10 Programs for High School Students Phoenix, Arizona
High school students in Arizona can benefit from participating in pre-college programs, as these experiences can offer exposure to scientific research, practical lab work, and mentorship from university faculty or industry experts. These programs can give you a deeper understanding of specialized fields and real-world applications. Additionally, participating in these programs can make your college application more competitive, demonstrating initiative and curiosity— qualities especially valued by admissions committees for selective undergraduate programs.
Here are 10 programs for high school students in Phoenix, Arizona!
Note: The following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program offers high school students the opportunity to conduct independent research with the support of PhD mentors. You will choose a research topic from a variety of fields, including biology, data science, philosophy, and social sciences. Throughout the program, you will receive guidance in developing a college-level research paper, with writing coaches helping you refine each stage of the process. The program concludes with a research symposium where you can present your work and explore options for publication. This program is designed for students interested in deepening their research skills and pursuing academic inquiry.
Location: Remote
Cost: $2,990 (12 weeks); $5,900 (16–20 weeks); $8,900 (6–12 months). Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: The winter cohort II deadline is December 29.
Program Dates: Seasonal cohorts in the winter, spring, summer, and fall!
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum GPA of 3.3 can apply.
The Barrow Neurological Institute offers a Summer High School Internship Program that offers experience in a professional research lab. You will work with advanced technology and receive guidance from experienced mentors. The program enhances your understanding of basic biological principles, the mechanisms behind neurological diseases, and potential treatments. You will learn to evaluate scientific literature, develop communication skills, and use advanced scientific techniques to address research questions. Additionally, the program offers opportunities to develop scientific projects that may be presented at local and national competitions or published. You will also gain insight into the role of non-laboratory departments that support research studies.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Fully funded, with scholarships available.
Application Deadline: February 14
Program Dates: May 30 – July 3
Eligibility: Must be at least 16 years old and enrolled full-time in high school.
The Mayo Clinic’s CARES Program allows Arizona high school students to explore healthcare careers. You will participate in activities in a hospital environment, interact with healthcare professionals, and receive mentorship that extends beyond the summer. You will learn about various career paths in healthcare, build connections, and gain insight into your potential future in the field. The program also includes sessions on college preparation, resume writing, and interview skills, with an emphasis on supporting students from underserved communities.
Location: Mayo Clinic, Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ, or virtual
Cost: Fully funded, with a stipend provided
Application Deadline: February 1
Internship Dates:
In-Person Program: June 4 – 27 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays)
Virtual Program: July 8 – 12 (Monday – Friday)
Eligibility: Open to Arizona high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
The Phoenix Center for the Arts offers a variety of classes for students ages 6 to 18 in art, music, theatre, writing, and dance. For visual arts, you can take classes in oil painting, pencil drawing, and anime or manga drawing. These classes are available at both the Downtown and North Phoenix campuses. Music classes allow you to improve your voice, play the piano, or learn guitar. You’ll have the chance to learn music theory, rhythm, and melody in small class settings. Instruments are provided during in-person classes. Classes are offered on a rolling basis.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Varies. Each class is priced differently. You can assess the costs of upcoming classes here.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Varies. Each class has a different date and duration. You can check the dates of upcoming classes here.
Eligibility: High school students in Phoenix can apply for some classes.
If you’re interested in healthcare and medicine, this program offers a variety of activities to explore the field. It includes interactive workshops, medical simulations, and clinical rotations that give you a closer look at different aspects of medicine. You’ll have the opportunity to gain practical experience with suturing, CPR, anatomy labs, and patient simulations. Additionally, the program features guest lectures from healthcare professionals, college readiness workshops, and information on the medical school application process, providing helpful resources for a future in medicine.
Location: College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Residential Camp: $500 (includes meals, room, and board) | Day Camp: $300 (includes meals, camp activities, scrubs) | The Healthcare Team: $250 (includes meals, camp activities, scrubs)
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: Residential Camp: June 1 – 7 | Day Camp: June 9 – 13 | The Healthcare Team: June 16 – 20
Eligibility: Available for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
The Maricopa ACE Program supports Phoenix high school students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, by helping them transition from high school to community college and university. Students join the program before their junior year and work in cohort groups. ACE focuses on students facing challenges such as being first-generation college-goers, working part-time, or coming from single-parent or low-income households. While in high school, students take college-level credit-bearing courses taught by Maricopa faculty, with prerequisites and placement testing required. The program also provides ongoing support through regular contact with students, family involvement, and collaboration between high schools and colleges. ACE also offers resources on scholarships and financial aid to help students pursue higher education.
Location: Various locations across Phoenix, AZ
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: During the high school sophomore year, PC ACE recruiters come to some of the high schools in the Phoenix Union High School District and give students ACE applications and information regarding PC’s ACE Program.
Program Dates: The ACE Program spans from the summer before a student's junior year through their senior year of high school, providing continuous support and enrollment in college-level courses.
Eligibility: Here is the list of Phoenix high schools that can participate in this program. Students must be sophomores to be recruited.
In this research internship, you’ll work with a PhD student mentor who shares your research interests. You’ll explore various project options or design your own with guidance. Past projects have included comparing code review tools like linting tools and ChatGPT, creating secure finance bot simulations in Python, and examining social media ad scams targeting different consumer demographics. During the eight-week program, you’ll attend weekly lab meetings to present your progress, discuss challenges, and get feedback. At the end, you’ll present your findings.
Location: Hybrid with mandatory in-person components on Tuesdays. The in-person commitments are held in the CTF lab at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ.
Cost: No cost; $1,800 stipend provided upon successful completion of the internship; interns are responsible for transportation costs.
Application Deadline: January 27
Internship Dates: 8 weeks across June and July. Specific dates vary year by year and will be specified on the application.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in the Phoenix area at the time of the application are eligible.
This academic enrichment program allows you to explore healthcare careers. You’ll visit healthcare facilities and labs, attend lectures on various health professions, and take introductory college courses in English, Math, and Chemistry, earning transferable credits. Additionally, you’ll stay in the Arizona University Residential Hall, combining academic learning with practical insights into healthcare. This program helps you prepare for future studies and careers in healthcare.
Location: The University of Arizona, Tucson campus, AZ
Cost: $6,000, with financial scholarships and tuition waivers available.
Application Deadline: February 1
Program Dates: 6 weeks, begins the 1st Sunday in June and ends mid-July.
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their junior year, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, one-year Arizona residents, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and complete the interview process are eligible to apply. The program especially encourages students from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds, first-generation college students, and those who are economically disadvantaged to apply.
The KEYS (Keep Engaging Youth in Science) program at the BIO5 Institute offers Arizona high school students a chance to gain interdisciplinary skills in bioscience, biomedical science, data science, and environmental health research. This seven-week summer internship provides training in biotechnology, science literacy, ethics, and communication — topics not often covered in regular classrooms. The program starts with a one-week training session where you’ll learn bioscience and data science techniques. You’ll then be paired with a University of Arizona researcher leading a cross-disciplinary project. At the end of the program, you’ll present your research findings to the academic community, family, and friends.
Location: BIO5 Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost: No cost; financial assistance is available for costs like meals and transportation
Application Deadline: December 13
Internship Dates: June 2 – July 18
Eligibility: Students must be at least 16 years old by June 2 and a U.S. citizen or legal resident with a minimum of one-year Arizona residency
The Business Careers Awareness Program offers high school juniors from underrepresented backgrounds the chance to explore careers in accounting and business. You can choose between a day-long event or a week-long residential program hosted by the Eller College of Management Dhaliwal-Reidy School of Accountancy. This program provides an introduction to the business world, helping you build connections and gain insights into potential career paths.
Location: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost: Fully funded
Application Deadline: March 2
Program Dates: June 1 – 6
Eligibility: Current high school juniors can apply.
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.