12 STEM Programs for High School Students in Houston, Texas
High school students can gain a distinct advantage by participating in STEM programs before college. These programs allow you to explore research and learn from university professors or professionals in the field. For high schoolers, STEM programs provide a rare chance to tackle real-world challenges and receive personalized mentorship. Engaging in STEM programs also strengthens your college applications, giving you a competitive edge when applying to top STEM undergraduate programs.
Here are 12 STEM programs for high school students based in Houston!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
The DACCPM Summer Research Program is a competitive 10-week opportunity for high school students to gain experience in medical research. As a participant, you will learn practical laboratory and clinical research skills, conduct medical literature reviews, and develop data management techniques. You will be assigned a project and work alongside researchers, with the program concluding in a poster presentation at a symposium. The annual CATALYST Summer Program abstract book will publish your project abstract. Additionally, the program offers sessions on different medical career paths.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: January 15. You can apply here!
Program Dates: June 2—August 8.
Eligibility: High school seniors 18 years or older, in good academic standing, or graduating are eligible to apply.
3. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program | $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $6,900 for both. Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
The Rice STEM Academy is a free, week-long summer program for high school girls that focuses on exploring scientific principles and engineering challenges. The program gives you experience in sustainability-related engineering. You’ll work in advanced labs, collaborate with Rice faculty, and engage with graduate students.
Activities include designing engineering landing capsules, learning circuit basics with Microbits, and exploring motion with TI Nspire Rovers. The program also covers various physics concepts and how they relate to engineering, focusing on sustainable solutions.
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX.
Cost: Fully funded
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in June.
Program Dates: The program typically runs for a week in July.
Eligibility: High school students entering 10th or 11th grade can apply.
This program, hosted by the University of Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Center, offers a competitive 10-week opportunity for students interested in biomedical sciences. As a participant, you will work on a research project in a biomedical field under the mentorship of an MD Anderson faculty member. The program focuses on the core principles of scientific research and includes seminars to complement your lab experience. This is a great option for students considering medical careers, providing research experience and exposure to biomedical science. Only 10 students are selected each year, making it a selective opportunity.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend of $6,800 for the 10-week program and $6,120 if participating for 9 weeks.
Application Deadline: January 15.
Program Dates: June 2 — August 8.
Eligibility: Open to Texas-resident high school seniors, 18+ at the start.
Texas High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) offers Texas high school juniors a year-long STEM experience centered around NASA’s missions. The program begins in the fall with a five-month online course covering space exploration, Earth science, technology, and aeronautics.
Throughout the course, you’ll engage in interactive lessons, design challenges, and discussions while connecting with NASA professionals. Top-performing students are invited to the Moonshot summer program, a five-day virtual event where you’ll collaborate with NASA scientists and engineers on team projects, engineering tasks, and mission planning for the Moon and Mars!
Location: In-person at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, and virtual.
Cost: Fully funded
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in October.
Program Dates: This is a year-long program. Check the program dates here.
Eligibility: High school juniors residing in Texas are eligible to apply.
This internship is for high school students with a strong academic background and an interest in research and medicine. As an intern, you’ll gain experience in a translational research lab, working with a mentor who shares your area of interest. During the summer, you’ll develop key skills by contributing to a research project, which will be presented at a scientific poster symposium at Houston Methodist. The program also includes career development sessions focused on scientific writing and college preparation to help you plan your future academic path.
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital campus in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Cost: No cost or stipend. Scholarships are available to cover room and board.
Application Deadline: January 31
Program Dates: 10 weeks, June 9 — August 1
Eligibility: High school students must be in their junior or senior year and 16 years of age by the program's start.
Rice ELITE Tech Camps is a pre-college engineering program focused on technology and engineering. In this program, you’ll attend college-level lectures on topics such as machine learning, AI, the Internet of Things, data analytics, and deep learning. You’ll participate in simulations, applying the engineering design process to understand these concepts better. The program is run by faculty from the Rice University School of Engineering and the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership, offering a chance to learn from experts and experience university-level coursework.
Location: Rice University Campus, Houston, TX
Cost: $1,695 for commuters and $3,795 for residential
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Program Dates: Various cohorts from June to July for residents and commuters. More details here.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
The SMS Summer Research Program offers high school students interested in medicine an 8-week opportunity to work with a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine. During the program, you’ll spend 40 hours a week on a lab or research project, gaining experience and mentorship. You’ll also participate in weekly “Lunch and Learn” sessions focused on research and career development, as well as group research meetings and seminars related to your field. At the end of the program, you’ll present your findings at the SMS Summer Research Symposium to other interns and faculty. A stipend is provided for participants.
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipends might be provided.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: June 10 — August 5.
Eligibility: High school students must be at least 18 years old by the program’s start date, though certain projects may be open to students aged 16 or 17. Eligibility requires prior participation in Saturday Morning Science or affiliation with Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M, or other institutions primarily serving minority communities.
The Stars & STEM evening at Space Center Houston allows high school students to engage in various STEM activities aligned with their grade level. You’ll participate in hands-on workshops, such as the On Target Engineering Challenge, where you’ll design a spacecraft for a simulated lunar mission, and the Estes Model Rocket Build, where you’ll learn about Newton’s laws and build a model rocket. Other activities include the TPS Design Challenge, where you’ll design a heat shield to protect an astronaut, and the Lunar Coding Challenge, where you’ll program a robot to navigate the Moon’s surface. The event includes a guided tram tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Location: Space Center Houston, NASA Parkway, Houston, TX
Cost: $69.95 per student and $59.95 per adult for additional adults. Note that students ages 18 and younger must have a chaperone.
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Program Dates: Open. Here are the operating hours of the center.
Eligibility: Students aged 15–18 can attend the high school workshops.
The Global Teen Medical Summit is a week-long summer program that allows you to explore healthcare challenges alongside professionals from the Texas Medical Center. You’ll participate in simulated surgeries, connect with healthcare leaders, and work on group projects with mentors from various medical fields. The program includes interactive workshops and discussions on important medical issues, helping you connect theory with practice. You’ll also visit key healthcare facilities, such as a Level 1 Trauma Hospital and a medical school.
Location: Students stay on campus at the University of Houston and venture to and from The Health Museum and the Texas Medical Center
Cost: The registration fee is $1400 for families and members and $1500 for non-members, with need-based scholarships available.
Application Deadline: June 7.
Program Dates: July 13–18.
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 14 and 18 can apply.
The MohanLab Internship is an excellent opportunity for rising high school seniors interested in biomedical, bioengineering, or health-related fields. The program begins with 1–2 weeks of training in basic laboratory techniques, followed by eight weeks of bench research under the guidance of a scientist or graduate student. There’s also the option to extend your experience, focusing on manuscript writing and data analysis. At the end of the program, you’ll present your research findings, and you may have the chance to contribute to publications based on your work.
Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX.
Cost/Stipend: No cost.
Program Dates: June 2 — July 25
Application Deadline: March 28
Eligibility: Rising seniors (who have completed 11th grade of high school) 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.
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