8 STEM Programs for High School Students in Ohio
Exploring STEM programs as a high school student in Ohio can help you develop critical skills like scientific research, problem-solving, and effective learning strategies—skills that are valuable no matter what career you choose. These programs also offer hands-on experiences and mentorship from university faculty and industry experts, giving you a clearer sense of whether a STEM degree is the right fit for you, especially at popular universities in the state.
For high school students in Ohio, participating in competitive STEM programs can strengthen your college applications, showcasing your ability to tackle complex projects and work in academic settings. Even if you pursue a non-STEM major, this experience highlights your research skills and academic curiosity.
This blog includes 8 STEM programs for high school students in Ohio.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Depends on program duration
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on the cohort (winter deadline: December 29)
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
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4
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. You can pick a program duration that works for you. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year. No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Once you apply and get selected, 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.
Location: The University of Akron, OH
Cost: $350 (includes lunch and snacks; financial need-based scholarships are available)
Application Deadline: Registrations open in Mid-April (no last date; first-come, first-served basis)
Program Dates: June 2-6
Eligibility: Students in 9-12th grade
The Summer Experience in Engineering Camp at The University of Akron, organized with Women in Engineering (WIE), introduces high school students to various engineering fields, including aerospace, chemical, biomedical, civil, electrical, corrosion, computer, and mechanical engineering. The program admits a small cohort of 25 students, ensuring focused learning. Participants attend lectures, engage in hands-on projects, and apply engineering concepts in practical settings. The camp also includes tours of engineering firms, offering exposure to real-world industry environments. This combination of academic and experiential learning helps students explore potential career paths in engineering.
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Location: Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, along with healthcare centers and regional hospitals in Northeast Ohio counties
Cost: Free (Students will be paid $15/hour)
Application Deadline: January 31, 4 p.m. EST
Program Dates: June 2 - July 29, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (one week of orientation + 7 weeks of internship)
Eligibility: Open to 9th–12th grade students (15+ by June 1) with a minimum 2.5 GPA and an interest in healthcare. Some programs have additional location-specific requirements.
The Center for Youth and College Education (CYCE) offers paid internships for high school students to gain hands-on experience with healthcare professionals from Cleveland Clinic and other Northeast Ohio centers. Students can choose between two STEM programs: the Science and Advanced Technology Summer Internship, which focuses on AI, biomedical engineering, robotics, IT, and cybersecurity (open to students from select Northeast Ohio counties), and the Science Summer Internship Program, centered on clinical fields like applied medicine, behavioral health, nursing, and public health. Both programs also develop skills in academic writing and digital literacy.
Additionally, CYCE offers the Cleveland Clinic Louis Stokes Summer Internship, a non-STEM option focused on healthcare business, with separate location-based eligibility requirements.
Location: Marion Science and Engineering Building, The Ohio State University at Marion, OH
Cost: $100
Application Deadline: May 31
Program Dates: June 9-13
Eligibility: Rising sophomore, junior, or senior in any high school
The week-long STEM camp at The Ohio State University introduces high school students to the fundamentals of engineering. As part of the application, you’ll select your area of interest within engineering. The program covers engineering design, professionalism, ethics, and basic problem-solving.
Students work in teams on projects like programming microcontrollers, completing a mechanical engineering challenge, and building robots. Hands-on activities include steering a boat across the Marion YMCA pool and touring the Wilson Bohanan manufacturing facility to interact with professional engineers. You’ll also explore the tech stack used in fields like electrical engineering, computer science, and physics.
Location: Manufacturing & Materials Joining Innovation Center, The Ohio State University, OH
Cost: Free (interns get a stipend)
Application Deadline: February 10
Program Dates: June 2 - August 8
Eligibility: U.S. citizens living in Columbus, Ohio, who are rising high school juniors or seniors with a demonstrated interest in STEM through coursework (including lab science) or STEM-related extracurriculars.
The Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center (Mₐ²JIC) at The Ohio State University offers a paid summer internship for high school students. You’ll be paired with a graduate student to assist with an ongoing research project in welding engineering. Under the guidance of graduate mentors and faculty, you’ll engage in lab-based research, which may involve coding, data analysis, modeling, and welding-related activities like material creation, testing, and analysis. The program provides hands-on lab experience alongside theoretical learning. You’ll also participate in lab tours and present your research findings to the Welding Engineering program at the end of the internship.
Location: Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH
Cost: Free (interns get paid $492.40/week)
Application Deadline: January 10
Program Dates: Typically during the summer break, but the precise dates are dependent on funding and the location-specific base.
Eligibility: At least 16 years old U.S. citizen with a minimum CGPA of 3.0/4.0 at an educational institution
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program is a paid internship opportunity for high school students who want to work in the fields of aerospace, cybersecurity, and warfighting technologies.
During this internship, you will work with AFRL scientists and engineers for 40 hours/week. You will assist them in research projects related to aerospace systems and sensors. You also get to collaborate and network with graduate students (as co-interns) who are pursuing STEM degrees. The minimum time commitment required for this internship is 8 weeks.
Location: Research facilities for cancer research in Columbus, OH
Cost: Free (students are paid $11.48/hour)
Application Deadline: February 16
Program Dates: June 2 - July 25
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine, including students with disabilities, those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as defined by the NIH.
The CREATES High School Summer Program at Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital focuses on laboratory-based cancer research. Each of the 10 selected students is paired with a Principal Investigator and a daily supervisor at a cancer research facility. Students work alongside physicians, undergraduates, and graduate students specializing in cancer research. The program includes weekly events, meetings with program leaders, and faculty presentations. You will also participate in campus tours and roundtable discussions with graduate student advisors.
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.
Image Source - Lumiere Education Logo