15 Winter STEM Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in STEM, participating in STEM-focused programs can be a good way to spend your free time. It’s a good chance to test out careers in science, technology, or engineering while connecting with people who share your interests. Additionally, it offers early exposure to the industry and practical experience in the field.
Many of these programs are run by top universities and respected institutions and are available at different times throughout the year, including winter (typically, December – February). They provide opportunities to work on projects and mentorship that can help guide your future steps. As a participant in a winter STEM program, you might find yourself working on research or coding projects while learning how professionals approach problems.
In this blog, we’ve put together a list of 15 winter STEM programs for high school students that you can check out.
15 Winter STEM Programs for High School Students
1. Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP)
Location: Fremont, CA
Cost: $0 – $1,070 (For students who meet financial need eligibility criteria, there is no cost to attending ASDRP)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: January 16 – May 30
Application Deadline: May 1 – July 15 (priority), August 15 (final)
Eligibility: High school students in 9th-12th grade; No prior research experience required
ASDRP is a Bay Area-based research initiative that allows you to design and complete original projects under the guidance of mentors. Unlike programs where you repeat set experiments, ASDRP encourages you to contribute to new work in fields such as biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and engineering. As a participant, you will use lab facilities to conduct experiments, read and analyze scientific literature, and write research papers modeled after academic publications. The program also includes practice in public speaking and technical writing, with opportunities to present findings at a research expo. You might also get the chance to publish your work in the ASDRP journal or submit to external conferences.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including winter
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Eligibility: High school students
The Ladder Internship Program connects high school students with startups and nonprofits for an eight-week virtual placement focused on real-world projects. You may be paired with a company in fields such as artificial intelligence, health technology, journalism, consulting, or marketing, where you will work directly on ongoing tasks. You will also receive support from two mentors—a company supervisor, who guides the technical aspects of the work, and a Ladder coach, who provides additional feedback. The internships are designed to balance independent problem-solving with weekly check-ins, ensuring progress while encouraging autonomy. At the end of the program, you will present your contributions to company leadership.
3. MIT PRIMES
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Year-long program which begins in January and ends in the following December/January
Application Deadline: November 18
Eligibility: High school students living in the Greater Boston area
MIT PRIMES is a year-long math research program that gives high school sophomores and juniors in the Greater Boston area the chance to work on unsolved mathematical problems under the mentorship of MIT researchers. You’ll begin with an intensive reading phase, completing advanced materials and a short report before moving on to hands-on research guided by MIT graduate students or postdocs. Projects can range from pure mathematics to applied areas like theoretical computer science or computational biology. Over the course of the year, you’ll write progress reports, meet regularly with your mentor, and continue independent work during the summer. The program wraps up with a formal paper and presentation at the PRIMES conference, with many students submitting their findings to national science competitions or professional journals.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on the program; Need-based financial aid available
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including winter
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students with a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week remote research experience where you will get to design and complete an independent project under the guidance of a PhD mentor. You can choose your field of study, with options ranging from chemistry and neuroscience to computer science, economics, or environmental studies. Throughout the program, you meet regularly with your mentor to refine your research question, review academic sources, and apply formal research methods. The outcome is a scholarly paper that can be submitted to journals, competitions, or university applications as evidence of research ability. An option to earn college credit through UC San Diego is also available, depending on your track.
5. Jackson Lab Academic Year Fellowships
Location: Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME & Farmington, CT (virtual & hybrid options available)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Fall through late spring
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school juniors/seniors (16+) in good standing; Must be within commuting distance
The Jackson Laboratory Academic Year Fellowships allow high school students to join active research teams and gain direct experience in biomedical science. As a fellow, you’ll work with a mentor—either a faculty member, postdoc, or graduate student—to design and carry out an independent research project aligned with the lab’s ongoing work. The program includes technical training in areas such as experimental design, data analysis, and literature review, while also building skills in communication, time management, and collaboration. You’ll meet regularly with lab members and program staff to share progress, receive feedback, and expand their scientific understanding.
6. UC San Diego Research Scholars
Location: Both virtual and in-person opportunities are available
Cost: Varies by program and format; Scholarships available for some programs
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Varies by program
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: High school students (15+) in grades 9-12 with a minimum GPA of 3.0
UC San Diego’s Research Scholars Program provides high school students with structured research opportunities across disciplines such as bioengineering, life sciences, medicine, marine science, design thinking, and business. Winter sessions typically run from January to March and combine coursework with guided projects led by UCSD faculty and researchers. Depending on the track, you might conduct lab experiments, learn tools such as MATLAB or Python, perform fieldwork, or design and present a research project. Past projects have examined environmental DNA to study endangered species, investigated injury correlations among athletes, and analyzed marine ecosystems in San Diego. By the end of the program, you’ll be expected to produce research summaries or posters.
7. UMBC’s Pre-College Program (Winter Session)
Location: University of Maryland, MD
Cost: Ranges from $439 – $6,426
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: No information available
Dates: January 2 – January 24
Application Deadline: December 16 (Visiting students); January 2 (Students accepted from waitlists)
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors eligible for concurrent enrollment can apply
During UMBC’s Winter Session, high school students can enroll as visiting students and take real college-level courses alongside undergraduates. The program includes in-person, online, and hybrid formats, covering subjects from STEM fields, such as biology and chemistry, to areas like history, economics, and media studies. If you choose a science-focused course, you will be held to the same academic expectations as college students, giving you a preview of university-level rigor. You might also get to earn credits that often transfer to other colleges or apply directly toward a UMBC degree.
8. Girls Garage’s Construction + Community Program
Location: Girls Garage, CA
Cost/Stipend: None
Cohort Size: 12 students
Dates: 3 weeks during fall, winter, and spring
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Girls and gender-expansive youth in grades 9-12
Girls Garage’s Construction + Community Program is a school-year course designed for high school girls and gender-expansive youth interested in engineering, architecture, design, and the building trades. The program is divided into three eight-week sessions, during which you will develop technical skills such as carpentry, welding, and tool use while completing community-focused construction projects. Each project is designed to serve a local client pro bono, emphasizing the idea of applying technical skills to benefit the broader community. Alongside hands-on building, this program engages you in group discussions on collaboration, identity, equity, and inclusion in STEM-related fields.
9. Sandia National Laboratories Internships
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Varies by internship; Part-time year-round internships are offered
Application Deadline: Varies by internship
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are at least 16 years of age with a GPA of 2.5+; Specific eligibility criteria vary by position
Sandia National Laboratories provides paid internships for high school students that integrate them into ongoing research projects in science and engineering. Depending on your placement, responsibilities may include coding, data analysis, experimental design, or hardware testing, often in areas such as cybersecurity, energy systems, software development, or physics research. You will be supervised by professional scientists and engineers, who guide while treating students as junior members of the team with clear tasks to complete. You will also gain access to technical tools and platforms commonly used in research environments, such as CAD software, MATLAB, or Python. The program includes mentorship, professional development sessions, and networking opportunities with other interns and staff.
10. Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Immersion Science Program
Location: Fox Chase Cancer Center, PA
Cost: Free
Cohort Size: 16 students
Dates: 11 weeks starting early January
Application Deadline: Early to mid-October to early November
Eligibility: Students from the Philadelphia- Tri-State area who are at least 16 years of age and have completed high school chemistry and biology
The Immersion Science Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center is an 11-week research opportunity where high school students study how nutrients influence developmental pathways at the molecular level. The program begins with a 30-hour boot camp that covers essential lab techniques, such as pipetting, gel electrophoresis, microscopy, and cell culture, alongside lectures on cancer biology and signaling pathways. After training, you’ll design and conduct your own experiments, often working with model organisms like fruit flies to study genetic networks connected to cancer biology. As a participant, you will analyze your data, refine your methods, and prepare a final report of findings. The program concludes with a presentation day, where you’ll share your projects with peers and faculty at Fox Chase.
11. California Academy of Sciences: Careers in Science Intern Program
Location: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: No information available
Dates: Multi-year, year-round participation
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Underrepresented 9th or 10th graders in an SFUSD school with a 2.5 GPA and a grade C or higher in math and science who can commit to 2-3 years of attendance
The CiS Intern Program at the California Academy of Sciences is a multi-year, paid opportunity for San Francisco high school students that begins the summer before sophomore or junior year. As an intern, you’ll participate in environmental research, museum-based projects, and public science communication while receiving structured mentoring and college readiness support. The program continues during the academic year with small-group projects, exhibit development, and public engagement activities inside the museum. Responsibilities expand over time, allowing you to move into leadership roles as you progress through the program. You’ll also attend workshops on topics like financial literacy and college preparation, and present your work at conferences or join college tours.
12. Cornell University’s Pre-College Studies
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,940/credit
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: January 2 – 17 (winter)
Application Deadline: December 1 (winter)
Eligibility: High school students
Cornell University’s Winter Session allows high school students to take intensive, credit-bearing courses taught by Cornell faculty over three weeks. These courses are offered online and cover a wide range of academic subjects, from economics and business to engineering, medicine, and the humanities. Classes follow a college-style format, with lectures, assignments, and assessments that prepare you for higher education expectations. Depending on the subject, you may practice data analysis, scientific writing, design thinking, or public speaking. By participating, you will be able to get ahead on college credits, explore your fields of interest, or complete requirements that might not fit into your regular school year.
13. Rice University’s Pre-College Program: Foundations of Medicine
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program length ($1,895 – $3,995)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not selective
Dates: Multi-length 2, 4, 8, and 12-week courses available between January and May, details here
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and above
Rice University’s Foundations of Medicine course is a virtual pre-college program that introduces students to physiology, focusing on how body systems work together. Across 20 to 30 hours of instruction, you explore the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, alongside key scientific concepts like flow and resistance, electrical conduction, and gas exchange. Lessons cover processes such as neuron signaling, muscle contraction, circulation, and respiration, helping you understand the connections between biology and physics. Physicians and medical professionals contribute to the program by explaining what happens when these systems malfunction and how doctors treat those conditions. To conclude, you’ll complete a final project that models or explains interactions between the body’s systems.
14. Girls Who Code Clubs
Location: Remote and in-person options available across various locations
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Ongoing throughout the school year; clubs typically meet 1-2 hours per week after school or on weekends
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: High school students
Girls Who Code Clubs are free programs for students that introduce computer science through a flexible, project-based curriculum. Clubs meet in person at schools, libraries, and community centers, or online, making them accessible in a variety of settings. As a participant, you can choose from topics such as game design, web development, or cybersecurity, and progress at your own pace using guided tutorials and coding projects. In addition to technical learning, this winter STEM program for high school students connects students with role models in the tech industry and builds a community of support for young coders.
15. Tufts’ Professional & Continuing Education
Location: Tufts University College, Medford, MA; Virtual options available too
Cost: Varies by course
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by course
Application Deadline: Varies by course
Eligibility: Students entering high school grades 10-12
Tufts University allows motivated high school students to take continuing education courses during the winter term, either online or in person. The program mirrors undergraduate study, giving you the option to enroll in Tufts-level courses for credit across a range of disciplines. Options can include subjects such as project management, nutrition, or social sciences, depending on the session’s offerings. Students are taught by Tufts faculty and follow the same academic standards as undergraduates, providing early exposure to the demands of college study. Credits earned are transferable and can strengthen your academic record when applying to universities.
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