Summer Programs

Expanding college access to communities that have been historically under-represented in higher education is a shared goal among Coalition schools. Many members provide pre-college summer opportunities with financial aid available.

Explore this website to learn more about each school’s affordable summer programming designed to promote access to higher education. Remember, as a student, participating in a pre-college summer program is a great way to further explore your interests, get a taste of what it is like to be a college student, visit a college campus, and even boost your academic profile.

Through Student Leaders®, Bank of America recognizes high school students who lead and serve in their own communities and beyond. We connect Student Leaders to tools and resources to help make communities better.

As a Student Leader, you will:

• Work as a paid intern at a local nonprofit for eight weeks
• Attend the weeklong Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.
• Develop leadership and career skills
• Connect with like-minded students from your own community and across the country

Current Juniors and Seniors: Apply from October 14, 2024 — January 15, 2025

Visit Student Leaders page for more information.

BESt summer programs are four weeks in duration and focused on a STEM-based curriculum. The goal is to spark students interests in STEM-based professions and to create a pipeline of diverse healthcare providers to the St. Louis Region. Students get exposure to the healthcare profession through healthcare lectures and site visits. Professional development emphasizes personal brand, character, and leadership development.

Each summer, the Isaac Bruce Foundation hosts a free football clinic for St. Louis area kids. The free clinic provides youth the opportunity to work on their football skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork skills, while building self-esteem both on and off the field. Each participant receives a T-shirt and refreshments as well as has the opportunity to meet Isaac. The clinics are open to the public. Space is limited to the first 500 participants to register. Bruce started the clinics in 2007. Registration is available under the “Events” section in April of each year.

http://www.isaacbruce.org/events.php

• Our free virtual summer programs are open to 9-12th graders who identify as girls or non-binary. Any coding experience level is welcome!

• In addition to our free programs, we offer a financial support grant of up to $300 and laptop and hotspot access for eligible students.

• This year, students can choose to learn new coding skills in game design, web design, cybersecurity, or data science and artificial intelligence! As they build computer science skills, students will learn about the many diverse careers in tech through virtual events with professionals in the field.

• Students receive priority consideration if they apply at girlswhocode.com/summerapply

This pre-college summer academy is designed for underrepresented students and/or potential first-generation college students in high school who are interested in studying business.

Students will stay on KU’s Lawrence campus and learn about various aspects of business while immersing themselves in the college experience both in and out of the classroom. They’ll gain connections to academic resources and opportunities at KU and attend workshops focused on college and career readiness. This program is FREE for all eligible participants; all participants receive a scholarship that covers the general cost of the program.

More about Summer Venture can be found on the website.

The University of Missouri School of Medicine invites current sophomores and juniors to participate in the Mizzou MedPrep: Medical Explorations Workshop. The workshop is a 2-week online course with a one-day In-person visit to either the Columbia or Springfield Clinical Campus. Students will explore careers in healthcare, enhance self-awareness through personal assessment, and connect with peers, students, staff, and faculty in healthcare.

APPLY online (Click Create Account)

High School Mini-Med School at the University of Missouri Columbia is returning this June for two sessions. Session 1 runs from June 1-5 and Session 2 is from June 8-12.

This overnight camp is for current Missouri high school juniors (rising seniors) who are interested in a career in medicine. 

The application is open January 17 and is due March 16 and requires a transcript and a letter of recommendation from a past or current science teacher. For more information about the camp and the application visit: https://medicine.missouri.edu/offices-programs/education/pre-med-outreach-programs/mini-medical-school

If you are in high school (or graduating this year) and have a disability, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to learn about and build leadership skills to become better prepared for future employment, higher education, and independent living after you graduate from high school!

The Missouri Youth Leadership Forum (MO-YLF) is a five-day overnight program that empowers high school students with disabilities. It brings together approximately 30 students from across Missouri to develop leadership skills and career awareness. Through interactive sessions, delegates gain a deeper understanding of their disabilities and those of their peers, while analyzing strengths and weaknesses to become self-determined individuals. MO-YLF also equips students with knowledge of the legislative process and disability laws, empowering them to advocate for themselves and others. With visits to the state Capitol and a mock legislative session, delegates learn firsthand how laws are made. The program fosters self-advocacy skills and promotes disability awareness, connecting students with community resources for independent living. Fun group activities facilitate networking and the formation of lifelong friendships. MO-YLF ultimately leaves students with renewed confidence and a clearer vision for their post-secondary goals in education, employment, and independent living.  The Forum is a life-changing experience that combines leadership training with self-discovery to change the future for aspiring young leaders with disabilities.

Don’t miss out on this incredible and life-changing opportunity – applications are available at https://disability.mo.gov/gcd/ylf.htm.

Open to:  Missouri high school students with ANY disability who have an IEP or 504 Plan

Cost:  The Forum is FREE for all of our participants

Location:  University of Missouri (Mizzou) in Columbia, MO

How to Apply:  Visit our website and complete the application (https://disability.mo.gov/gcd/ylf.htm)

If you have questions, need assistance filling out your application, or need an alternative format, please email gcd@oa.mo.gov or call our office at 573-751-2600 or 800-877-8249

It is time again for Murray State University’s Commonwealth Honors Academy. The 2025 Academy will be held June 7 - June 28, 2025. The Academy brings together 90 rising high school seniors from Kentucky and Murray State University’s regional states for three weeks in an interdisciplinary living-learning environment. Upon the completion of the academy, students will

●        receive three (3) hours of university studies credit.

●        receive an in-state full-tuition scholarship (for 4 years) with a 3.5 cumulative high school GPA and a minimum 25 ACT Composite score. Students who do not meet these criteria will have the opportunity to receive the Academic Achievement scholarship for First-time Freshmen students.

Juniors who might be qualified for this selective program. In order to qualify for the academy, students must have

●        completed the junior year of high school.

●        a composite ACT of approximately 25 (or equivalent on the SAT, PSAT, or ACT ASPIRE), and a 3.5 GPA on the 4.0 scale.

●        other credentials, such as community involvement, class rank, and teacher recommendations are taken into consideration in the selection process.

Students are encouraged to apply for the program even if these qualifications have not yet been met. 

Information on courses for the 2025 Academy and applications for the academy can be found at www.murraystate.edu/cha and completed through an easy-to-fill-out Google Form. Information is also posted on social media accounts (Instagram  and  Facebook).

For more information - 2 live Zoom events will be held: 

CHA Informational Session 1 Nov 14, 2024 @ 5:00 PM Central Time

https://murraystate.zoom.us/j/86800853247?pwd=2aLu6NM2J0oCrHQb9DHaOwLzmVtnjO.1

Meeting ID: 868 0085 3247 Passcode: 723137

CHA Informational Session 2 Jan 23, 2025 @ 5:00 PM Central Time

https://murraystate.zoom.us/j/85481196482?pwd=3gBobTmg0Bz4FaN25gKIWsnanewmEg.1

Meeting ID: 854 8119 6482 Passcode: 674415

The student application deadline is March 1, 2025. Students and students will be notified of acceptance in mid-April.

The High School Internship Program is for high school students, aged 16 or older, that are looking for real-world experience. This internship will offer students the opportunity to gain relevant work experience while contributing to an important and purposeful mission.

NGA High School Interns perform a variety of entry-level functions and tasks in support of the organization to which they are assigned. They are given a work project that involves problem identification, analysis, and resolution. Specific duties may include the preparation and presentation of briefings directly related to the work assigned.

To learn more about NGA’s Student Opportunities visit: https://www.nga.mil/careers/Student_Opportunities.html

The College Prep Scholars Program application opens in early February. Sign up to be notified with the application opens

Applying to college can seem daunting, and the prospect of paying for it can seem even more overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. The College Prep Scholars Program equips high-achieving high school juniors from low-income backgrounds with the knowledge, confidence, and resources to apply to top colleges.

Why apply as a junior? Being a College Prep Scholar is a notable distinction that shows our college partners that you are a competitive candidate for admission. In addition, your application will automatically carry over for the National College Match when you’re a senior, giving you a head start on applying for a full four-year scholarship to our college partners. College Prep Scholars are almost six times more likely than other applicants to receive full four-year scholarships through the National College Match.

Summer Internship program information will be sent to qualifying students via Parent Square/Student Square in early October. All interested students are strongly encouraged to attend the Student Information Meeting at their school (information about the meetings will be communicated via Parent Square/Student Square).  We will share important information about the program and the application/interview process. The application opens up during the Student Information Meeting process. There is not an option to apply early.

Through this program’s virtual Exposure component, students will participate in four interactive learning sessions and build foundational journalism skills.

The second phase of the program, Immersion, brings high school juniors to Elon for a summer on-campus residential learning workshop.

Additionally, students who complete the Immersion program will be assigned two mentors — an Elon communications student and a professional journalist — to help identify, report and produce multimedia stories during their senior year of high school.

CLICK HERE for more details

Looking for a stimulating summer experience? Consider attending a summer program geared toward your skills and interests. TeenLife makes it easy to find them. Just go to TeenLife.com/Summer, use the filters to refine your search, or enter a special interest in the search bar at the top of the page. Then browse the results and click on any listing to get more information. 

The University of Missouri St. Louis Bridge Program has begun its recruitment of area high school students for participation in the 2024 Summer Academy, Bridge to the ACT Summer Intensive, and Spend the Summer Write Workshop Series!

The Summer Academy is offered Monday through Friday on the University of Missouri- St. Louis north campus. Students who possess the following criteria are eligible to apply:

·       Currently enrolled in grades 9^th – 10^th, in a St. Louis metropolitan area high school 

·       Cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher 

·       Enrolled in or have completed Algebra

Visit https://www.umsl.edu/precollegiate/programs/index.html for more information.

What:  A one-day, activity-packed experience giving students a glimpse of what it's like to be a pharmacist, as well as an opportunity to see firsthand what it's like to study at one of our three UMKC Pharmacy campuses. Providing hands-on exercises and the ability to learn about the wide variety of pharmacy career practice areas!

Who: Any student who has completed 9th grade or above, current college students, or individuals looking for career change are encouraged to attend!

Find more information HERE.

Questions? Contact pharmacy@umkc.edu or 816-235-1613.

The U.S. Naval Academy’s summer programs applications are live! Summer STEM is for current 8th, 9th, and 10th graders and is a six-day residential camp here at the Academy. Attendees get to do hands-on math and science activities in our labs with our faculty and midshipmen. Summer Seminar is for current 11th graders and is a great opportunity for attendees to see what it would be like to be a student at the Academy. Need-based scholarships are available for both programs, including fees and/or travel. Click HERE for more information!

This fully funded six-week summer virtual experience teaches high school students to formulate and implement STEM projects in their local communities. To learn more, click here. 

The WashU College Prep Program is excited to announce that the application is open for the newest cohort! CPP will admit up to 50 new scholars to join the program. The WashU College Prep Program is an enriching, four-year commitment designed to help prepare talented St. Louis area students for college and beyond.

While academic excellence is valued, CPP is also looking for students with a strong desire to attend college, leadership skills, resilience, and a positive attitude. Click here to access the program's website for more information. 

Application Link: WashU College Prep Program Application

Application Deadline: January 31, 2025

WashU Preview is the perfect way to experience first-hand what makes our community inclusive, supportive, and distinctive. This three-day, two-night visit on campus highlights opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds to find the right fit at WashU (including but not limited to first-generation-to-college students, students from low-income families, students from rural areas, underrepresented students of color, and LGBTQIA+ students).

Students will meet admissions representatives, explore academics, and learn about the many support resources available across campus.

The Webster University School of Communications hosts summer camps include: Animation, Game Design, Film Production, and Sound Recording

Camps are open to students age 14-18 and are held in the state-of-the-art Sverdrup Building on Webster University's main campus in Webster Groves, MO. Campers will learn the basics of their subject and will work on projects throughout the week. On Friday, campers will present their personal projects they’ve worked on for the week in an assembly which family and friends are invited to attend!

For more information visit: https://www.webster.edu/communications/summer-camps.php

Led by current West Point cadets, Summer Leaders Experience (SLE) is a week-long immersion into the academic, military, and social life of a West Point cadet.  At SLE, you will explore West Point from all angles, including our high-tech educational facilities, team-building athletic activities, and realistic military training.   

SLE gives you a taste of the character, determination, commitment to excellence, and leadership skills required to become a cadet at West Point.   

Click here for more information and to apply: https://www.westpoint.edu/admissions/summer-program