10 Free + Online AI Summer Programs for High School Students
As artificial intelligence continues to change the world and shape various professions, exploring the field can be a valuable opportunity for high school students. One way of doing this is attending an AI summer program for high school students. Through such programs, you can learn about foundational AI concepts and explore related fields like data science and software engineering. You will also have the chance to work with real-world AI applications and gain skills like Python programming, natural language processing, and working with neural networks.
If you’re considering studying computer science in college, an AI program can help signal your interest in the field to admissions officers. While there are several options, we have chosen to focus on free online AI summer programs for high school students in this article. These programs afford a lot more flexibility than programs on campus as there are no geographical or financial restraints. You can attend these programs from anywhere in the world and at no cost while building your skills and knowledge in AI.
Here are 10 free online AI summer programs for high school students:
Cost: 100% financial aid is available
Program dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, Spring from March to June
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program offers a mentored research experience for high school students. The program will pair you with a PhD mentor, under whose guidance you will develop an independent research project. There are various research areas available but you can choose to focus on artificial intelligence or machine learning. This is a solid option if you’re interested in conducting in-depth research in AI and related fields. At the end of the program, you will have a completed research paper as well as a university-level understanding of the field. You can apply for the program here.
2. MIT FutureMakers
Cost: Free
Program dates: July 1 – August 8
Application deadline: March 29
Eligibility: All high school students studying within the US
MIT FutureMakers is a virtual AI program offered under MIT’s RAISE initiative. It focuses on teaching students about AI and computational action in a hackathon format. The program begins with a 4-week training session that covers the fundamental concepts of AI. This is followed by a 2-week Create-a-thon during which you and your team develop an AI-based solution to a real-world problem and participate in a pitch competition. This program will familiarize you with programming languages, coding libraries, and toolkits like the MIT App Inventor. Your final project, generally an app or website, is a valuable addition to your academic profile for college admissions.
Cost: 100% financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI’s programs are geared towards high school students interested artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning. The AI Scholars program is a 10-session bootcamp for beginners which will introduce you to the fundamental concepts in AI and data science. The AI Fellowship program is a more advanced option that offers the opportunity to work on a unique AI project under 1-on-1 guidance from a mentor. You can expect to work on projects that explore the intersection of AI with other fields like medicine, finance, and education.
Cost: $850. Financial aid covering tuition and application fees is available based on demonstrated financial need.
Program dates: June 16 - 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years of age
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging offers this two-week research internship for high school students interested in the intersection of AI and medicine. The program covers the technical and clinical elements of AI in healthcare and focuses on project work. You will learn through lectures, mentoring activities, group sessions, social activities, and sessions with guest speakers. At the end of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion. Some students may get an extended internship opportunity as well.
Cost: Free
Program dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: April 11
Eligibility: Girls and non-binary students from grades 9-12
Girls Who Code is a platform that offers free programs for students interested in computer science. One of their summer programs is Pathways, a six-week virtual program with courses in web development, cybersecurity, data science, and artificial intelligence. You will learn coding languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python and then apply those skills to real-world projects. This self-paced program features step-by-step tutorial videos and additional help from advisors. Each course requires 3-6 hours and provides a certificate on completion. This program is also a good opportunity to network with industry professionals and peers. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: Free
Program dates: Session 1: June 2 – 13; Session 2: July 7 – 18; Session 3: July 21 – August 1; Session 4: August 4 – 15
Application deadline: April 10
Eligibility: Women and gender expansive teens between the ages of 13-18
Kode With Klossy is a non-profit organization that offers coding camps for students from underrepresented genders in STEM. The program’s 2-week summer camps have virtual tracks and are entirely free. As a participant, you will be placed in one of the four categories: web development, mobile app, machine learning, and data science. The machine learning category is best suited for students interested in artificial intelligence. The curriculum covers foundational concepts of AI and machine learning. You will learn about algorithms, data sets, natural language processing, and how to train a chatbot using Python. The program also explores bias in AI and hosts a speaker series featuring women in technology.
Cost: Free
Program dates: Variable
Application deadline: Variable
Eligibility: Students who are 18 years of age or younger
Organized by a non-profit organization called Technovation, this AI Challenge invites you and your family to work together to develop an AI project. The goal is to identify a problem in the community and create a solution that uses AI. You will attend 10 virtual lessons that address topics like coding, data, and AI ethics. At the end of the program, you will have a chance to submit your project for a global competition and attend the annual Technovation World Summit. This is a great option for those who want to learn about AI in a hands-on manner.
Cost: Free
Program dates: These are self-paced programs
Application deadline: You can sign up any time
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
IBM SkillsBuild is an education platform offered by IBM to students and adults who want to learn more about technology and develop skills in the field. The platform provides more than 1,000 courses that cover topics like cybersecurity, data science, UX design, and more. The artificial intelligence section looks at the foundations of the subject, exploring natural language processing, practical applications, and ethical considerations. One of the courses even provides hands-on experience by allowing you to build your own chatbot! Upon completing the course, you will receive an IBM badge/certificate.
Cost: A free version is available
Program dates: A self-paced program that requires 2-3 hours per week for 4 weeks
Application deadline: You can sign up anytime
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
Google’s AI for Anyone is an online course for beginners who want to learn about artificial intelligence and machine learning. During the course, you will explore how AI is used in the real world (studying computer vision and self-driving vehicles) and different types of machine learning (such as supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement). You will also learn about programming, neural networks, AI ethics, and the importance of data. Note that if you want a certificate of completion, you’ll need to opt for the paid version.
Cost: $2,089 - $4,897 (depending on how early you sign up and if you want additional instruction in Python). Scholarships of up to 80% of the fees are available.
Programk dates: July 14 – August 1
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students aged 12-18 who have prior knowledge of Python and can write their own functions
While Berkeley Coding Academy’s Summer Program is a paid program that offers limited scholarships, we have kept it on this list due to the value of its curriculum. Titled “Data Science: The AI Journey”, this 3-week program explores advanced topics in data science and AI. You will analyze and visualize big data in Week 1, build machine learning models in Week 2, and navigate neural networks in Week 3. You will also work on a project using a real-world dataset of your choice and present your work at the end of the program. This is a solid option for students who have a basic understanding of AI and ML and want to build their portfolio.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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