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Gifted Summer Programs: Listed by Topics of Interest

Gifted Programs
The following is a list of summer programs organized by topics of interest in two separate categories, summer programs specifically for gifted youth and summer programs that may interest gifted students. The topics of interest include:

Arts, Enrichment, Leadership, Literature, Math, Outdoor, Precollege, Science, Technology, Engineering, Varies (for programs that vary in subject category), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and more.

Links to websites are provided so that parents and students may investigate more about an individual program. While the Davidson Institute does not endorse any specific programs, this list includes programs that have been recommended by parents, professionals and young people associated with the Davidson Institute.

See also:
Summer Programs: Residential >
Summer Programs: Day Camps >

Archaeology

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center (Cortez, CO) (Colorado)
This Center hosts archaeology summer camps for middle school students ages 8-12 and high school students. Attendees can be part of an ongoing research project working alongside professional archaeologists, learn excavation techniques by digging at a real archaeological site and work with artifacts in the lab. The camps are held for one-week with a three-week High School Field School option for students to earn high school or college credit.

Art, Music, Dance, Theater, Writing

Usdan Summer Camps (New York)
Usdan’s 1,700 young musicians, dancers, artists, writers and actors establish lifelong friendships with those who share their passion for creative exploration. Usdan offers you a world class faculty and an incredible campus.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (Michigan)
Programs at Blue Lake are designed to educate through a carefully developed and balanced curriculum as well as elective courses in art, drama, dance, or music.

Chautauqua Institution (New York)
The institution offers summer classes in art, theater, music, and dance.

Art, Technology, Architecture

University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Art & Architecture: Summer at Penn – Julian Krinsky Summer Program (Philadelphia)
Explore the arts and architecture at this four-week intensive studio program for students ages 14 to 18. Art students choose major courses in animation, drawing, filmmaking, painting, photography or sculpture. In addition, they select two-week projects in ceramic wheel throwing, figure drawing, filmmaking, graphic design, photography, printmaking and book arts, or Web design. Architecture students follow a full-day studio intensive every day and do not study a minor.

Arts

Interlochen Arts Camp (Michigan)
This residential summer arts program provides students in grades three through 12 the opportunity to train with world-class instructors and work alongside over 2,000 of the world’s best and brightest students.

Summer Art Residency – University of Iowa (Iowa)
Students in grades 9-11 may apply for this an immersive 3–week residency at The University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center. Learn from world-class faculty on a premier arts campus. Participate in classes, workshops, evening tours, lectures, and events. The residency concludes with an art and reading show and a portfolio review.

Cinema, Theater

School of Cinema and Performing Arts (SOCAPA) (California,New York,Vermont)
The School of Cinema and Performing Arts (SOCAPA) offers summer arts intensives for teens in contemporary jazz and hip-hop, acting for film, filmmaking, photography and songwriting at our campuses in Burlington, Vermont, New York City and Los Angeles.

Cybersecurity

GenCyber – Summer CyberSecurity Camps (Various Locations)
The School he GenCyber program provides summer cybersecurity camp experiences for students and teachers at the K-12 level. The goals of the program are to help all students understand correct and safe on-line behavior, increase diversity and interest in cybersecurity and careers in the cybersecurity workforce of the Nation, and improve teaching methods for delivering cybersecurity content in K-12 computer science curricula.

U.S. Intelligence Careers and Student Programs) (Fort Meade, MD)
The U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) is a group of 17 federal intelligence agencies working together to protect the United States of America. This group focuses on an ever-expanding range of issues, from terrorist financing to drug trafficking, from climate change and environmental issues to foreign technology threats and nuclear proliferation. The IC offers students a wide variety of excellent programs to get a jumpstart on a career in intelligence, such as summer programs and internships.

Engineering

Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP) (Pennsylvania)
This program welcomes highly motivated and talented students to explore engineering at the college level. The intensive, three-week programs combine sophisticated theory with hands-on practical experience in cutting-edge technologies. Work with leading faculty while earning college credit, live on Penn’s historic campus, and connect with new friends from around the world.

Girls Garage (Berkeley, CA) (California)
Girls Garage is a one-of-a-kind design and building camp for girls ages 9-12 that inspires creativity and curiosity through hands-on building, problem-solving, and meaningful making. In both summer and after-school programs, girls will cut plywood with a jigsaw, fuse metal with a welder, and create projects of personal and social relevance.

Engineering, Entrepreneurship

Summer Educational Experience at Kent (SEEK) (Connecticut)
Kent School offers four programs designed to give high school students, including those who will be beginning ninth grade, the chance to experience engineering education and entrepreneurship. The Summer Educational Experience at Kent (SEEK) is offered in partnerships with professionals from several institutions, including U. Penn’s Wharton Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Georgia Tech Integrated Product Lifecycle Engineering (IPLE) Laboratory.

Enrichment

Academic Talent Development Program (California)
The ATDP offers challenging and enriching academic summer courses for students passionate about learning. The Elementary Division is for those completing K-6th grade and is held near UC Berkeley. The Secondary Division is for those completing 7th–11th grade and brings academically talented students to the Berkeley campus for a six-week academic adventure.

Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies (BCWS) (Virginia)
The purpose of the camp is to nurture in children and teens a respect and sensitivity to the natural world through greater knowledge of self and nature.

Camp Invention (Varies)
Camp Invention is a weeklong summer enrichment day program offered in your local elementary school.

Center for Talent Development (CTD) – Northwestern University – Summer Programs (Illinois)
CTD offers a variety of summer programs including Apogee, Spectrum, & Equinox that mix academics with fun to accelerate the learning process. Pre-K through grade 12.

Center for Bright Kids – Summer Programs (Colorado)
Students with exceptional ability in mathematical and verbal areas are offered a special selection of enrichment courses. Classes are small and curriculum is fast-paced. Courses in math, science, and humanities are taught using a variety of approaches including laboratory experiments, small group discussions, multimedia presentations, field trips, simulations, lectures, and guest speakers.

Challenge Camp (New York)
This day camp, located in Hartsdale, New York, offers enrichment opportunities where children can realize their own potential.

Champions Science Adventures (Varies)
Champions Science Adventures offers many different day camps that explore “spectacular sports, colorful art, science slime, creatures galore, and the chance to explore wet and wonderful water.”

College for Kids (Missouri)
College for Kids is a summer program for gifted and talented children offered by St. Louis Community College at Meramec. Courses are designed to challenge and advance general skills already possessed by the student.

College Gate & College Academy (Massachusetts)
This program provides students in grades K-8th the opportunity to participate in project-based learning activities. Camps are broken up by age group.

College of William and Mary Pre-Collegiate Summer Program in Early American History (Virginia)
This summer program is a trip back in time for students who get to experience early America and its interactions with Africans, Colonists and Native Americans.

Duke Summer Academy for High School Students (North Carolina)
The Duke Summer Academy for High School Students is for all high school students who want to go to take enrichment courses with a global perspective.

Exploration Summer Programs (Varies)
Exploration Summer Programs is an academic summer enrichment program where young people can expand their horizons, try something new, and learn in a pressure-free environment.

Gifted Education Resource Institute: Summer Youth Programs (Indiana)
Super Summer is a day camp program offering a variety of course topics for students to choose from, including mathematics, science and technology, visual and performing arts, and language arts, as well as original interdisciplinary courses, ages 4 to 4th grade. The summer residential camp provides intellectual challenges in courses of varied topics for students having completed grades 5-12.

Governor’s Program for Gifted Children in Louisiana (Louisiana)
The Governor’s Program for Gifted Children is seven weeks of academic enrichment, artistic opportunity, and friendship. A residential program at McNeese State University, the GPGC is the oldest and most comprehensive enrichment program for gifted students in Louisiana. With an approach that aims to develop the whole child, the GPGC provides for the intellectual, creative, and social needs of gifted children.

Long Island University Center for Gifted Youth (New York)
The Long Island University Center for Gifted Youth conducts a four-week, non-residential summer program for gifted children, which offers students a unique combination of academic and recreational activities within a university setting.

Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (MITY) (St. Paul) (Minnesota)
MITY provides an educational community where a diverse group of talented students can expand their academic visions and experience the joy and excitement of learning. The Institute has earned a reputation as Minnesota’s premiere summer academic enrichment program. Classes range in size from 10 to 16 students which encourages individualized teaching and a friendly learning environment. The following courses are available: Expand Your Mind, for students in grades 7-12; and ExplorSchool for students in grades 5-6.

Sacramento State Academic Talent Search (California)
Academic Talent Search (ATS) provides academically challenging, fast-paced courses to highly able and motivated students.

Secondary Student Training Program (Iowa)
High school juniors and seniors are invited to participate in a five-week research program hosted by the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa. Students gain scientific research experience by working with a faculty mentor.

The Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students (SCATS) (Grades 6-8) (Kentucky)
This two-week summer camp for students in grades 6-8 provides a diverse curriculum and a wide range of enrichment experiences. Students choose four classes ranging from computer science and mathematics to science and foreign languages.

Summer Challenge (Washington)
The Robinson Center for Young Scholars at the University of Washington offers summer academic programs. All classes are offered on the UW-Seattle campus, and provide challenging and fun summer experiences for academically talented students.

Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) (Varies)
The institute offers many programs on college campuses depending on your preference.

Telluride Association Summer Programs (TASP) (Michigan & New York)
TASP is a six-week educational experience for high school juniors that offers challenges and rewards rarely encountered in secondary school or even college.

UConn Mentor Connection (Connecticut)
This summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors is located at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. and runs in July of each year. It is been designed to provide students with opportunities to participate in creative projects and investigations under the supervision of university mentors.

Vanderbilt Program for Talented Youth – SAVY (Grades K-6) – Saturday Academy at Vanderbilt for the Young (Tennessee)
SAVY provides a dynamic, fast-paced curriculum experience to qualifying gifted children in Kindergarten and grades 1–6. Content experts and master teachers trained in gifted education implement an accelerated curriculum for all SAVY courses.

Yale Young Global Scholars (Connecticut)
This summer academic enrichment and leadership program brings together outstanding high school students from around the world for intensive two-week sessions on the Yale campus.

Enrichment, Leadership

Manchester Community College in Connecticut (Connecticut)
MCC’s youth programs strive to take a leadership role in gifted education and enrichment programming. A two-week full and half-day Summer Excursion camp offers classes in a variety of subject areas. Other summer programs focus specifically on arts, technology and leadership.

Enrichment, Precollege

Satori (Washington)
This summer camp offers junior and senior high school students an outstanding opportunity to expand and challenge both their minds and characters in a collegiate setting.

Summer Enrichment Program at the University of Virginia (Virginia)
This residential summer program is for gifted and talented students. It is a two-week session where the curriculum emphasis will be on extending a student’s capabilities in problem-solving, creativity and critical examination, and evaluation of content-rich fields of study.

Entrepreneurship

National Girls Collaborative Project: Brite (National)
Brite began as a partnership with the World Science Festival and The Hello Studios. NGCP revised Brite in 2021, learning from a robust evaluation and consisted of two courses: Art x Science, featuring role models and activities at the intersection of art and science, and Dream Big, Take Risks, featuring role models and activities that introduced girls to pioneering, multi-disciplinary careers in STEM.

Entrepreneurship, Precollege

Lehigh University, Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive (Pennsylvania)
This program brings American high school sophomores and juniors (ages 15-18) together with International high school students from all regions of the world for four weeks to live and learn together at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn. Students learn about entrepreneurship, globalization, team building, project management, leadership and working within a culturally diverse environment.

LaunchX (Illinois & Massachusetts)
Multi-week summer programs at either MIT or Northwestern designed to help rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors start companies.

Film, Theater

New York Film Academy Summer Film and Acting Camps (Varies)
These high school summer camps are designed for students with little or no previous filmmaking, acting, or animation experience. They are intensive, short term courses that fully immerse students in the craft of writing, directing and casting. Residential housing is for students ages 14 to 17. Day camps are provided for students ages 10 to 13.

For Educators

University of Connecticut Confratute (Connecticut)
This program is for educators to take summer classes about gifted and talented education.

Humanities

Stanford Summer Humanities Institute (California)
This program lets rising high school juniors and seniors explore the big questions at the heart of the humanities: How and when can ideas transform society? When is the use of force legitimate? How can we define the limits of individual rights?

Language

Concordia Language Villages (Minnesota)
From pre-kindergarten enrichment, sleepaway camps and high school credit programs to programs the entire family can enjoy together, Concordia brings language to life for young learners ages 2 to 18 and family members of all ages.

Middlebury Summer Language Academy (Various)
A four-week language and cultural immersion summer program for 8th-12th grade students.

Summer Linguistics Institute for Youth Scholars (SLIYS) (Ohio)
Located at The Ohio State University, this is a weeklong summer language program for high school and pre-college students. SLIYS promotes foreign language study (including Spanish, Korean, French, Turkish, Chinese, and additional foreign languages) in all aspects by cultivating a deeper appreciation of language similarities and differences.

Leadership

Civic Education Project (Northwestern University for Talent Development) (Illinois)
CEP’s Civic Leadership Institutes combine rigorous and engaging academic work with community service and hands-on field experiences designed to help young people develop the knowledge, experience, and leadership skills they need to make a positive impact on society.

Duke Field Studies and Institutes (North Carolina)
The Duke TIP Institutes are campus-based programs developed for the motivated high school student wishing to gain real world experience. The Duke TIP Leadership Institute, based at Duke University, allows students to discover their own leadership potential through study, discussion, and service experience.

Leadership, Enrichment

Summer Enrichment Programs at the University of Northern Colorado (Colorado)
Each participant will be involved in four classes per day plus evening options. Two of the classes are designed to enhance leadership abilities. In addition, students will assist a teacher in the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) class of their choice.

Leadership, International Affairs

University of Pennsylvania, International Affairs: Learning Leadership Through Model UN (Philadelphia)
If you are interested in world politics, this program can help increase your experience, knowledge and skills in this fascinating arena. Living and working with students from around the world, you will gain a unique perspective on international affairs and how to achieve solutions through diplomacy. This program offers exploration of International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Diplomacy in a four-week session for students ages 15 to 18.

Math

All Girls All Math (Nebraska)
This summer mathematics camp exclusively for high school girls provides a stimulating and supportive environment where mathematical ability and interest can be developed.

Campersand (New Mexico)
This is a one week residential family camp for precocious mathematicians 9-16 years of age. At Campersand, students are encouraged to dive deep into the subject they love and explore new areas of interest. Campersand also wants them to just be kids and to find peers like them.

Colorado Math Camp (Colorado)
Colorado Math Camp is for elementary or middle school students who love math, and want to improve their math problem-solving and math-contest abilities. Students can sign up for Math Contest Mini-Camps with beginner and advanced sessions in July.

Epsilon Camp (Varies)
Epsilon Camp is a two-week residential summer camp serving promising young mathematicians and their families through an intensive student program and parent workshop. They serve children 7 to not yet 12 years of age with extreme intelligence and a love of mathematics by identifying and exposing them to suitable content, pedagogy, peers, and mathematicians.

MathCamp (Varies)
Canada/USA MathCamp is an intensive 5-week-long summer program for mathematically talented high school students

MathILy (Pennsylvania)
Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, MathILy is a summer program for high school students that is designed for students to spend five weeks in Pennsylvania honing their math skills with other students. The level of and intensity of MathILy is comparable to SUMaC, HCSSiM, PROMYS, and Ross Programs.

MathPath (Varies)
Summer camp for students, middle school age, showing high promise in mathematics

Programs in Mathematics for Young Scientists – PROMYS (Massachusetts)
PROMYS is a challenging program designed to encourage ambitious high school students to explore the creative world of mathematics.

Prove it! Math Academy – Colorado State University (Fort Collins) (Colorado)
This residential summer math camp is for talented students 14 to 18 years old. The camp serves as a bridge between programs/contests that emphasize computational abilities and those that expect students to be well-versed in proof writing.

Stanford University Math Camp (SUMAC) (California)
SUMaC welcomes an elite group of talented current 10th and 11th graders from around the world for intensive study in advanced mathematics. SUMaC leads students on a journey in advanced mathematics through lectures, guided research, and group problem solving. Living in a residential social environment centered on mathematics, students explore current lines of mathematical research, the historical development of important areas of mathematics, and applications across scientific disciplines.

Math, Coding Robotics

CyberMath Academy (Massachusetts)
Offers after-school courses and camps in Math, Coding and Robotics for students in grades K-12. Most of these courses aim to provide a foundation for students in Math and Computer Science, which will be essential for their future success no matter what career they chose.

Math, Science, Engineering, Technology

A.C.E. Academic Camps for Excellence at Calvin College (Michigan )
Summer camps for gifted middle school students in math, science, literature, computer science, and economics.

Summer@IMSA – Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (Illinois)
Science, mathematics and technology take the center stage in Summer@IMSA programs as students utilize discovery, exploration, and problem-solving in innovative ways. These programs are for all students entering grades 3 through 10, who have a passion for math and science.

Math, Precollege

Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth (VAMPY) (Kentucky)
The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University, through a cooperative arrangement with the Duke Talent Identification Program, is pleased to offer this three-week residential Summer Program for very bright students.

The Ross Mathematics Program (Ohio)
The Ross Program at the Ohio State University is an intensive course in mathematics for pre-college students.

Medicine, Science

Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, NY)
This program offers students the ability to do summer scientific research at America’s Cancer Research Center.

American Academy of Medicine & Surgery (Maui, HI & Los Angeles, CA)
The Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills Internship is a two week course of study for High School and Pre-Med students to initiate the steps towards mastering basic and advanced cardiothoracic surgery. Students will progress from basic surgical skill

Music

Stanford Youth Orchestra (California)
The Stanford Youth Orchestra provides participants with exceptional orchestral training in the new state-of-the-art Bing Concert Hall, and includes academic workshops in composition, music theory, musicology, and technology. Students can choose between residential or commuting options.

Pre-college

Belin-Blank Center – Summer Programs (Iowa)
The summer program offered at the Belin-Blank Center is a two-week residential summer program held at The University of Iowa. They allow kids to experience college life as they live, study, and play in university classrooms, laboratories, dining halls and recreational centers.

Columbia University Precollege Summer Programs (New York)
Rigorous summer pre-college programs for students in grades nine through twelve.

THINK Summer Institute (Nevada)
Gifted students interested in a challenging academic summer program should consider attending the Davidson THINK Summer Institute on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. This intense three-week residential summer program offers exceptionally gifted 13- to 16-year-old students the opportunity to earn up to six transferable college credits.

Duke Pre-College Programs  (North Carolina)
These programs provide motivated current 6th-11th grade students with experiential learning and academic experiences in a university setting. Building on the legacy programs such as Duke Youth Programs and the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP), Duke Pre-College Programs inspire and challenge the next generation of thinkers and leaders while offering them a glimpse into the opportunities for their future.

Duke Summer College for High School Students (North Carolina)
Duke Summer College for High School Students is for high school juniors and seniors that want to learn college credit at Duke University with Duke University professors.

Joseph Baldwin Academy for Eminent Young Scholars (Missouri)
The Joseph Baldwin Academy offers highly talented students a head start on their future university careers by allowing them to spend three weeks as college freshmen.

Junior Scholars Institute (Iowa)
Junior Scholars Institute (JSI) is a one-week residential summer academic program at The University of Iowa for Belin-Blank Center students. Each session is one week long. Students take a single advanced level course for the entire week.

MichiganTech University (Michigan)
Explorations in careers and knowledge for pre-college students cover such programs as Summer Youth Explorations, Women in Engineering, American Indian Workshop or Explorations in Engineering.

Office of Precollegiate Programs for Talented and Gifted Youth at Iowa State University (Iowa)
This program matches students with appropriate learning experiences and emphasizes an approach to teaching that underscores strengths and encourages high achievement.

The Robert E. Cook Honors College – Summer Honors Program for High School Students (Pennsylvania)
Robert E. Cook Honors College’s Summer Honors Program is a place where talented high school students come together for two weeks and form a community of scholars who explore academic and collegiate living in a real college setting.

Stanford Summer College (California)
Stanford Summer College offers Stanford University credit to high school students ages 16 to 19. Become a Stanford student for eight weeks during the summer and take university courses with other Stanford undergraduates in classes taught by Stanford professors.

Syracuse University Summer College for High School Students (New York)
Offers high school students the opportunity to explore their passions and experience college life for one to six weeks with over 40 credit and noncredit pre-college programs. These programs are for high school students aged 15-19. It is a residential program in which students live in the residence halls on campus for the duration of the program.

University of California at San Diego Academic Connections (California)
This program is a pre-college summer academic and residential experience targeted to highly motivated, high achieving, college-bound high school students who want to explore the best UCSD has to offer.

University of Delaware Summer Pre-College Edge Program (Delaware)
The University of Delaware offers students the ability to live on campus and take offered courses to earn University credit. Classes in the past have included; world religions, general chemistry, general psychology, and mass communication and culture.

University of Pennsylvania, Summer Internships in Philadelphia – Julian Krinsky Summer Program (Philadelphia)
This program gives students entering grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to explore work in a chosen field while living on the University of Pennsylvania campus, during the three-, four- and seven-week sessions.

Vanderbilt Program for Talented Youth – Vanderbilt Summer Academy (Tennessee)
For highly gifted students in grades 7-11, participants can learn at a rapid pace in a community of their true peers. As a VSA student, you will live on campus and take advanced courses with Vanderbilt professors, lecturers, and graduate students.

Research

Perry Research Scholars Institute (PRSI) – University of Iowa (Iowa)
Students in grades 8–10 may apply for this two-week residential summer academic program at the Belin-Blank Center. Students will participate in seminars with university faculty, tour their research facilities, and study their publications. Students will develop an understanding of research that extends well beyond bench science through exposure to research in fields such as anthropology, business, education, engineering, medicine, psychology, sustainability, etc.

Research Mentorship Program – UC Santa Barbara Summer Sessions (California)
This competitive summer program engages qualified, high-achieving high school students from all over the world in interdisciplinary, hands-on, university-level research. Students will be paired with a mentor (graduate student, postdoc, or faculty) and choose a research project from a long list of disciplines offered by the program each year.

Summer Research Academies – UC Santa Barbara Summer Sessions (California)
This dynamic summer experience engages qualified high school students in project-based, directed research in STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences fields. Students will take a 4-unit university course in which they choose and develop a research topic specific to the track they select, under the direction of an instructor who is conducting active research in that field.

Science

Astrocamp (California)
Students spend time using microscopes and telescopes and exploring “mystery planetary surfaces”.

Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Summer Science Courses (Maryland)
Students in CAA science courses gather and interpret data, master important scientific concepts, and learn to recognize relationships among physical phenomena. In addition to lectures and reading assignments, science courses include oral presentations and written assignments, particularly lab reports.

Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) (Missouri)
Students and Teachers As Research Scientists (STARS) is a program that introduces both rising high school juniors and seniors and teachers to the various aspects of the scientific enterprise.

Summer Science Program (SSP) (CO, NM, & IN)
The Summer Science Program (SSP) is a residential enrichment program in which gifted high school students complete a challenging, hands-on research project in astrophysics or biochemistry.

Young Scientist Program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (Missouri)
Young Scientist Program is designed to attract high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds into scientific careers through activities emphasizing hands-on research and individualized contact between young people and active scientists.

Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP) (Massachusetts)
Smith’s Summer Science and Engineering Program has a mission: To encourage teenage girls with a bent for science to shine.

Sea Camp (Texas)
Students are able to learn in marine and estuarine environments while having access to labs and vessels available at Texas A & M.

Math, Science, and Technology at Michigan State University (Michigan)
Math, Science, and Technology (MST) at Michigan State University is a two-week residential summer program for academically talented students who are currently in Grade 7, 8, or 9. Each day the students take two two-hour classes in astronomy, physics, mathematics, computer science, chemistry, or environmental science.

Science, Medicine

Clemson Space Camps (South Carolina)
Clemson University, in partnership with Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, has developed a summer research experience for gifted and talented middle and high school students. Students use NASA built radio telescopes, research-grade optical telescopes, and one of the world’s largest archives of astronomical data to conduct independent and group research under the mentorship of astronomers and scientists. They also tour cutting edge astronomy research labs and hear guest speakers share their experiences working in space science.

Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (California)
This program is a science- and medicine- based enrichment program for low-income and ethnically diverse high school sophomores and juniors who live in Northern and Central California.

Summer Science Institute (Wisconsin)
The Summer Science Institute (SSI) is a seven-week residential experience in which students gain an understanding of biological/physical research while learning about college life.

University of Pennsylvania, Penn Nursing Institute – Julian Krinsky Summer Program (Philadelphia)
This program offers a unique four-week intensive program for rising high school juniors and seniors that features cutting-edge research, the latest advances in virtual learning, and clinical experience in Philadelphia’s top hospitals. As the only undergraduate Ivy League nursing school, Penn is recognized worldwide for setting the standard of academic excellence in this field.

U.S. Space and Rocket Center Space Camp (Alabama)
These programs are offered to a variety of ages depending on the course that you pick.

STEM

Boston Leadership Institute (Massachusetts)
This program selects outstanding high school students for three-week programs each summer. Students develop high-level research skills and subject matter expertise that strengthen credentials valuable for college admission. Students excelling in honors or advanced STEM classes are encouraged to apply.

COSMOS California State Summer School for Math and Science (California)
The COSMOS course clusters address topics not traditionally taught in high schools such as astronomy, aerospace engineering, biomedical sciences, computer science, wetlands ecology, ocean science, robotics, game theory, and more.

Research Science Institute (RSI) (Massachusetts)
Selected from the United States and other nations, these students participate in a rigorous academic program which emphasizes advanced theory and research in mathematics, the sciences, and engineering.

iD Tech Camps for Kids & Teens) (Varies)
Explore a top campus, make friends as you master new tech skills, and join a community of more than 275,000 alumni. At iD Tech Camps, students ages 7-17 can learn to code, build websites, design video games, experience virtual reality, mod Minecraft, engineer robots, model and print 3D characters and more.

Lehigh University Summer Engineering Institute (SEI) (Pennsylvania)
This is a four-week summer residential program of intensive classroom study and research for exceptionally talented, rising high school juniors and seniors. SEI provides enrichment experiences in the fields of engineering and technology.

University of Minnesota: College of Science & Engineering Summer Camps (Minnesota)
The University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering offers a number of summer camps, including: Discover STEM; Girls Solve It! With Mathematical Biology; Eureka!; IMA-MathCEP Math Modeling Camp; National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI); Technology Day Camp; and, Summer Computer Academy.

STEM, Technology, Math

Wolfram High School Summer Camp (Boston, MA)
This is an intensive two week project-oriented camp designed to advance high school students’ programming and problem solving skills. Through lectures and activities lead by Wolfram instructors, students use Wolfram Language to learn and apply computational thinking skills. The camp is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurial and technical high school students to explore science and technology.

Technology

Emagination Computer Camps (Varies)
This camp offers typical fun camp activities with a touch of technology. Students learn computer animation, web design, digital photography, lego robotics and much more.

National Computer Camp (Varies)
This program offers both residential and non-residential options in curriculum consisting of topics from video game design to computer languages and web page design.

Technology, Cinema, Precollege

iD Tech Academies for Teens (Varies)
Students ages 13-18 network with peers, get inspired on a prestigious campus, gain valuable Industry Insights, and hone STEM skills in fun, immersive courses. Whether your teen is interested in coding and engineering or video game design and development, they’ll go from “enthusiast” to “expert” and kick-start their dream career.

Varies

Center for Talented Youth (CTY) (Maryland)
This website is for all summer programs through the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. The programs cater to academically talented children from second to twelfth grade.

Explo (Various Locations)
At EXPLO, young people unwind complexity through personalized, playful, and inquisitive project-based learning developed collaboratively with partners in industry—here, students make big-picture discoveries about the world, the future, and their place in it; they ignite their passions and consider what kind of life they want to live, questions they want to wrestle with, collaborations they want to build. From Pulitzer Prize winners to state Supreme Court justices, EXPLO faculty are excited to engage young minds. EXPLO alumni go on to be Forbes 30 under 30 awardees, Inventors of the Year, Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars, filmmakers, authors, and more.

Explore (California)
Externships Providing Leadership Opportunities in Research and Education (EXPLORE) Program matches high-potential and gifted high school students with distinguished mentors, hands-on research opportunities, and professional experience in their field of interest.

Summer Wonders (Texas)
Summer Wonders is a nonresidential, full or half-day program that allows students to explore diverse subjects in a challenging, creative environment through an integrative, hands-on, non-traditional approach.

Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth (Wisconsin)
There is a variety of residential as well as online summer programs offered for students who have taken and passed specific tests and are of a specific age.

Xploration – Julian Krinsky Middle School Summer Camp (Bryn Mawr, PA)
This is an opportunity for students 10 to 13 years old to enjoy learning, sports and activities on a classically beautiful tree-lined campus. Held at Bryn Mawr College on Philadelphia’s prestigious Main Line, Xploration offers expert instruction in the arts, sciences, popular culture and dozens of fascinating subjects specially selected for the interests of middle school students.

Writing

Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking – Summer Workshops for High School Students (Multiple Locations)
The summer workshops, offered at three college-based sites in June and July (Illinois, Massachusetts & Oregon) are intended for intellectually curious and motivated high school students in grades 9 through 12 who like to write and want to develop greater fluency and confidence in their writing

Summer Writing Residency – University of Iowa (Iowa)
Students in grades 9-11 may apply for the Summer Writing Residency (SWR), an immersive 3–week residency at The University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center. Learn from world-class faculty on one of the premier arts campuses in the US. Participate in classes, workshops, evening tours, lectures, and events that will stretch you as a writer.

 

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