Extracurriculars That Build Cultural Competency
Understanding and respectfully engaging with people from different backgrounds.
The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is a U.S. Department of State program that provides American high school…
The National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, often called NYO USA, is a highly selective summer program…
An immersive international exchange program focused on language proficiency, cultural competency, and subject-specific skills. Participants live abroad in one of…
A comprehensive academic immersion program where students either enroll in a local high school or follow U.S.-aligned coursework at a…
An immersive intercultural exchange program in one of 50+ destinations. Participants live with a host family and attend a local…
The Jewish Student Union (JSU) is a national network of 515+ student-led clubs across 38 states that empowers high school…
The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is the premier worldwide biology competition, bringing together the most gifted high school students from…
Putney Pre-College Summer Programs is an educational travel organization that has been sending students in grades 6 through 12 on…
The Experience Christendom Summer Program, commonly known as The Best Week Ever, is a highly selective pre-college program offered by…
Concordia Language Villages is an immersive summer language program where high school students can earn accredited credit in 14 languages,…
American Collegiate Adventures (ACA) is a summer enrichment organization that offers high school students immersive academic and career exploration experiences…
Westcoast Connection is a leading teen summer travel and enrichment organization that has served over 50,000 students since 1982, offering…
The Experiment in International Living is a highly respected summer exchange program run by World Learning that has connected high…
Rustic Pathways is a teen travel organization that offers immersive international programs across 38 countries for high school students ages…
Putney Student Travel is a leading educational travel organization that has offered immersive summer programs for students in grades 6…
The Global Business Academy is a 10-day summer program offered by Colorado State University's College of Business for high school…
Black Issues Forum is a free five-day residential summer program hosted by Colorado State University for rising high school seniors…
The Sadie Nash Summer Institute is an award-winning six-week program run by the Sadie Nash Leadership Project for high school…
Youth Art Connection (YAC) is a free six-session summer program offered by the American Folk Art Museum for NYC high…
Artslife is a highly selective paid summer internship program offered by the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) for rising…
The Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program is a prestigious mentorship initiative founded in 1969 by the Los…
Semester at Sea is a transformative study abroad program run by the Institute for Shipboard Education, where students earn a…
Operation Smile Student Programs is a global service organization that unites high school students around the mission of providing cleft…
The Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) is a selective three-year college preparation program hosted by Pomona College for…
JCamp is a free, six-day residential journalism program offered by the Asian American Journalists Association for high school sophomores and…
Business Is Global is a two-week summer program offered by the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University for rising…
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Volunteer Program is a year-round opportunity for students passionate about wildlife, conservation, and…
Alexandria House is a nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing and support services for women and children in need, and…
Meaningful Teens is a free, year-round online tutoring program that connects volunteer tutors from around the world with under-resourced students…
The Center Theatre Group Student Ambassadors program connects high school students with one of Los Angeles's most prominent professional theatre…
The Musical Theatre West Youth Ambassador Council is a selective, year-round leadership program for high school students in grades 9…
Student Ambassadors for the Arsht is a free, yearlong leadership and arts engagement program run by the Adrienne Arsht Center…
Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) is a Chicago-based youth theater organization that empowers high school students to create and perform…
The Next Narrative Monologue Competition (NNMC) is True Colors Theatre Company's signature program for high school students in grades 9…
Mayo Clinic CARES (Career Advancement, Research, and Education Summer Program) is a competitive summer program hosted by Mayo Clinic's Arizona…
The Burton Family Foundation Summer Health Institute is a free, week-long residential program at Arizona State University's Downtown Phoenix campus,…
The American Anthropological Association Virtual High School Internship is a four-week summer program where students explore the field of anthropology…
Carnegie Mellon Summer Opportunities for Access and Inclusion is a pre-college program coordinated by Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Student…
Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions is a nonprofit outdoor adventure organization founded in 1926 that offers multi-week summer and school year programs…
Project Belonging is a student-driven leadership program hosted by Teachers College, Columbia University, open to students in grades 6 through…
Global Glimpse is a nonprofit international travel program that takes high school juniors on 11-day summer experiences to Costa Rica,…
The Human Rights Campaign Youth Ambassadors Program is a national advocacy initiative that trains LGBTQ+ youth and allies to become…
The Global Youth Impact Summit 2026 is an international leadership conference hosted by CGAD in Porto, Portugal, bringing together 100…
Nexus Youth Exchange 2026 is a four-day international program organized by the Nexus Public Policy Institute, bringing together young leaders…
TechGirls is a competitive summer exchange program run by the U.S. Department of State that brings together young women ages…
The Hansen Leadership Institute (HLI) is an international leadership development program that brings together high school students from regions of…
The States' 4-H International Exchange Program offers high school and middle school students aged 12 to 18 a transformative cultural…
Northwest Student Exchange's Japan Program is a cultural immersion and study abroad opportunity for high school students aged 15 to…
Youth for Understanding (YFU) is a global exchange program that places high school students aged 15 to 18 with volunteer…
ICES High School Exchange Programs allow American high school students to study abroad and immerse themselves in a new culture…