11 Summer Programs for High School Students Charlotte, North Carolina (NC)

For ambitious high school students, summer programs offer a valuable chance to explore career paths, develop academic skills, and experience college-style learning. These programs provide structured environments where you can work on projects, connect with mentors, and grow alongside peers who share your interests. Whether you're interested in engineering, healthcare, business, or the arts, summer programs can help you build confidence and prepare for your future.

Charlotte, North Carolina, hosts top universities, medical centers, financial institutions, and cultural organizations, all of which offer high-quality summer programs for high school students. The range of programs available means you can explore your interests across STEM, business, the arts, and social science. Completing a summer program is also a great way to show college admissions officers your interest in a specific field. 

To make your search easier, we’ve narrowed down the 11 best summer programs for high school students in Charlotte, NC.

1. AEOP High School Internship STEM Research Program (UNC Charlotte)

Location: UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free (funded by AEOP)
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Competitive; exact number not publicly stated
Dates: ~6–8 weeks in summer (e.g., June 16 – July 25 per Ladder blog)
Application Deadline: Varies; often in spring.
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors; U.S. permanent residents; recommended coursework in chemistry, biology, algebra I & II. 

Through the AEOP (Army Educational Outreach Program), high school students conduct STEM research on the UNC Charlotte campus under the mentorship of faculty and graduate students. Interns design experiments, collect data, and present their findings to a scientific audience. This practical experience aids students in acquiring lab skills, enhancing critical thinking, and gaining a deeper insight into engineering or environmental science careers. With structured mentorship and peer cohort interaction, participants build both technical skills and scientific thinking in a university research environment.

2. Ladder Internships

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. Novant Health Bridges to Healthcare Internship

Location: Novant Health facilities in Charlotte, NC (e.g., Novant Presbyterian)
Stipend: Paid (stipend amount varies)
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not clearly specified, but the program runs multiple sites.
Dates: ~8–16 weeks during spring/summer (exact schedule varies)
Application Deadline: Typically opens in spring; varies by year.
Eligibility: High school juniors/seniors; students from partner schools; minimum 2.5 GPA; household income ≤ $40,000 (for some cohorts) 

This paid internship offers high school juniors or seniors the opportunity to work in Novant Health facilities, where they can rotate across various departments, from administrative positions to clinical observation. Interns shadow healthcare professionals (nurses, radiology, and community outreach) and assist with departmental support tasks, gaining exposure to what hospital work involves beyond just patient care. The program includes mentorship by healthcare staff and workshops on professional communication and career planning.

4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year, including summer
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students 

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.

5. McColl Center New Professionals High School Internship

Location: McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Charlotte, NC
Stipend: $12/hour
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not publicly specified
Dates: June 17 – July 25 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: May 23 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors

As a paid intern at the McColl Center, students work alongside resident artists and staff to support gallery operations, public events, and community‑art initiatives over five weeks. Interns support public program coordination, handle administrative or marketing duties, and may assist with art projects, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how a contemporary arts institution operates. This experience teaches participants about arts administration, event planning, public engagement, and the logistics involved in maintaining creative spaces.

6. MeckPathways Summer Internship Program

Location: Mecklenburg County Government offices, Charlotte, NC
Stipend: $15/hour
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 11 – August 1
Application Deadline: March 5
Eligibility: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) high school juniors and seniors, aged 16+ 

This local government internship places students in county departments, including criminal justice, public health, planning, and administration. Interns handle real tasks: research, administrative support, community outreach, or data gathering, depending on the department, under supervision by county staff. The experience fosters professional habits such as scheduling, teamwork, and accountability, while also providing insight into the management of local governance and community services. Through engagement in civic projects and departmental work, students can develop communication, policy analysis, and project management skills.

7. Bank of America Student Leaders Program

Location: Various U.S. locations (includes virtual options) with a summit in Washington, DC
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: ~300 students
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer + Summit (July 21 – 26)
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors

The Bank of America Student Leaders program is a paid 8-week internship in which you will work with nonprofits such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Habitat for Humanity. Students gain leadership experience, exposure to social‑service work, and insight into how nonprofits and businesses collaborate to address community needs. Additionally, participants attend a national summit in Washington, D.C., offering broader civic engagement, exposure to social‑impact networks, and insight into public‑service leadership.

8. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) High School Internship

Location: Various NASA centers in the U.S. + remote options available
Stipend: Stipend paid based on their academic level and session duration
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very competitive; over 3,000 high school interns selected annually
Dates: Spring: January – May | Summer: May – August | Fall: August – December
Application Deadline: Spring: September 12 | Summer: February 27 | Fall: May 22
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens and at least 16; must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher (out of 4.0)

NASA offers numerous paid internships in STEM throughout the year, including summer. By submitting a single application, you can apply for up to 15 different internship opportunities each cycle, covering various disciplines and NASA research centers nationwide. Assignments differ depending on the site. Some internships focus on coding and software development, while others involve data processing or experimental design, giving you exposure to aerospace or scientific workflows. With structured mentorship, interns develop professional research practices, learn to create technical documentation, and gain experience in interdisciplinary teamwork common in large scientific organizations.

9. UNC Charlotte STEM Summer Scholars (Pre-College Program)

Location: UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Cost: $250 application fee (plus program cost)
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Slightly selective (per Lumiere blog)
Dates: Various course sessions from June 23 – July 18
Application Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: Grades 6–12 with interest in math and science 

This summer program provides high school students with STEM experience through robotics challenges, lab experiments, teamwork, and faculty-led projects. Through group work and guided projects, participants develop skills in collaboration, project planning, and technical problem-solving, all within a college-campus setting. The organized schedule and faculty oversight provide students with a glimpse of university-level STEM education and workload. Additionally, the program offers opportunities to participate in events such as the Science Olympiad.

10. UNC Charlotte Pre-Collegiate Enrichment Program (PEP)

Location: UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Application fee $75; tuition varies by credit
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not publicly specified
Dates: Summer sessions begin May / July (e.g., Summer first half term starts May 1)
Application Deadline: May 1 (first half) | June 1 (second half)
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors with a strong academic record

This program allows high school juniors and seniors to attend UNC Charlotte classes for credit, providing them with experience in college-level courses and campus life. You will complete the same assignments as undergraduates, such as lectures, reading, homework, and exams, helping you develop academic maturity and understand college expectations early on. By participating, students handle a real course load, gaining insights into time management, study routines, and independent learning. These credits might transfer, offering students a head start and a realistic preview of university academic life.

11. UNC Charlotte Niner Academy Summer Camps

Location: UNC Charlotte campus, Charlotte, NC
Cost/Stipend: $295/week for in-person full-day | $450/week for partner coding camps
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 8 – August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: Rising high school students

Through a series of week-long camps on campus, rising high school students have the opportunity to explore a wide range of subjects, including robotics, healthcare careers, entrepreneurship, and the arts. These camps feature hands-on group projects, workshops, and collaborative learning experiences. Each camp focuses on a single subject or theme, allowing students to sample potential interests without a long-term commitment. The format emphasizes exploration, peer interaction, and experiential learning rather than grades or formal assessment.

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