15 Leadership Programs for High School Students in NYC
If you enjoy taking initiative or want to learn how to take on leadership roles with confidence, leadership programs for high schoolers are a great starting point. By participating in a leadership program or internship, you learn how to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems. Leadership programs give you a practical way to develop new skills, see how different fields operate, and connect with mentors who can guide you.
In New York City, there are many colleges and well-known organizations that offer leadership programs for high school students. A few of these programs are even fully funded. Participating in a leadership program, especially a fully funded and competitive one, can make your college applications stand out by demonstrating your leadership potential.
With numerous options available in NYC, selecting one can be challenging. We’ve compiled a list of 15 leadership programs for high school students in NYC that are both reliable and impactful.
1. Youth Leadership Academy (YLA)
Location: Coro New York Leadership Center, NY
Cost/Stipend: Participants receive a stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Starts with a 2-week summer intensive with 5 YLA Days during the school year
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Participant must be entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade
At Coro New York’s Youth Leadership Academy, you’ll develop education leadership rooted in the workings of the NYC public school system. You’ll begin with an immersive two-week summer boot camp where you will build self-awareness, teamwork, and critical thinking, while also understanding educational policy. Once the school year begins, you return for five YLA Days (on Saturdays or other non-instructional days), where you will apply what you’ve learned by analyzing critical issues, practicing public speaking, facilitating meetings, and honing strategies to bring youth voice into the Department of Education’s policy. Throughout the year, you’ll also have access to a supportive network of peers and adult facilitators, helping you grow your capacity to lead, collaborate, and make meaningful change in your school community.
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. Sadie Nash Leadership Project – Summer Institute
Location: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens (NYC), and Newark, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not disclosed
Dates: 6-week summer program
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: March 24; Final deadline: April 14
Eligibility: High school students
In the Sadie Nash Summer Institute program, you’ll spend six weeks understanding leadership through the lenses of identity, social justice, and community activism. You’ll take part in weekly workshops on topics such as power, privilege, and equity, and connect with established women and gender-expansive leaders, from elected officials to artists, who’ll share their journeys. Beyond classroom work, you’ll go on field trips around NYC and Newark that deepen your understanding of social change in action. Over the course of the program, you’ll build close bonds with peers and leave equipped with practical tools to shape your community, your future, and your sense of self.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote ; you can participate from anywhere in the world!
Cost/Stipend: Fee depends on the duration of the program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students; accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4
If you’re in high school, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. In this Research Scholar Program, you can pick topics across STEM, economics, business, and law, among others. An early entry into research in these areas allows you to be better prepared to become a future leader in the field. The program will pair you with Ph.D. mentors to work one-on-one on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can find more details about the application here.
5. WRI’s Youth Leadership Project
Location: Hunter College
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not disclosed
Dates: Runs during the school year through in-class workshops and semester-long sessions
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: High school students in Title I (low-income) public schools in NYC
When you join WRI’s High School Organizing Project (also called the Youth Leadership Project), you’ll enter a leadership and advocacy community that empowers economically disadvantaged youth to understand and influence the social policies impacting their lives. You’ll attend classes and workshops that build self-awareness, active listening, effective communication, and civic organizing skills. You’ll also receive support to navigate college applications and financial aid forms, such as the FAFSA. Beyond classroom lessons, you’ll engage in real-world organizing; writing to elected officials, facilitating peer outreach, and working with WRI’s college-based student leaders to design youth-led campaigns. You’ll explore themes such as economic inequality and education policy, and learn how to use your voice for collective change.
6. YouthAction NYC Internship
Location: Citizens’ Committee for Children, NY
Cost/Stipend: Participants earn up to $800 per year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-long program
Application Deadline: Varies; Usually around September-end
Eligibility: New York City resident aged 14–19
When you join CCC’s YouthAction NYC Internship, you’ll learn how to become a powerful advocate for yourself, your school, and your community. Over two semesters, you’ll take part in weekly in-person workshops where you’ll build your leadership skills, conduct research, and analyze data about issues affecting young people in NYC. You’ll put those skills into practice by organizing campaigns, meeting with legislators, hosting events, and even lobbying in Albany. You’ll build strong communication skills, engage with other peers from the city, and develop a policy project that reflects the issues you care about most.
7. Learn & Earn (NYC Department of Youth & Community Development)
Location: Multiple sites in NYC
Cost/Stipend: Year-round program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round program
Application Deadline: Enrollment window is typically open throughout September each year
Eligibility: Aged 14–21 years; a junior/ senior in a NYC high school; must meet income criteria
With Learn & Earn, you’ll receive both academic support and real work experience so you’re better prepared for life after high school. You’ll work on your grades through tutoring and test prep, get help applying to college, and develop professional skills through work-readiness training. The program also includes leadership-building and service-learning components, offering you the opportunity to contribute to your community. During the summer, you’ll participate in a six-week paid internship where you’ll apply these skills in a real workplace. Meanwhile, you’ll have access to ongoing support like mentoring and counseling, even after your formal participation ends.
8. Cornell Cooperative Extension
Location: Various CCE locations
Cost/Stipend: Free participation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: May vary; 4-H clubs consist of 15 or more youths
Dates: Year-round; a typical 4-H year runs from October 1 - September 30
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Youth aged 8–19
At the Youth Engagement / Leadership Development program at Cornell Cooperative Extension NYC, you’ll build leadership and life skills. Through 4-H after-school clubs and special-interest groups, you'll dive into projects in STEM, civic engagement, healthy living, and community development. You'll also have a chance to join the Youth Leadership Academy, where you’ll sharpen your decision-making, public speaking, and teamwork skills while contributing to community service and youth-led initiatives. With adult mentors and peer leaders guiding you, you’ll take charge of meaningful projects that reflect issues in your neighborhood.
9. Service in Schools: High School Leadership Institute
Location: Midtown Manhattan
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Five-day institute during Spring Break; plus an after-school work session and a Youth Service Summit day
Application Deadline: February 19
Eligibility: NYC public high school student in grades 10–12
In the Service in Schools Leadership Institute program, you’ll spend a week during spring break working with other student leaders to tackle social issues such as animal welfare, fast fashion, disability rights, and housing/homelessness. You’ll also learn directly from experts at local community-based organizations and receive guidance from the SIS team as you build your service-learning lessons. In the end, you’ll lead your own service projects for elementary school students during the full-day Youth Service Summit, showing how young people of any age can make a real impact in their community. Over the course of the program, you’ll strengthen your leadership, public speaking, and facilitation skills while learning from experts and educators.
10. Youth Food Advocates (YFA)
Location: New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free to participate; YFA interns receive a stipend of up to $550 per year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: School-year commitment (~100 hours), plus a week-long summer leadership training
Application Deadline: Application window opens May 15 and closes June 15
Eligibility: NYC high school students
Upon joining Youth Food Advocates, you become part of a youth-led movement working to transform NYC’s school food system through policy, research, and advocacy. Over the course of the school year, you’ll lead campaigns, design surveys, run social media efforts, and engage with policymakers and food-service staff. You’ll begin with an intensive week-long summer training that builds your foundational leadership, research, and organizing skills. During the year, you’ll be contributing to coalition work in areas like cafeteria environment, menu inclusivity, and student voice. As a returning intern, you can deepen your impact across multiple years. You’ll be provided with letters of recommendation and support for college, internships, fellowships, and more.
11. South Asian Youth Action (SAYA)
Location: Several neighbourhoods in Queens, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free to participate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round programming (after school, weekends, and summer)
Application Deadline: Not clearly listed
Eligibility: Youths of all ages (K-College), with specific leadership cohorts for high school students
At SAYA (South Asian Youth Action), high school students participate in leadership cohorts like the “Arise” program for rising 9th and 10th graders, or gender-based leadership programs for 11th graders, where you’ll reflect on social issues, build self-awareness, and sharpen communication skills. You’ll receive mentorship in a culturally affirming environment while exploring your identity and developing leadership grounded in service. Alongside this, SAYA offers academic support (tutoring, SAT prep), career exposure (network mixers, resume help), and social-emotional learning (meditation, wellness workshops).
12. Inspiring Minds NYC
Location: New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free to Participate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not disclosed
Dates: After-school program (Mon–Thu during school year) and a full-week summer enrichment
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12) in NYC
Through the IM Leadership Institute, you can participate in three distinct tracks: ‘Know Your History’, which deepens your understanding of cultural identity; ‘CIVICS’, where you learn to harness your power in the community; ‘Life Goal Labs’, which builds your emotional and physical health. You can also apply to their ‘Pay It Forward Internship’, where you can mentor peers, co-lead events, and practice public speaking. Other personal enrichment programs include ‘Changemakers’ (arts rooted in social justice), a self-defense/anti-bullying martial-arts program, and ‘Cadet Hoops' for leadership through basketball.
13. Youth Ambassador Leadership Program (YALP)
Location: City-wide locations, NYC
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Runs during the school year
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Young New Yorkers aged 8 to 18
When you become a Youth Ambassador through OPHC’s Youth Ambassador Leadership Program, you’ll step into a citywide community of young New Yorkers committed to fostering inclusion, respect, and equity. You’ll take part in leadership workshops that build your public speaking, civic engagement, and organizing skills. Through peer-led initiatives, you’ll design and lead projects in your school or neighborhood that speak out against bias, hate, and discrimination. You’ll be mentored by adult leaders and city officials, helping you grow both personally and socially.
14. Girl Scouts NYC – Leadership Institute
Location: Leadership Institute, Girl Scouts of Greater New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $50 commitment fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 9-month program (school-year)
Application Deadline: Varies; usually around October
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-12
With the Girl Scouts NYC Leadership Institute, you’ll embark on a year-long leadership journey tailored for middle and high school girls who want to make real change. You’ll choose a track such as Business/Entrepreneurship, STEM & Social Good, or Environmental Advocacy. You’ll learn through workshops, capstone projects, and peer-led committees. Alongside your cohort, you’ll connect with role models, attend site visits, and design projects that reflect the issues you care about. The program sharpens your public speaking, problem-solving, and strategic thinking while preparing you for big transitions such as college. You’ll be able to build a network, get practical experience, and make a clear sense of how to translate your values into action.
15. Cornell Tech Summer Innovation Intensives
Location: Cornell Tech campus, Roosevelt Island, NY
Cost/Stipend: The program fee varies for early-bird applicants and late-applicants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 - July 30
Application Deadline: Applications open in January
Eligibility: Students aged 16-19
At Cornell Tech’s Summer Innovation Intensives, you’ll spend three immersive weeks on Roosevelt Island exploring the future of technology, ethics, and entrepreneurship. You can choose from one of three academic tracks: Data Science & Decision-Making, Interacting with AI, or Ethical Vibe Coding. In the afternoons, you’ll join the Future Builders Studio, collaborating with mentors and peers to design AI-driven solutions for real-world challenges. You’ll also pitch your project during a final showcase.
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