Social Science programs for high schoolers.

All social science programs

1. AmeriCorps

   AmeriCorps Summer of Service

   Service opportunities for teens through select programs.

   📍 Multiple states⏱ Varies📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
2. Aspen Institute

   Aspen Challenge

   City-based design challenge for high school teams to solve community problems.

   📍 Multiple cities⏱ Academic year📅 Fall🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
3. Bank of America

   Bank of America Student Leaders

   Paid internship at a local nonprofit + week-long DC leadership summit.

   📍 Multiple (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 8 weeks (summer)📅 Mid-January🎓 11, 12

   Selective
4. Bank of America

   Bank of America Student Leaders

   Paid 8-week summer internship with nonprofits + leadership summit in DC.

   📍 Multiple cities⏱ 8 weeks📅 January🎓 11, 12

   Selective
5. Brown University

   Brown Leadership Institute

   Pre-college leadership program at Brown. Need-based scholarships.

   📍 RI⏱ 2 weeks (summer)📅 May🎓 10, 11, 12

   Moderate
6. Brown University

   Brown Pre-College

   On-campus and online courses across the liberal arts.

   📍 Providence, RI⏱ 1-7 weeks📅 May🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Moderate
7. Texas Tech University

   Clark Scholars Program

   Intensive research with TTU faculty across STEM and humanities. $750 stipend, room and board covered.

   📍 TX (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 7 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 11, 12

   Highly Selective
8. The Concord Review

   Concord Review (Humanities Publishing)

   The only quarterly journal publishing high school history research worldwide.

   📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ Self-paced📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
9. Crisis Text Line

   Crisis Text Line Counselor

   Volunteers over 18 (or high school seniors) provide mental health support via text; requires 200 hours of commitment.

   📍 Online⏱ Ongoing📅 Rolling🎓 12

   Selective
10. Dartmouth College

    Dartmouth Bound (Free)

    Free fly-in program for high-achieving, low-income juniors.

    📍 NH⏱ 1 week (summer)📅 March🎓 11

    Selective
11. GenZ Girl Gang

    GenZ Girl Gang Virtual Internship Program (Open to all GS)

    A network for students to find virtual internships in tech, non-profits, and policy. Focuses on social impact projects led by youth.

    📍 Online⏱ 8-12 weeks📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
12. United Nations / WHO

    Global Youth Mobilization Fellowship

    An online-based global youth leadership accelerator focused on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

    📍 Online⏱ 3 months (Learning)📅 May (Annual)🎓 10, 11, 12

    Selective
13. NASA / University of Toledo

    GLOBE Mission EARTH (GME)

    A year-long club-based program where students engage in data-driven environmental justice projects and present to scientists.

    📍 Online / Various⏱ Year-round📅 October 31🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
14. Harvard International Review

    Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest

    A rigorous economics essay competition organized on a global scale.

    📍 Online⏱ N/A📅 October 1🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
15. Harvard University

    Harvard Pre-College (Need-Based Aid)

    Pre-college courses with substantial need-based scholarships covering up to full tuition.

    📍 MA (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 2-7 weeks (summer)📅 Early February🎓 10, 11, 12

    Moderate
16. Harvard University

    Harvard Pre-College Program

    Two-week residential program in 50+ disciplines.

    📍 Cambridge, MA⏱ 2 weeks📅 January🎓 10, 11, 12

    Moderate
17. Horizon

    Horizon Academic Research Program

    Trimester-style research cohort with university faculty. Full scholarships available.

    📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ 10 weeks📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Highly Selective
18. Terra Science

    International Journal of High School Research

    Open-access peer-reviewed journal for HS research across disciplines.

    📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Moderate
19. IYRC

    International Youth Research Conference & Mentorship

    Student-run research group providing mentorship and resources for high schoolers to conduct and publish original research.

    📍 Online⏱ Flexible📅 May (for summer/fall)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
20. JHSS

    Journal of High School Science

    STEM and humanities journal for high school students.

    📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
21. JRHS

    Journal of Research High School

    Multidisciplinary peer-reviewed HS journal.

    📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Moderate
22. JSR

    Journal of Student Research

    Multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal accepting HS submissions.

    📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Moderate
23. Lumiere Education

    Lumiere Research Scholar (Aid)

    Independent research papers with PhD mentors. Need-based financial aid up to 100%.

    📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ 12 weeks📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
24. University of Notre Dame

    Notre Dame Leadership Seminars

    Free residential seminars for outstanding rising seniors.

    📍 Notre Dame, IN⏱ 10 days📅 February🎓 12

    Selective
25. University of Notre Dame

    Notre Dame Summer Scholars

    Two-week immersion in 25+ academic fields.

    📍 Notre Dame, IN⏱ 2 weeks📅 February🎓 11, 12

    Highly Selective
26. Ohio State University

    Ohio State Young Scholars Program

    Free year-round academic + research support for first-gen Ohio students.

    📍 OH⏱ Year-round + summer📅 Rolling (school-based)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
27. Oxford University

    Oxford UNIQ Summer School

    Free residential summer school for UK state-school students.

    📍 Oxford, UK⏱ 1 week📅 January🎓 11

    Selective
28. Pioneer Academics

    Pioneer Academics (Aid)

    Accredited college-level research with US professors. Need-based aid up to full tuition.

    📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ 15 weeks📅 Multiple cycles🎓 10, 11, 12

    Highly Selective
29. Polygence

    Polygence Press

    Symposium and publication venue for student research across all fields.

    📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
30. Polygence

    Polygence Scholars (Financial Aid)

    1:1 research mentorship with PhDs across any field. Full financial aid for qualifying students.

    📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ 10-20 weeks📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
31. ProjectCSGirls

    ProjectCSGirls National Competition

    A national computer science competition for middle and high school girls to design technology that solves community problems.

    📍 Online⏱ Annual📅 January (Project due)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
32. QuestBridge

    QuestBridge College Prep Scholars

    Fully-funded summer programs at top universities for high-achieving, low-income juniors.

    📍 Multiple campuses (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 1-5 weeks📅 Late March🎓 11

    Highly Selective
33. American Political Science Association

    Ralph Bunche Summer Institute

    Funded political science research for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

    📍 Multiple (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 5 weeks (summer)📅 January🎓 11, 12

    Selective
34. Rise

    Rise (Schmidt Futures × Rhodes Trust)

    Global program identifying brilliant young people who need support. Scholarships, mentorship, funding.

    📍 Multiple + Remote (nationwide eligibility)⏱ Lifetime support starting at age 15-17📅 January🎓 9, 10

    Selective
35. University of Alaska Fairbanks

    Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI)

    Free college-prep and research program for rural Alaska Native and rural Alaska students.

    📍 AK⏱ 6 weeks (summer)📅 March🎓 11, 12

    Selective
36. Stanford School of Medicine

    Stanford AIM-HI

    Free Stanford program for under-resourced Bay Area students interested in health equity careers.

    📍 CA⏱ 4 weeks (summer)📅 March🎓 10, 11

    Selective
37. Stanford University

    Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes

    Residential courses in humanities, social sciences, and STEM.

    📍 Stanford, CA⏱ 3 weeks📅 February🎓 8, 9, 10, 11

    Moderate
38. Telluride Association

    Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)

    Fully-funded residential seminar in critical Black/ethnic studies and anti-oppression.

    📍 Multiple campuses⏱ 6 weeks📅 January🎓 11

    Highly Selective
39. Telluride Association

    Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS/TASP)

    Free intensive humanities seminars. Tuition, room, board, and travel fully covered.

    📍 Multiple campuses (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 6 weeks (summer)📅 Mid-January🎓 10, 11

    Highly Selective
40. Aspen Institute

    The Stevens Initiative Virtual Exchange

    A high school program focusing on international affairs and cultural exchange between US and Middle Eastern students. Online workshops.

    📍 Online⏱ 6 months📅 Early February🎓 9, 10, 11

    Selective
41. The Young Researcher

    The Young Researcher

    Peer-reviewed journal for IB Extended Essay and similar research.

    📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
42. UPchieve

    UPchieve Volunteer Tutor

    An ed-tech nonprofit that provides free, online, 1-on-1 tutoring to low-income students. Tutors must be high school students with high GPAs.

    📍 Online⏱ Semester-based📅 Rolling🎓 10, 11, 12

    Selective
43. USC

    USC Bovard Scholars

    Fully-funded college-prep and academic program for high-achieving, low-income California juniors.

    📍 CA⏱ 3 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 11

    Selective
44. University of Wisconsin-Madison

    UW-Madison PEOPLE Program

    Free year-round college-prep + research for Wisconsin students of color and first-gen.

    📍 WI⏱ Year-round + summer📅 Rolling (school-based)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
45. Yale University

    Yale Young Global Scholars

    Two-week interdisciplinary academic enrichment program.

    📍 New Haven, CT⏱ 2 weeks📅 January🎓 10, 11

    Moderate
46. Yale University

    Yale Young Global Scholars (Need-Based Aid)

    YYGS offers full need-based scholarships covering tuition, travel, and room.

    📍 CT⏱ 2 weeks (summer)📅 Early February🎓 10, 11

    Selective

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