24 Summer Programs in Colorado for High Schoolers in 2024
What’s Covered:
- 24 Summer Programs in Colorado for High Schoolers
- How do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
Summer programs are an excellent way to hone your extracurricular profile, impress colleges, and learn or improve your knowledge and skills, whether you’re a writer, an engineer, a dancer, or a visual artist. And if you live in Colorado, you don’t have to travel far—there are plenty of in-state options for practically any interest or specialty!
24 Summer Programs in Colorado for High Schoolers
1. Achieving Excellence Academy
Dates: June 7 – July 3
Location: Denver School of the Arts
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: Free
AEA is an immersive, four-week program that offers incoming 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students, particularly those who are Black/African-American, Latinx, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and Native American/Indigenous, the opportunity to explore varied racial, social, historic, and modern civic complexities.
The program takes place at the Denver School of the Arts, where students will participate in thought-provoking workshops and experiences that cultivate a deeper understanding of racial and cultural identity, voice, and power.
2. Architecture in the City
Dates: June 17 – 21
Location: University of Colorado Denver
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $700
Held for one week primarily at CU Denver in the College of Architecture and Planning, Architecture in the City is a noncredit, interdisciplinary program for entering sophomore, junior, and senior high schoolers. Students will get hands-on experience in model building and drawing techniques through a design-build project which will enhance their broader understanding of architecture, urban design, and urban planning.
3. Denver Writing Project Young Writers Camps
Dates: June 10 – 14
Location: University of Colorado Denver
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $250
Open to young writers entering grades four through 12, this one-week camp takes place on the University of Colorado Denver’s Auraria Campus. Camp instructors are teacher consultants with the Denver Writing Project who have current teaching licenses.
Guest writers will present workshops throughout the week, and the program culminates in a Friday Celebration, where friends and family join young writers as they read their favorite pieces.
4. BOLT
Dates: June 10 – 13
Location: University of Colorado Denver
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $900
BOLT, or Bioengineering Opportunities and Leadership Training, gives participants a better idea of what it means to be a bioengineer. Participants engage in hands-on activities, learn general engineering principles, see cutting-edge research, explore bioengineering careers, and challenge themselves in a design competition. Students will build valuable skills like creative thinking, teamwork, and communication.
The program is open to high schoolers in grades 9 through 12.
5. LYNX Arts Camp | Filmmaking
Dates: July 14 – 26
Location: University of Colorado Denver
Application Deadline: May 15
Cost: $2,500
High school students ages 14 to 18 interested in filmmaking will want to look into this residential program. Participants create their own three- to five-minute-long film, seeing it through every step of production, from brainstorming to filming to screening, while gaining firsthand experience with lighting, sound, location scouting, editing, graphics, and color correction.
The program culminates with a screening of the participants’ films.
6. CU Denver GenCyber Summer Camp for High School Students
Dates: July 15 – 19
Location: Online
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: Free
The GenCyber Summer Camp program at the CU Denver Business School is an exciting opportunity for high school students to learn about the ins and outs of cybersecurity, from ethical hacking to online safety to careers in the field. The week-long camp is online and free, including course materials, which will be provided to all participants.
7. Art Students League of Denver
Dates: Varies
Location: Denver, CO
Application Deadline: Varies
Cost: Varies
Art Students League of Denver (ASLD) offers a number of courses and programs throughout the year and during the summer, which allow teenagers and younger students to explore creative mediums like ceramics, textiles, drawing, and more. Cost varies by program/class, but is usually around $175.
Every Friday, students can also take advantage of Teen Studio Nights, where they can hone their artistic abilities–and have dinner!–and which are an especially great opportunity for students who are preparing a portfolio for art school.
8. Black Issues Forum
Dates: June 11 – 15
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: March 25
Cost: Free
The Black Issues Forum gives Colorado students the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation, enhance their leadership potential, and deepen their understanding of their cultural heritage while discussing issues facing today’s Black community. The forum is open to high schoolers finishing their junior year with at least a 2.8 GPA.
Over the course of one week, students will interact with Colorado State University faculty, staff, and current CSU students as they examine relevant issues related to Black communities at the national, state, and local levels.
Students will receive a CSU credit hour for their participation in the forum, and could be eligible for a Partnership Award if they decide to enroll at CSU.
9. CSU Dance Lab
Dates: July 28 – August 10
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: June 14
Cost: $1,400
Current and future dancers ages 14 and older will immerse themselves in classical and contemporary dance forms, repertory, theory, and composition. Along with classes and rehearsals, participants will attend lectures, hone choreography, and develop artist statements, as well as present a public performance, all under the mentorship of CSU Dance faculty, guest artists, and dance majors.
10. Global Business Academy
Dates: July 14 – 24
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: June 1
Cost: $3,750
Open to high schoolers between the ages of 15 and 18, The Global Business Academy is a 10-day global business experience that takes place at the CSU College of Business. Students will learn how to use business to create a better world and gain skills in international business and leadership, all while getting a taste of college life as they live in dorms in Fort Collins. Students will also tour innovative companies and meet local and global executives.
11. The Lorenzo de Zavala (LDZ) Youth Legislative Session
Dates: June 16 – 23
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $1,050
Students across the United States and Latin America gather for LDZ every year. Over the course of eight days, they learn how to navigate, manage, and create large organizations by taking charge of their own youth government. Four programs are held for 10th- and 11th-grade delegates, including one on the Colorado State University campus.
Participants may be eligible to receive a Partnership Award from CSU, if they enroll at the university.
12. Women in Construction Management
Dates: June 4 – 8
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: March 15
Cost: Free
Female students between the ages of 15 and 18 interested in architecture, engineering, and construction careers will want to look into this five-day, four-night residential program. Participants build problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and teamwork while learning about careers in and related to construction management.
13. Cyber Security Camp
Dates: June 3 – 7
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: April 15
Cost: Free
During this free summer program, high schoolers in grades 10 through 12 can explore topics like network security and data encryption, as well as careers in cybersecurity. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and work under the supervision of CSU professors and students, along with professionals in the field, to learn how to use cybersecurity for both fun and protection.
14. ENvision Summer Program
Dates: June 2 – 6
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: May 3
Cost: Free
This free, residential summer program allows participants to explore life as an engineering student at Colorado State University. Participants engage in hands-on activities and lessons led by faculty and students, explore engineering careers, and live in dorms and eat in dining halls—just like college students!
The program is open to rising juniors and seniors. Priority is given to students from populations that have historically been excluded from the field of engineering.
15. SciVet
Dates: July 17 – 21
Location: Colorado State University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $1,070 (commuter option); $1,670 (residential option)
Aspiring vets will get a sneak peek into their future careers through SciVet at CSU. Presentations, demonstrations, laboratory visits, and hands-on activities are all part of the comprehensive program, which includes activities and topics like skeleton examinations, cancer research, clinical observations, and much more. Students will also meet professors, practitioners, and students in the veterinary field.
16. Colorado College Summer Pre-College Program
Dates: July 8 – 24
Location: Colorado College
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $6,919 – $9,609
Rising juniors and seniors can get a taste of college life on campus at Colorado College. Students will have the opportunity to enroll in dynamic course offerings spanning subjects like Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Entrepreneurship and Business Management, and Writing the News.
17. Yunasa West
Dates: June 8 – 15
Location: YMCA Camp Shady Brook (Deckers, Co)
Application Deadline: April 10
Cost: $1,750
Yunasa West in Colorado is a program specifically designed for gifted youth. Students take part in traditional camp activities, as well as special workshops designed for gifted children to learn more about themselves and gain greater awareness and self-acceptance. The program is led by experts in the field of gifted education.
18. Lighthouse High School Summer Writing Intensive
Dates: July 22 – 26
Location: Denver, CO
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $575
Aspiring young wordsmiths can foster their creativity and build excitement about writing in this exciting summer program. Participants are guided by published instructors as they explore a variety of genres and hone their writing skills. Students leave the camp with a completed piece of work, and are invited to share a piece of their writing at a public reading at the culmination of the program.
19. Summer Science Program in Astrophysics
Dates: June 16 – July 24
Location: University of Colorado Boulder
Application Deadline: February 16
Cost: Free – $8,800, depending on family income
High school juniors in this summer program cover topics like astronomy, physics, mathematics, and programming as they locate asteroids, collect data, and calculate their orbit. Participants work in small teams under the guidance of a faculty member while gaining real-world research experience.
The team’s calculations are submitted to the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union, where they’re used to improve future predictions of the asteroid’s position. A limited number of stipends are available for students who would typically be working during the summer.
20. CU Science Discovery | Aerospace
Dates:
- Session 1: June 10 – 14
- Session 2: July 8 – 12
- Session 3: July 22 – 26
Location: University of Colorado Boulder
Application Deadline:
- Session 1: May 31
- Session 2: June 28
- Session 3: July 12
Cost: $625
The University of Colorado Boulder has been affiliated with 16 astronauts who have flown on 40 space shuttle missions, which makes it the ideal location to learn about life as an aerospace engineer. Participants in this out-of-this-world summer program will work on gliders, airfoils, and jet engines, learn about astrobiology, and even plan a trip to Mars. They’ll also learn about other applications for aerospace engineering, like wind turbines.
21. CU Science Discovery | Computer Science and Robots
Dates: July 22 – 26
Location: University of Colorado Boulder
Application Deadline: July 12
Cost: $695
Participants in this program learn the fundamentals of robot motion, sensors, and control. Students will design, build, and test their own robot projects and engage in group activities while gaining firsthand experience with mechanical and electrical engineering.
22. STEM Research Experience
Dates: June 7 – July 26
Location: University of Colorado Boulder
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $1,995
Highly motivated high schoolers gain firsthand lab experience in this six-week program. Participants work between 15 and 20 hours a week under the mentorship of graduate students and faculty working on research projects in areas ranging from biology to engineering to neuroscience.
Students also take a class in research methods, in which they will learn how to find and read scientific articles, determine data validity, and improve their writing techniques. The program concludes with a STEM Research EXPO, where students give a poster presentation to family, friends, and fellow researchers.
23. Sphinx Performance Academy
Dates: June 20 – 30
Location: University of Colorado Boulder
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: Free
This free summer program is for aspiring musicians—between the ages of 11 and 17—who play the violin, viola, cello, or bass. Participants take lessons, engage in masterclasses, give recitals, and attend career enrichment classes while exploring music careers.
24. Summer Multicultural Engineering Training (SUMMET)
Dates:
- Session 1: June 2 – 7
- Session 2: June 9 – 14
- Session 3: June 23 – 28
Location: Colorado School of Mines
Application Deadline: March 1
Cost: Free
This free residential program is open to rising juniors and seniors from underrepresented populations and is aimed at easing their transition from high school to college. Participants live and learn like college students—taking classes, engaging in projects, and going to social events while living in dorms and eating at dining halls.
How Do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
Colleges typically evaluate extracurricular activities according to four tiers, with Tier 1 indicating the most prestigious and rare activities and Tier 4 signifying activities that are the most common. Most summer programs are in Tiers 3-4, but free and highly selective programs can be in higher tiers.
Wondering how your summer program of choice and other extracurriculars will affect your chances of admission at colleges around the country? Use our free chancing engine to learn your odds of acceptance, personalized according to your GPA, test scores, activities, and more. We’ll also give you free tips to improve your profile.
