8 STEM Programs for High School Students in Atlanta, Georgia
If you’re a high school student, participating in STEM programs before college is a valuable opportunity to explore your interests and prepare for higher education. These programs provide exposure to scientific research, hands-on learning experiences, and mentorship from university faculty and industry professionals. You can gain insights into biology, engineering, computer science, and more.
STEM programs also allow you to build critical skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation, making them helpful preparation for college-level academics. Additionally, having STEM experiences on your college application can set you apart, particularly when applying to competitive undergraduate programs.
Here are the 8 best STEM programs for high school students in Atlanta, Georgia!
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.
Location: Participants are placed in their hometowns
Stipend: $3,000
Application Deadline: January 19
Dates: The student and their mentor determine flexible start and end dates.
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors aged at least 16 by the internship start date.
The Hutton Program is a paid internship for high school students interested in becoming fisheries professionals. This program offers training in fisheries science through a combination of mentorship and educational activities. It connects you with industry experts and provides opportunities for fieldwork and research. Guided by fisheries specialists, you’ll dedicate 32 hours per week to exploring conservation challenges and understanding the significance of preserving healthy aquatic ecosystems. Activities could include conducting fish population surveys, establishing aquatic vegetation and habitats, using electrofishing techniques, snorkeling, and analyzing specimens under a microscope. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
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.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: March 22
Dates: July 8 – July 19
Eligibility: Georgia residents at least 16 years old by the start of the program
Georgia Tech’s STEP is a 2-week outreach program that provides engineering internships to high school students. You will collaborate with a Georgia Tech faculty mentor to tackle your assigned challenge problem. After completing the program, you will showcase your findings to parents, teachers, faculty, and industry professionals through a poster presentation. The program encourages you to contribute to real-world research problems. In the past, students have taken on projects such as designing an autonomous rover capable of navigating a course, enhancing a baseline model rover with technology to support future Mars missions, and developing an ultra-light rover designed to complete a course in the shortest possible time.
Location: Varies depending on the host organization
Stipend: $1,500
Application Deadline: March 30
Dates: June-July (The program starts on 1st or 3rd June and runs for a minimum of 5 weeks)
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old
The TAG-Ed High School Summer Internship Program is a paid internship that pairs you with professionals in technology-related careers. Over a minimum of five weeks, you’ll collaborate on a structured project with clear goals, gaining real-world insights into your chosen field. You will be matched with companies based on your interests and qualifications. In addition to professional mentorship, you will receive a $1,500 stipend upon completing the internship. By joining TAG-Ed, you will build technical expertise and develop professional skills that will benefit your future academic and career pursuits in STEM.
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $483
Application Deadline: March 1
Dates: May 30 - July 11
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors who attend school in Georgia
The SEEP Program offers a six-week learning experience for Georgia high school juniors, seniors, and recent graduates interested in medicine and health sciences. Based on their science coursework, students are placed in three levels—Pre-College, Intermediate, and Advanced College. The curriculum provides essential knowledge and skills through non-credit courses, including introductory biomedical sciences, critical thinking, clinical-based studies, and library research techniques. You will benefit from guest speakers, including SEEP alumni and professionals from the Medical College of Georgia and the Dental College of Georgia, who will provide valuable insights into health careers. This program offers a $483 monthly stipend for participants who maintain a “B” or higher in all courses.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications open on December 15.
Dates: Dates are TBD
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 years or older by the first day of the camp
CDC’s Museum Disease Detective Camp is an interdisciplinary day camp at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The program introduces you to public health in an academically challenging environment. Potential topics covered during the camp include public health interventions and global health, infectious and chronic diseases, injury prevention and violence prevention, environmental health and emergency preparedness, disease outbreaks, surveillance, and epidemiology. The camp will also cover scientific communication and data analysis, laboratory technology and public health law, surveys, and school wellness programs. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Cost: $400-$650
Application Deadline: Dates are TBD
Dates: June and July (Programs run for 1-2 weeks)
Eligibility: Rising 9th – 12th graders
The CEISMC Summer P.E.A.K.S. (Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEAM) at Georgia Tech provides high school students with one- to two-week experiences designed to enhance their knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM). Open to rising 9th–12th graders, these on-campus programs combine activities with experiential learning to deepen understanding in STEAM fields. Activities are tailored to be grade-level appropriate, ensuring a meaningful experience for all participants.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. 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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