§ MT

Research programs in Montana.

67 local programs run in Montana, 37 of them free or paid, and 1 explicitly prioritize under-resourced or first-generation students. Plus 210 nationwide programs open to anyone in the US.

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Local to Montana

Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis & Alcohol Regulation Division
Alcohol Responsibility Matters Scholarship
Montana seniors submit original artwork plus a short artist statement about responsible alcohol consumption. The 2026 cycle awarded five one-time $2,000 scholarships and was the program's third annual competition.
🎓 Grade 12
Selective
American Legion, Department of Montana
American Legion Department of Montana High School Oratorical Contest
A constitutional oratory competition for students under age 20 who deliver an 8-10 minute prepared speech plus a 3-5 minute speech on an assigned topic, advancing from post to state to national competition.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of Montana School of Music
Band Camp
Residential or commuter camp featuring concert band, chamber music, masterclasses and exploratory music experiences.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana Learning Center
Camp Explore the Universe
Five-day overnight astronomy program using advanced telescopes and cameras to observe planets, galaxies, nebulae and the Sun and to process astronomical images.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
Cancer Research High School Program
A two-week virtual experience with live online laboratory instruction using an at-home lab kit, followed by career-exploration workshops and panels with research and medical professionals. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
📅 April🎓 Grades 9–10
Selective
Carroll College
Carroll College Early Access Program
A tuition-free program letting Helena-area high school juniors and seniors with a 3.25 GPA take up to two Carroll College courses per semester, taught alongside current college students on campus.
📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Gallatin College Montana State University
Cybersecurity Summer Initiative Camp
Free summer cybersecurity camp where students explore networks, files, cyber hygiene and security through hands-on activities and a concluding challenge. The program includes high-school students within its grades 6–12 range.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Reach Higher Montana
Design a Sticker, Win a Scholarship
Montana students create an original sticker design intended to inspire other high-school students. Awards range from $500 to $1,500, with additional funding for the winning students' school or community art programs.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana Learning Center
Dinosaur Camp
Six-day residential paleontology experience where students work at active Hell Creek Formation fossil sites with professionals, learning excavation, documentation and fossil preservation.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana Tech
Environmental Engineering Summer Camp
Fully funded residential camp with field and laboratory work involving water, environmental restoration, drones, wastewater and environmental-engineering design. Montana Tech has stated plans to bring the camp back for another summer.
🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
Montana Learning Center
Extreme Yellowstone Expedition
Six-day Yellowstone-area expedition combining field ecology, wildlife and habitat observation, hiking and outdoor exploration while camping near the national park.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
TNFIRST, Inc.
FIRST Robotics Competition / FIRST Tech Challenge (TNFIRST)
Tennessee's statewide nonprofit partner connecting K-12 students to FIRST robotics programs, including FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7-12) and FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9-12), where teams design, build, and program robots to compete head-to-head, culminating in a state championship with a path to the world championship.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
HCI-RISE Virtual Summer Research Experience
A virtual summer program introducing high school students from rural Mountain West communities to cancer research and healthcare careers through interactive workshops, career panels, and small-group activities.
📅 April🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
Montana AHEC / Montana State University
Heads Up Behavioral Health Camp
Free residential program introducing Montana students to behavioral-health careers through hands-on activities, facility visits and professional presentations; the Helena session also included Teen Mental Health First Aid certification.
🎓 Grades 9–11
Selective
Forward Montana
High School Fellowship
Paid civic-engagement fellowship for Montana high-school students involving organizing, voter engagement, community events, leadership development and democracy education. The fall 2026 cohort runs into November and provides a $500 stipend.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana Media Lab / University of Montana School of Journalism
High School Reporting Workshop
Annual journalism workshop for Montana high-school students featuring intensive reporting and audio-storytelling instruction with professional and university mentors. The 2026 workshop was offered free to participants.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
University of Montana School of Music
Jazz Camp
Jazz intensive featuring big bands, small groups, improvisation, theory and masterclasses.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana AHEC / Montana State University
MedStart Summer Camp
Residential healthcare-career program for Montana students featuring clinical activities, professional exposure, college preparation and one transferable Montana Tech credit. Multiple regional sessions are offered around the state.
🎓 Grades 9–11
Moderate
Montana Tech
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Summer Program
Fully funded residential program for rising juniors and seniors featuring hands-on metallurgy/materials experiments, industrial field trips and exposure to materials-science careers. Housing, meals and program materials were covered in 2026.
🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Missoula Art Museum
Missoula Art Museum Teen Art Project & Teen Open Studio
Free teen art programming where middle and high schoolers get hands-on instruction from professional artists in drawing, painting, ceramics, and more, plus a Summer Teen Art Project focused on community and leadership.
📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana State University Extension 4-H
Montana 4-H Congress
A four-day statewide 4-H event at MSU Bozeman featuring contests like Gavel Games, Livestock Judging, Horse Judging, and Hippology for members age 13 and older.
📅 June🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana Learning Center / Montana Space Grant Consortium
Montana Aerospace Scholars — Freshmen & Sophomore Program
Two-stage Montana-resident program beginning with online aerospace assignments; successful students qualify for a summer residency involving mission design, space exploration and STEM-career experiences.
🎓 Grades 9–10
Moderate
Montana Learning Center / Montana Space Grant Consortium
Montana Aerospace Scholars — Junior & Senior Program
Advanced Aerospace Scholars track for Montana upperclassmen combining preparatory work with a residential aerospace experience built around planetary exploration, missions and STEM career pathways.
🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Montana
Montana American Legion Auxiliary Girls State
American Legion Auxiliary program bringing together rising-senior girls from across Montana for a week of mock government, drafting and submitting bills, and electing state officials, with top delegates advancing to Girls Nation.
📅 Varies🎓 Grade 11
Selective
American Legion, Department of Montana
Montana American Legion Boys State
A week-long civic leadership program at Carroll College where Montana high school juniors build mock city, county, and state governments, debate legislation, and hold elections.
📅 Varies🎓 Grade 11
Moderate
Montana State University
Montana Apprenticeship Program (MAP)
Paid research apprenticeships at MSU for Montana Native American students.
⏱ 6 weeks (summer)📅 March🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Montana Historical Society / Montana 250 Commission / Montana OPI
Montana Challenge
Online 20-question challenge covering Montana history, geography and government. Students scoring at least 80% earn a certificate and enter a drawing for one of hundreds of $25 prizes; the remaining 2026 prize round occurs in December.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana DECA / DECA Inc.
Montana DECA
Montana's chartered DECA association prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management through 15 local chapters and an annual State Career Development Conference.
📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana Digital Academy
Montana Digital Academy High School Courses
Montana's state-sponsored online school offers over 200 original-credit courses, including AP classes, taught by Montana-licensed teachers to high schoolers who remain enrolled at their local public school.
📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana Envirothon / Cascade Conservation District
Montana Envirothon
Teams of five high school students test their knowledge of range, soils, aquatics, wildlife, and forestry through a written exam and an oral presentation on a current environmental issue.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America)
Montana FCCLA
Montana FCCLA is a Career and Technical Student Organization centered on family and consumer sciences, offering STAR Events, skill demonstrations, and national online competitions for middle and high school students.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana FFA / National FFA Organization
Montana FFA Association
Montana's chapter of the National FFA Organization serves 6,684 members across 109 chapters, offering agricultural education, leadership development, and Career & Leadership Development Events culminating in the State Convention.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana FIRST, Montana State University College of Engineering
Montana FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
Montana's chapter of the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competition, where teams of students in grades 7-12 design, build, and program robots to compete head-to-head, hosted through MSU's College of Engineering.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
State Bar of Montana
Montana High School Mock Trial
Teams of high school students argue both sides of a simulated legal case as attorneys, witnesses, and courtroom artists, coached by practicing attorneys and judges, in a statewide competition run by the State Bar of Montana.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana HOBY (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership)
Montana HOBY State Leadership Seminar
A 3-4 day leadership seminar exclusively for high school sophomores nominated by their schools, built around HOBY's Social Change Model of personal, group, and societal leadership.
📅 Varies🎓 Grade 10
Moderate
Montana HOSA
Montana HOSA (Future Health Professionals)
Montana HOSA prepares students for healthcare careers through competitive events, a Fall Leadership Conference, and a State Leadership Conference featuring partnerships with hospitals and health professionals.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Montana (Mansfield Center)
Montana Model United Nations Conference
A two-day Model UN conference hosted by the University of Montana that explicitly draws in high school delegations from Idaho as well as Montana, simulating UN committees including the General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, UNEA, and IAEA.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
University of Montana
Montana Model United Nations High School Conference
A two-day conference at the University of Montana where over 300 Montana and Idaho high school students represent countries in simulated UN committees, debating and negotiating resolutions on world issues.
📅 September🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
MSU Extension Forestry
Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp
Week-long outdoor natural-resources academy covering forests, streams, soils, geology, rangelands, wildlife and recreation through field instruction and land-management simulations. The next confirmed camp is July 18–23, 2027.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana Arts Council / National Endowment for the Arts
Montana Poetry Out Loud
A National Endowment for the Arts recitation competition where Montana students in grades 9-12 memorize and perform poems, advancing from classroom to regional and state finals in Helena.
📅 March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of Montana
Montana Science Fair
Montana's ISEF-affiliated statewide science and engineering fair, with high-school categories spanning biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental science, medicine, physics, astronomy, mathematics and computing. The next fair is scheduled for March 22, 2027.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana SkillsUSA
Montana SkillsUSA
Montana SkillsUSA serves 525 career and technical education students who compete in 116 occupational and leadership skill areas at the State Leadership & Skills Conference.
📅 Varies🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana University System
Montana STEM/Healthcare Scholarship
Scholarship for Montana seniors entering qualifying STEM or healthcare majors. Awards can continue for four years at $1,000, $1,500, $1,500 and $2,000 respectively if renewal requirements are met.
🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Montana Office of Public Instruction
Montana Student Art Gallery
Statewide juried student-art program. Selected pieces are displayed at OPI for approximately one year and students receive formal recognition; the 2026–27 theme is "Montana Through Your Eyes." There is no participation fee.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana State University School of Music
MSU Band Day
Montana high-school band members rehearse and perform with MSU's Spirit of the West marching band during a Bobcat football game. The 2026 event has no participation cost.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana University System
MUS Honor Scholarship
Renewable tuition-waiver scholarship for Montana high-school seniors attending an eligible Montana University System campus. The average four-year value is approximately $20,000.
🎓 Grade 12
Highly Selective
Yellowstone Art Museum
Museum Teen Council
Free teen council for ages 13–18 where members create art, collaborate on museum activities, meet arts professionals, volunteer and help shape teen programming. The fall 2026 cohort begins in October.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana State University / Montana Historical Society
National History Day in Montana
An academic program where students research a historical topic tied to an annual theme and present it as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website, competing through Western/Eastern regional contests and a state contest.
📅 April🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana Conservation Corps
National Park Service Expeditions
Nine-day volunteer expeditions specifically for Montana teens ages 14–18 in Glacier or Yellowstone National Park. Participants complete hands-on conservation work, earn up to 64 service hours and receive a $100 service award.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
University of Montana School of Music
Piano Camp
Intensive piano camp incorporating performance, private/group instruction, theory, composition, jazz and ensemble experiences for secondary-school musicians.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Reach Higher Montana
Reach Higher Montana Scholarship
Fifty $2,000 scholarships are listed for Montana high-school seniors who graduate from a Montana school, complete the FAFSA and attend an accredited Montana postsecondary institution at least half-time.
🎓 Grade 12
Selective
University of Montana Davidson Honors College
Schwanke Honors Institute
Selective pre-college honors experience for students entering senior year, combining university coursework and residential learning in Montana settings; recent offerings have included environmental creative writing and ecology/conservation.
🎓 Grade 12
Highly Selective
University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area
spectrUM High School Explainer Program
Paid high-school explainers develop and lead interactive science activities for younger students, with current work touching neuroscience, psychology and biomedical science. Positions are roughly 5–10 hours/week and current postings pay $14/hour.
🎓 Grades 10–12
Selective
University of Montana School of Music
String Camp
Orchestra-focused summer camp with ensemble rehearsals, chamber music and instrumental masterclasses for secondary-school string musicians.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Montana
Summer Exploration
Two-week University of Montana pre-college experience for rising sophomores, juniors, seniors and recent graduates. Students take college-level courses, earn two credits and can participate as residential or commuter students.
🎓 Grades 10–12
Highly Selective
Montana Community Foundation
T. Eugene Young Montana's Promise Scholarship
Scholarship for Montana high-school seniors planning postsecondary study in STEM or healthcare-related fields, with preference for students attending Montana institutions.
🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Gallatin College Montana State University
Teen Builder Camp
Hands-on building camp where students use real tools and carpentry/design skills to create projects they can take home. The program's grades 5–9 eligibility includes incoming ninth graders.
🎓 Grade 9
Moderate
Montana State University
Teen Movie Making Intensive: Story to Screen
Students develop, shoot and edit a narrative short film while learning visual storytelling, production and on-set collaboration.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana Chamber Foundation
The Prospects
Statewide virtual entrepreneurship competition for Montana K–12 students with either a new business idea or an existing student-run business. High-school winners can earn substantial scholarships and cash prizes; the 2026 grand champions received $5,000.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana Tech
TRIO Upward Bound Summer Academy
Free six-week summer academy for eligible Butte/Anaconda-area Upward Bound students, combining residential college classes, leadership development, college exploration and educational travel.
🎓 Grades 9–11
Selective
Montana State University Billings
TRIO Upward Bound Summer Institute
Federally funded college-preparation program serving eligible Yellowstone County students, including a free summer institute plus year-round advising and academic support.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Montana
VFW Voice of Democracy - Montana
An audio-essay scholarship competition for grades 9-12 on a patriotic theme, judged at the local VFW Post level with winners advancing to state and national competition.
📅 October🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Montana State University
Yellowstone Writing Project Youth Writing Camp
Week-long writing intensive with a dedicated grades 9–12 cohort. Students experiment with multiple genres, participate in writing activities and develop work in a supportive community of writers and educators.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Montana Conservation Corps
Youth Corps
Eight-week paid conservation program specifically for Montana residents ages 17–18. Participants complete real conservation projects and receive a $1,200 biweekly living allowance plus an AmeriCorps education award.
🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Montana Discovery Foundation
Youth Forest Monitoring Program
Six-week summer internship in which students train with scientists and then conduct field monitoring, stewardship, data collection and a culminating research presentation on national-forest lands. The 2026 cohort received a $1,200 stipend.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Missoula County Department of Ecology & Extension / Weed District
Youth in Restoration
High-school students work on real land-management projects including aquatic monitoring, invasive-species control, revegetation, natural-resource mapping and ecological data collection with public-land partners. The 2026 program ran for roughly eight to nine weeks as paid summer employment.
🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Governor's Office of Community Service / Reach Higher Montana / Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement
Youth Serve Montana Scholarship
Scholarship for graduating Montana seniors with substantial volunteer service who will attend a participating Montana institution. Up to 90 scholarships were offered in the 2026 cycle.
🎓 Grade 12
Selective

Nationwide programs open to Montana students

University of Pennsylvania
Academic English & University Readiness Academy
Two-week residential academy at Penn for non-native English speakers. Students do university-style work: reading, lectures, discussions, research and group projects, ending in a final presentation. Current 9th-11th graders; non-credit.
⏱ 2 weeks (July 26 - August 8, 2026)🎓 Grades 9–11
Highly Selective
Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)
AEOP High School Apprenticeship Program
Students work alongside Army scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research projects in world-class laboratories.
⏱ 8 weeks📅 Early March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
AFSA National High School Essay Contest
An essay contest designed to engage students in thinking about peace and conflict resolution.
📅 February 15🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Carnegie Mellon University
AI Scholars at CMU
Free AI-focused summer program for rising seniors underrepresented in computing.
⏱ 4 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 Grade 11
Selective
AI4ALL
AI4ALL Open Learning
Girls in grades 6-12 learn AI and Python through interactive virtual classes.
⏱ 2 weeks📅 March 1🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Mathematical Association of America
AIME
Invitational round for top AMC scorers. 15-question, 3-hour exam that gates the USAMO. No fee for invited students.
⏱ 3 hours📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Freedom Forum
Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
An all-expenses-paid journalism conference for one student from every US state and DC.
⏱ 1 week📅 February 15🎓 Grade 11
Selective
Amazon
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Scholarship for high school seniors planning to study computer science in college.
⏱ 4 years scholarship📅 December 1🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Mathematical Association of America
AMC 10/12
The entry-level American Mathematics Competition. Top scorers qualify for AIME and the path to the USAMO. Open to all US high schoolers; school registration required.
⏱ 75 minutes📅 November🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
ACSL
American Computer Science League (ACSL)
A multi-division computer science competition covering both theory and programming.
⏱ School year📅 November 30🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
University of Pennsylvania
American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Online Seminar
Two-week online seminar (daily Zoom sessions) teaching basic ASL conversation and narrative skills in an immersion setting, plus Deaf community perspectives through vlogs, lectures and a panel of Deaf professionals. Current 9th-11th graders; non-credit.
⏱ 2 weeks (July 13 - 24, 2026)🎓 Grades 9–11
Highly Selective
Amgen Foundation
Amgen Scholars Future Track
Free online biotech simulations and pipeline programs preparing high schoolers for biomedical research.
⏱ Self-paced📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Apple Inc.
Apple Swift Student Challenge
Swift coding competition hosted by Apple to showcase creativity and app development skills.
⏱ 1 month📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Berklee College of Music
Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive
The world's premier summer performance program for contemporary music, including jazz, rock, and pop.
⏱ 5 weeks📅 March 1🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
University of Pennsylvania
Astronomical Techniques Research Academy
Two-week residential academy at Penn. Students learn observational astronomy and data analysis, build simple cameras and spectrometers, observe the Sun and stars, and analyze data with Python. Current 9th-11th graders; non-credit.
⏱ 2 weeks (July 11 - 25, 2026)🎓 Grades 9–11
Moderate
NCWIT
Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC)
Award for girls and non-binary students in computing, providing recognition and a cash prize.
⏱ One-time📅 April 15🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Bard College at Simon's Rock Young Writers Workshop
A 3-week residential program where students engage in creative and analytical thinking through literature and history.
⏱ 3 weeks📅 April 1🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
MIT Lincoln Lab
Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Free MIT-led project-based courses in AI, robotics, cybersecurity.
⏱ 4 weeks (summer)📅 Early February🎓 Grade 11
Selective
ELASH / Bebras US
Bebras Computing Challenge (US)
An international computational thinking and informatics competition. Students can take the test remotely or through a local school coordinator.
⏱ 45 minutes📅 Early February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Bennington College
Bennington Young Writers Awards
A prestigious creative writing competition for students to win cash prizes and publication.
📅 January 12🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective

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