Extracurriculars in California
67 in-person programs across California, in 26 towns and cities including Los Angeles, Stanford, and Berkeley.
Cities in California
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Programs in California
The Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC) is a selective summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors passionate about advanced mathematics. Participants engage in intensive study through lectures, guided…
Stanford’s Summer Humanities Institute (SHI) is a three-week, residential enrichment program for rising high school juniors and seniors that immerses participants in college-level exploration of humanities topics—from literature and philosophy…
The Stanford Math Tournament (SMT) is a highly selective, student-run mathematics competition hosted by Stanford University for high school students. It brings together teams from across the United States to…
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) is a highly selective eight-week biomedical research program for high school students hosted by the Stanford University School of Medicine. Students…
The Stanford Young Investigators program is a competitive high school internship in environmental science and sustainability offered through the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. It is designed for students who…
The BlueStamp Engineering Summer Program is a hands on STEM program designed for high school students to develop practical engineering and technology skills by building real projects from start to…
The UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth, often called B-BAY, is a selective pre college business and entrepreneurship program hosted by the Haas School of Business at the University of…
The Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy is a highly selective, research intensive summer program hosted by City of Hope that provides high school and undergraduate students with hands…
Stanford AI4ALL is a highly selective two week summer program designed to introduce high school students, specifically current ninth graders, to artificial intelligence through rigorous academic study, hands on research,…
The Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest is an annual writing competition organized by the Ayn Rand Institute that invites students to write analytical essays exploring the themes, characters, and…
The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival is a free national playwriting competition open to writers aged 19 and younger who submit original plays or musicals of any length and genre…
The Ayn Rand Anthem Essay Contest is an annual writing competition sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute that invites high school students to engage with literature and philosophy through analytical…
The Fountainhead Essay Contest, run by the Ayn Rand Institute, is an annual writing competition open to 11th and 12th grade students who submit analytical essays about Ayn Rand's classic…
Idyllwild Arts Summer Teen Programs are intensive one to two week workshops held in the mountains of Southern California for students ages 14 to 17, covering disciplines ranging from ballet…
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes is a two-week online summer enrichment program offered by Stanford University for students in grades 8 through 11. Participants choose one intensive course from over 75…
Stanford Summer College is an eight-week residential program at Stanford University where high-achieving high school students take rigorous college-level courses alongside Stanford undergraduates. Students choose from over thirty departments organized…
Voyage Seaward is a 5-day maritime education program offered by Camp SEA Lab for students ages 13 to 16, where participants live and work as crew members aboard the Seaward,…
The embARC Summer Design Academy is a four-week college-level program hosted by UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design for high school students passionate about architecture, urban design, and sustainable city…
The Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program is a prestigious mentorship initiative founded in 1969 by the Los Angeles Pediatric Society to inspire high school students to pursue…
The UCLA Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP) is a prestigious summer program that allows exceptional high school students to study alongside UCLA undergraduates while earning real college credit. Students choose…
The California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) is a prestigious, state-sponsored residential summer program that offers intensive arts training to high school students across eight disciplines: animation, architecture…
College-Ready Writing: Personal and Academic, Both! is a two-week summer writing workshop offered by UCLA Center X for students in grades 9 through 12. Participants develop their personal academic voice…
UC San Diego FUTURES Programs are career pathway programs offered by UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies that give high school students hands-on experience in high-demand fields like Computer…
The AFSF Summer Design Institute is a three-week intensive summer program offered by the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco for high school students passionate about architecture and design. Students meet…
The Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) is a selective three-year college preparation program hosted by Pomona College for local high school students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds. Each…
The Science Internship Program (SIP) is an eight-week summer research experience hosted by the University of California, Santa Cruz, where high school students conduct authentic, open-ended research alongside UCSC faculty…
The UC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars Program is a prestigious summer initiative that allows high school students to take college-level courses taught by UC Berkeley faculty and earn transferable college credits.…
USC Summer Programs is a prestigious pre-college initiative at the University of Southern California that invites outstanding high school students to take college-level courses taught by USC faculty and experienced…
Lean GAP is a four-week summer entrepreneurship program that guides high school students through the full process of building a real startup, from validating an idea to pitching to investors.…
USC Exploring Entrepreneurship is a four-week summer program at the University of Southern California that introduces high school students to the fundamentals of building and launching a business. Participants move…
The Kitty Bungalow Volunteer Program is a free, year-round community service opportunity where students ages 12 and older contribute to the rescue, care, and placement of cats and kittens at…
L.A. Works is a nonprofit volunteer organization that has connected Los Angeles community members with meaningful service opportunities for over 35 years. High school students can participate in year-round volunteering…
Big Sunday is a Los Angeles-based volunteer organization that connects high school students with meaningful community service opportunities across the greater LA area. Students can participate in a wide range…
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Volunteer Program is a year-round opportunity for students passionate about wildlife, conservation, and environmental education. Volunteers choose from several pathways, including supporting guest…
The Midnight Mission Volunteer Program is a free, year-round community service opportunity where students contribute their time to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles. Volunteers assist with meal services,…
The La Brea Tar Pits Volunteer Program offers high school students the opportunity to contribute to one of the most unique active paleontological research institutions in the country, located in…
Heal the Bay Beach Cleanups is a free, year-round volunteer program organized by Heal the Bay, a Los Angeles nonprofit dedicated to protecting the coastal waters and watersheds of Greater…
FoodCycle LA is a community service program that fights food insecurity and reduces waste by recovering surplus food from restaurants and retailers across Los Angeles. Volunteers serve as food recovery…
My Friend's House Foundation LA is a community service organization dedicated to promoting unity, growth, and encouragement throughout Los Angeles. The foundation operates several volunteer-driven programs, including We Feed The…
The Friends of Ballona Wetlands Volunteer Program is a free, year-round conservation initiative where students help restore one of Los Angeles's most important coastal ecosystems. Volunteers engage in hands-on environmental…
Volunteering at the Los Angeles Public Library connects high school students with one of the largest urban library systems in the country, which spans 73 locations across the city. Volunteers…
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Volunteer Programs offer high school students the opportunity to contribute to marine education and ocean conservation at one of Southern California's most respected aquariums, which has been…
Baby2Baby is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing child poverty by providing essential supplies to children and families in need across the country. Volunteers participate in 2-hour sessions…
Alexandria House is a nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing and support services for women and children in need, and high school students can volunteer year-round through a variety of…
Volunteer Collective is a free, year-round virtual platform that empowers students to create and join meaningful service initiatives spanning disaster relief, food access programs, and youth support efforts. Members gain…
The Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP), run by the Olive Children Foundation, is a nonprofit pre-collegiate research institution based in Fremont, California, that mentors high school students in grades…
Brave New Voices is an annual international youth poetry festival organized by Youth Speaks that brings together the world's most talented young spoken word artists for four days of competition,…
The Startup UCLA Summer Institute is a pre-college entrepreneurship program hosted by UCLA that immerses high school students in grades 10 to 12 in the world of startups and innovation.…
The Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) is a prestigious program offered by Stanford University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences that immerses high school students in the world of clinical…
The Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program at the California Academy of Sciences is a multi-year, paid internship and youth development initiative open to San Francisco high school students in…
The Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP) at California State University, Northridge is a four-week summer program that brings students in grades 6 through 12 onto a university campus for engaging…
The AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp is a selective two week virtual summer program for high school students offered by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging…
River of Words is a free international youth poetry and art competition hosted by Saint Mary's College of California that challenges students ages 5–19 to express their observations of local…
SHTEM is an eight-week summer research internship program at Stanford University, open to high school juniors and seniors with a passion for cutting-edge research. Hosted by the Stanford Compression Forum,…
The Santa Clara University Summer Engineering Seminar (SES) is a free, five-day residential pre-college program for high school sophomores and juniors interested in exploring engineering. Participants engage in hands-on workshops…
UC Santa Barbara's Summer Research Academies is a four-week pre-college program that places high school students directly into university-level research under the mentorship of active UCSB scholars across STEM, humanities,…
Engineering Possibilities in College (EPIC) is a one-week summer camp hosted by California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) that introduces students in grades 6 through 11 to…
SAGE Camp at SLAC is a free, one-week residential program hosted by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in partnership with Stanford University for high school students from all backgrounds. Held on…
The Pediatrics Internship Program at Stanford (PIPS) is a free, 7-week research internship offered by Stanford Medicine's Department of Pediatrics for rising juniors and seniors from the San Francisco Bay…
The Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement is a three-week summer intensive program hosted by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, open to 26 talented high…
Neurocamp is a free, eight-day summer program hosted by the UCLA Brain Research Institute that immerses 30 selected high school students in the science of the brain. Participants gain hands-on…
SDSU Training Astronomy Research Scholars (STARS) is a four-week summer research program hosted by San Diego State University for high school juniors, seniors, and community college students passionate about astronomy.…
The Musical Theatre West Youth Ambassador Council is a selective, year-round leadership program for high school students in grades 9 through 12 who are passionate about musical theatre and the…
The Cal Invitational is a prestigious annual speech and debate tournament hosted by UC Berkeley, open to high school students in grades 9 through 12. Competitors participate in a wide…
Experiences in Research (EinR) is a paid summer internship program offered by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for high school students in grades 10 through 12 with a strong interest in…
The CURE Research Internship Program is a free, 8-week summer internship offered by the University of California San Francisco for high school juniors and community college students interested in health…
The USC Bovard Scholars Program is a highly selective, free summer initiative hosted by the University of Southern California for high-achieving 11th graders who demonstrate both academic excellence and financial…