10 Fall Programs for High School Students in Georgia
If you’re a high school student looking to stay academically engaged during the school year, fall programs can be a great way to explore your interests and build new skills. These opportunities often focus on academic enrichment, research, public service, or creative work, and they’re designed to fit alongside your regular classes.
Across Georgia, colleges, museums, nonprofits, and tech hubs offer structured fall programs that let you explore subjects like STEM, writing, law, or civic engagement. In this blog, we’ve identified 10 fall programs for high school students in Georgia. Whether you’re looking to explore a potential college major or just want to try something new, these programs can give meaningful ways to gain tangible experience.
10 Fall Programs for High School Students in Georgia
1. Project ENGAGES
Location: Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 15 hrs/week in the school year and 35 hrs/week in summer
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: High school students from partner Atlanta public schools with an overall GPA of 3.0 or above and a science course GPA of 3.0 or above
Project ENGAGES is a Georgia Tech program that places you in a university research lab for a full year, including a summer phase and an academic-year schedule. You join through one of the partner public high schools in Atlanta. The program begins with training in lab safety protocols, research techniques, and the equipment you'll use once assigned to a lab. Afterwards, you'll work on a specific project related to Georgia Tech research groups, which could involve biotechnology, biomedical engineering, materials science, or another engineering discipline. Throughout the program, you receive supervision from faculty and graduate researchers who guide your project tasks and review your progress during scheduled lab hours. You may also take part in outreach events or meetings with researchers if they are included in your lab’s schedule.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type; financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Approximately 25%; around 100 students per cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
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. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. Georgia Tech Dual Enrollment Program
Location: Atlanta, GA
Cost: Most students receive state funding
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: August – December (Fall Semester)
Application Deadline: June 16
Eligibility: High schoolers in 11th or 12th grade who have previously taken two college-level classes (may be AP, IB, or dual enrollment) in math and science.
Georgia Tech’s Dual Enrollment program enables high school students to take college-level courses, including subjects not offered at their high school, such as advanced math and computer science. These courses follow Georgia Tech’s academic calendar, allowing you to join classes alongside undergraduates. You can select from online courses like Distance Math or eligible on-campus classes based on your background and placement. The structure gives you exposure to college expectations, from lectures to assessments, without replacing your high school commitments. The credits you earn appear on an official Georgia Tech transcript and may transfer depending on your future college’s policies.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified; highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Fall (September – December)
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort; Fall (September)
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3/4.0
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. Once completed, the program may offer the opportunity to submit your work for publication and eligibility for post-baccalaureate credit through a partnership with UC San Diego Extended Studies.
5. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Location: Remote or in-person at NASA centers across the U.S.
Cost/Stipend: Free; Stipend paid based on their academic level and session duration
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Spring/Fall: 16 weeks | Summer: 10 weeks
Application Deadline: Spring: September 12 | Summer: February 27 | Fall: May 16
Eligibility: U.S. citizens aged 16+ with a GPA of 3.0+ who are full-time students
NASA Internship Programs offer opportunities to engage in projects across engineering, science, technology, communications, and mission operations at the agency. Participants are paired with a NASA mentor who oversees their work on tasks related to current research or operational requirements. These internships are available at various NASA centers and also in virtual formats, with responsibilities varying based on the specific project. You follow a schedule determined by the center or team, aligning your work with the hosting office's timelines. The structure familiarizes you with NASA’s workflows, including technical tasks and administrative procedures. By interacting with staff from various disciplines, you gain insight into how different teams support NASA missions.
6. Internships at American Psychological Association (APA)
Location: Remote or Washington, D.C. (varies by position)
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly specified
Dates: Year-round (spring, summer, fall, and winter sessions)
Application Deadline: Rolling (varies based on cohort)
Eligibility: You must be enrolled at least part-time in an academic institution; students under 18 must submit an official District of Columbia Work Permit with their application
The APA Internship Program places you within departments that support psychology research, publishing, education, policy, and communications. You join a team that assigns tasks based on ongoing projects, which may include literature reviews, data organization, editorial work, or assistance with outreach materials. The schedule and expectations depend on the office you work in, and your responsibilities align with that unit's workflow. You meet regularly with a supervisor who provides guidance on assignments and ensures your work fits into the department’s goals. The program offers opportunities across multiple terms throughout the year, and each placement adheres to APA’s organizational structure and procedures.
7. Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation Pre-College Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on specific program
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly specified
Dates: EEI: June 29 – July 31 | Biomedical Engineering: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum GPA of 3.0; additional academic prerequisites can be found on the specific program pages
The online programs offered by Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation give you a way to study engineering topics in a structured format from home. Explore Engineering Innovation guides you through several branches of engineering by combining lectures with at-home lab activities and group assignments. Biomedical Engineering Innovation explores the application of mathematical, physical, and biological principles to medical systems, utilizing virtual tools and take-home materials to support your learning. Both formats include regular instructor interaction to help you manage weekly tasks and understand technical concepts. You progress through modules that involve analyzing data, performing design-focused exercises, and documenting your results.
8. NASA Dream With Us High School Engineering Challenge
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: September 26 – March 22 (various milestone dates including registration, submission, semifinals, and finals)
Application Deadline: December 8 (Registration) | January 23 (submission)
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12
The NASA Dream With Us High School Engineering Challenge provides students with a chance to collaborate in a team to investigate an aviation issue and suggest an innovative solution aligned with the year’s theme. You begin by reviewing the challenge materials, including the engineering notebook template and scoring rubric, which guide how you structure your research and design decisions. Your project involves developing a detailed concept and documenting your process in a notebook, which you will later submit through the NASA STEM Gateway platform. You can use NASA’s Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) to create and refine aircraft designs, with optional support from OpenVSP Ground School if you need training on the software. Throughout the challenge, you move through defined stages that take you from preparation to submission, followed by evaluation rounds where selected teams advance to semifinals and finals.
9. Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) / Technical-College-Based Dual Enrollment
Location: Oconee Fall Line Technical College campuses across Georgia
Cost/Stipend: None (tuition covered through Dual Enrollment funding)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by term
Application Deadline: Varies based on enrollment period
Eligibility: 10th–12th graders meeting OFTC’s placement requirements; check specific course pages for detailed requirements
This dual-enrollment program allows you to take college-level courses at Oconee Fall Line Technical College while completing high school. You may choose from a wide range of technical pathways, including automotive technology, cybersecurity, welding, nursing assistant training, construction, business, and industrial maintenance. You follow the college’s semester schedule and complete coursework alongside OFTC students, earning both high school and college credit for each approved class.
10. Future City Competition
Location: Multiple locations in Georgia
Cost: $300 – $375 per team; additional project material budget up to $100
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: September – January; Exact competition dates may vary
Application Deadline: October 31
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12
In the Future City Competition, you work as part of a small team to design a city set 100 years in the future, beginning with a detailed vision of what life in that environment might feel like. Throughout the fall, you and your teammates use engineering design and project management steps to plan your city while addressing contemporary sustainability challenges. You develop a written city essay, build a digital model, and refine your design using structured deliverables and rubrics provided by the organizers. As the project progresses, you collaborate with your coach and connect your design choices to scientific and mathematical concepts. Depending on your participation level, your work may be evaluated in a virtual qualification round, with top teams advancing to an in-person finals event to present their city to STEM professionals. The program also includes access to handbooks, resources, and optional coaching calls that support teams as they move from initial concept to completed submission.
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