work alongside environmental field researchers and experts. The course will cover topics such as climate change, mineral deposits, and earthquakes, and you’ll understand how earth and ecological scientists make predictions about changes in Earth’s resources. You’ll learn through a mix of lectures, learning modules, lab work, field trips, and guest lectures from earth science faculty members – giving you both classroom knowledge and real-world experience.
9. Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute
Location: Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute, Geneva, NY
Cost/Stipend: $3900 (covers tuition, room, and board)
Cohort size: 50 students per cohort
Program Dates: July 13–26
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students entering junior or senior year
The Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute (ESSYI) is a two-week summer program that introduces high school students to today’s environmental challenges and potential solutions. You’ll explore these issues through multiple perspectives and learn about ways of approaching them. Fieldwork is a big part of the experience – you’ll document and analyze the ecological issues in the Adirondack region of New York. The program also features lectures, faculty interactions, group activities, and collaborative projects with other students. Along the way, you’ll also learn about career pathways and receive guidance on college courses and majors.
10. Yale Young Global Scholars Solving Global Challenges
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost/Stipend: $6,500 (includes residential session, covering housing, meals, and curriculum materials) (need-based financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Program Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 4 | Session II: July 6 – 18 | Session III: July 20 – August 1
Application Deadline: January 10
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores or juniors; students aged 16-18 by the start of the program; open to international students as well
The Solving Global Challenges (SGC) is an environmental program that takes a cross-disciplinary approach to some of the world’s toughest issues. The course covers topics such as environmental sustainability, global health, gender equality, climate crisis, artificial intelligence, and poverty alleviation. You’ll learn how to transform technical knowledge into solutions to address real-world challenges. The course is multidisciplinary and features activities and discussions that will help you strengthen your problem-solving and critical thinking skills, while exploring how different fields come together to make an impact globally.
11. NSLC’s Environmental Science and Sustainability Program
Location: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Cost: $4,095
Acceptance rate: Selective
Program Dates: Session 1: July 14 – 22 | Session 2: July 26 – August 3
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 14 and 18 who have completed at least one year of high school
The Environmental Science & Sustainability program is a pre-college initiative that educates high school students on sustainability, current environmental practices, and resource conservation. The course includes seminars by environmental professionals, field trips, and experiential simulations. You’ll learn about sustainable practices and conservation strategies through projects such as constructing a model green home, exploring the carbon cycle, and building a wind turbine. Along the way, you’ll explore various career paths in ecological science and get equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue them. By the end of the program, you’ll have an in-depth understanding of Sustainability in action!
12. Washington Youth Summit on the Environment (WYSE)
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Cost: $2,600 (Need-based partial and full tuition waivers available)
Cohort size: 300 students selected each summer
Program Dates: June 22–27
Application Deadline: February 14 | Scholarship deadline: March 24
Eligibility: 10th and 11th-grade students
The Washington Youth Summit on the Environment is a week-long interactive program that allows high school students to explore their interests in the environment, conservation, sustainability, and related fields. As a student delegate, you’ll join a small group guided by faculty advisors with extensive knowledge in the field. You’ll learn how to tackle today’s environmental challenges through sessions, discussions, and hands-on activities. You’ll also connect with environmental professionals, and go on field trips to places such as the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the program’s official partner.
13. Watershed Academy
Location: The Watershed Reserve in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, NJ
Cost: Not specified (full scholarships are available based on financial need)
Acceptance rate: Selective
Program Dates: Not specified
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students; priority given to Trenton-area students
The Watershed Academy is a week-long program for high school students that brings environmental science to life. The academy offers four different programs, covering topics such as forests, stream science, wetlands, and climate change. You can choose to sign up for as many programs as you wish. Each program takes place over 5 days, where you’ll explore causes of environmental injustice, identify problems, explore solutions, and learn how to work towards real change. The course will include visits to laboratories, meetings with experts, and plenty of fieldwork, where you’ll take part in scientific studies at the watershed. You’ll also meet environmental experts, develop practical skills, and learn how to advocate for policy change to protect resources within their own communities.
14. UChicago Young Innovators Climate & Energy
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $2,500 (Need-based financial aid available)
Acceptance rate: Selective
Program Dates: July 13–18
Application Deadline: March 5
Eligibility: 11th-grade students who are at least 15 years old at the start of the program
UChicago Young Innovators Climate & Energy is a one-week residential program for high school students interested in climate and energy policy. You’ll learn about today’s biggest climate and energy challenges through readings, lectures, discussions, and collaborative projects. As part of this program, you will tour facilities, attend discussion panels with clean energy professionals, and explore a wide range of opportunities in climate-focused careers. There are also fun trips around Chicago to round off your experience. Selection is competitive and requires a transcript, two essays related to your interest in studying the climate and career plans, and a letter of recommendation.
15. Brown Environmental Leadership Labs (BELL)
Location: Alaska; Florida Keys; Rhode Island
Cost: $6,002
Acceptance rate: Selective
Program Dates: June 22–July 3
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Students completing grades 10–12, ages 16-18 by the start of the program
The Brown Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL) is an environmental studies program that teaches high school students to be socially responsible leaders. The program takes place in three locations, Alaska, the Florida Keys, and Rhode Island, with each site focusing on the environmental significance of the region. You’ll learn through hands-on field work and research, visits to ecological sites, heritage and conservation centers, and places of cultural significance. Each program will help you understand the multifaceted impact of climate change on culture, the environment, and the economy. A core part of the program is leadership training; you and fellow students will have to develop a collaborative action plan on addressing a pressing issue, a project that you can work on even after the end of the program.
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