15 Summer Camps for High School Students in Florida
Summer camps can be a useful option if you’re a high school student looking to explore your interests without committing to a long-term program. They allow you to focus on specific subjects while building skills through structured activities, projects, and small-group learning. You can also explore different fields and connect with peers, instructors, and professionals while gaining a better understanding of your interests.
Why should you attend a summer camp in Florida?
Florida offers a wide range of summer camps across fields like engineering, healthcare, robotics, entrepreneurship, media, and hospitality. Depending on the camp, you might explore topics through workshops, projects, or simulations while learning how different fields operate and developing relevant skills. These opportunities are worth considering, whether you are a local or out-of-state student interested in exploring programs in a new environment.
To help you get started, we have narrowed down a list of 15 summer camps for high school students in Florida.
If you’re looking for data science summer programs in Florida, check out our blog here.
1. University of Florida’s Gator Pharmacy Exploration Camp
Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Cost: $25 application fee
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 7 – 13
Application deadline: February 25
Eligibility: Florida students entering grade 12
This one-week residential program introduces you to the field of pharmacy through hands-on activities and small group experiences at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. During the week, you will participate in sessions designed to help you explore how pharmacists work in clinical care, research, and the broader healthcare system. The schedule combines lab-style activities, group learning, and conversations with faculty and professionals in the field. You will also attend discussions about preparing for college and navigating pre-health pathways. The program is fully funded and residential, which means you will stay on campus and get a focused preview of college life while learning about pharmacy as a career.
2. Veritas AI Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12 – 15-week cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment; deadlines vary by cohort: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can check details and apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship with Publication and Showcase accepts previous AI Scholar participants or those with some experience working with AI or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers a range of online programs for high school students passionate about artificial intelligence. If you are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science, you can choose the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, you will learn about the fundamentals of AI and data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects. Another track for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. During this program, you will get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A key feature of this program is that it offers you access to the in-house publication team to help you secure publications in high school research journals. You can check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. Bulls Startup @ University of South Florida
Location: University of South Florida campuses in Tampa, FL, and St. Petersburg, FL
Cost: $575 (optional residential add-on: $1,395)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 30 students
Dates: July 6 – 10 (St. Petersburg) | July 20 – 24 (Tampa)
Application deadline: Not specified; registration opens on February 1.
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th grade students
At Bulls Startup, you will spend a week learning how entrepreneurs turn ideas into real businesses. The program is a daytime entrepreneurship camp where you will spend your mornings and afternoons attending workshops, working through problem-solving exercises, and learning directly from faculty and industry professionals connected to the USF Muma College of Business. You will brainstorm product ideas, build a business model canvas, and learn how companies test and refine new concepts. At the end of the week, you will create a pitch deck and present your idea in a final pitch competition judged by professionals. Sessions also introduce digital business trends like cryptocurrency, coding, and social media marketing.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote! You can participate in the program from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort; sessions run in summer, fall, winter, or spring, with options ranging from 12 weeks to a year.
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in high school who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research opportunity tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive mentored research opportunities across a broad range of subject areas for high schoolers to explore. The program pairs you with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on a research project. At the end of the program, you will have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics across a range of subjects, including data science, psychology, physics, economics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the program application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. Bulls Finance Camp @ University of South Florida
Location: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Cost: $750 (optional residential add-on available for additional cost)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 60 students
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: Not specified; registration opens on February 1.
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12
Bulls Finance Camp introduces you to core concepts in finance through a week of classes and hands-on activities at the USF Muma College of Business. During the program, you will learn about topics like personal finance, investments, corporate finance, and financial technology while working with faculty and professionals from the USF Federal Credit Union. Sessions also include discussions about financial literacy and how financial systems work in everyday life. The curriculum focuses on helping you build practical financial skills, including budgeting, investment basics, and financial planning. You will also hear from guest speakers and explore different career paths in finance and business. If you are curious about business or investing, the program offers a structured introduction to finance in a university setting.
6. Nova Southeastern University’s Achieve in Medicine (AIM-High) Day Camp
Location: Nova Southeastern University campus in Davie/Fort Lauderdale, FL, or Clearwater, FL
Cost: $1,800 + non-refundable application fee of $50; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 50 students/session
Dates: June 22 – 26 (Clearwater) | July 6 – 10; July 12 – 17 (Davie/Fort Lauderdale)
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.2
This five-day medical immersion day camp introduces you to different areas of healthcare through hands-on workshops and sessions led by medical professionals at Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. During the program, you will rotate through activities like suturing practice, dissection labs, sports medicine demonstrations, and emergency response training. You will also explore specialties such as pediatrics, neuroscience, nutrition, and public health while learning how doctors approach real medical cases. The curriculum focuses heavily on practical medical skills and simulations, including CPR/AED training and augmented- or virtual-simulation labs. Outside of workshops, you will join roundtable discussions with medical students and attend small social events to understand what the path to medical school actually looks like.
6. University of Florida’s Summer Media Institute
Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Cost: $999
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 120 – 160 participants (first come, first served)
Dates: June 18 – 23 (Summer Media Institute) | June 24 – 29 (SMI Sports)
Application deadline: March 5
Eligibility: High school students, rising 10th to 12th graders
The Summer Media Institute (SMI) is a six-day residential workshop where you will explore journalism and communications through hands-on projects and electives. During the program, you will work within the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications facilities while learning from instructors and media professionals. The schedule includes specialized electives that let you explore areas such as storytelling, reporting, and other communication fields. The program centers on practical media production and storytelling, giving you the chance to create and develop your own work during the week. You will also spend time using university studios and classrooms while getting a sense of what studying journalism at a large communications school looks like.
7. USF Wyndham Hospitality Experience
Location: Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach Hotel, Clearwater, FL
Cost: $250
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 20 students
Dates: July 13 – 17
Application deadline: Not specified; registration opens on February 1.
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 – 12
This five-day program introduces you to the hospitality and tourism industry through workshops and hands-on activities held directly at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach Hotel. During the week, you will explore how hotels operate behind the scenes, from guest services and room design to event planning and hospitality management. You will also participate in culinary workshops and activities that highlight how food service fits into the broader hospitality industry. The program takes place inside a working luxury hotel, so much of the learning happens through real-world demonstrations and site-based experiences. Sessions are led by hotel professionals and USF staff, who offer you a closer look at careers in tourism, event management, and hospitality operations.
8. SeaTech Robotics Summer Camp @ Florida Atlantic University
Location: Florida Atlantic University SeaTech Campus, Dania Beach, FL
Cost: $25 (non-refundable)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Up to 40 participants
Dates: June 1 and 2
Application deadline: May 17
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 12
This two-day camp at Florida Atlantic University's SeaTech campus gives you an introduction to drone robotics and autonomous flight. You will learn the basic principles of how quadrotors move, including roll, pitch, yaw, and thrust, and how those principles connect to flight control. The camp includes hands-on time programming and flying small drones in a controlled setting, so you can see how control algorithms translate into real flight behavior. You will also get an introduction to drone perception and Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO), which is how drones estimate their position and navigate on their own.
9. Gator Vet Camp @ University of Florida
Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Cost: $25 application fee + $1,500; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 7 – 12 (Session 1) | June 21 – June 26 (Session 2)
Application deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Florida high school students entering grades 10–12
Gator Vet Camp is a one-week residential program that introduces you to veterinary medicine through academic activities and hands-on learning experiences at the University of Florida. During the week, you will explore topics related to animal health, veterinary careers, and the academic preparation needed for pre-veterinary studies in college. The schedule includes structured exercises, group activities, and sessions that highlight how veterinarians work with animals in different professional settings. The program also emphasizes college readiness, helping you understand which high school courses and experiences are useful if you plan to pursue veterinary medicine. As it is a residential camp, you will live on campus and participate in a full schedule of workshops and group activities with other students interested in animal science and veterinary careers.
10. University of South Florida High School Robotics Camp
Location: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Cost: $999.99
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 30 students/year
Dates: June 22 – 26 | July 20 – 24
Application deadline: Not specified; registration opens on February 1.
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 – 12
This week-long engineering program introduces you to robotics through hands-on building and programming projects at the USF College of Engineering. During the program, you will design and assemble an autonomous mobile robot while learning how sensors, actuators, and controllers work together. You will also use tools such as the Raspberry Pi and 3D printing to build and customize components for your robot. At the end of the program, you will have built and programmed your own robot and will be able to leave with the completed project and files so you can continue working on it at home. The curriculum also introduces industrial robotics through demonstrations and software such as ABB RobotStudio used in professional robotics environments. Most of the week is spent inside engineering labs designing, testing, and programming your robot while working alongside peers.
11. Entrepreneurship Summer Camp @ Florida State University (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship)
Location: Florida State University’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, Tallahassee, FL
Cost: $125 (non-refundable fee)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 35 students
Dates: June 8 – 12
Application deadline: TBA; applications open in February
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
This one-week day camp introduces you to the basics of starting and developing a business through group projects and workshops led by faculty at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. During the week, you will work in teams to come up with a business idea, develop a basic business model, and think through how a startup might operate in the real world. The program includes sessions with guest entrepreneurs who share their experiences starting and running businesses. By the end of the camp, your team will develop a business concept and deliver a final pitch to family and guests.
12. Florida Atlantic University Building Futures Summer Camp
Location: Florida Atlantic University's Boca Raton campus, Boca Raton, FL
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Maximum 30 participants
Dates: July 27 – 30
Application deadline: June 28
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 12
This four-day camp at Florida Atlantic University's Boca Raton campus introduces you to civil and environmental engineering through hands-on activities. You will explore topics across various areas within environmental engineering. For instance, you will explore solid waste management and environmental problem-solving. You will also learn about concrete technologies, including traditional and modern methods, such as 3D printing. The camp also focuses on transportation engineering, helping you explore traffic systems, simulations, and sustainable infrastructure.
13. Camp Connect @ University of Central Florida
Location: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Cost: $200 (Camp Connect I & II) | $300 (Camp Connect Advanced)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 – 12 (Advanced) | June 22 – 26 (Camp Connect I) | July 13 – 17 (Camp Connect II)
Application deadline: May 1 (Camp Connect I) | April 24 (Camp Connect Advanced) | Invitation-based enrollment for Camp Connect II
Eligibility: Camp Connect I: Students entering grades 8 – 11, ages 13 and up; Camp Connect II: Students who previously completed Camp Connect I | Camp Connect Advanced: Students entering grades 10 – 12, ages 15 and up
Camp Connect is a series of week-long engineering day camps where you will explore different STEM fields through activities, presentations, and lab tours at the University of Central Florida’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. Each day highlights a different engineering discipline, such as electrical, aerospace, civil, mechanical, or computer science. You will participate in hands-on activities led by faculty and current engineering students while learning how these fields connect to real-world problems. In Camp Connect I, you will also collaborate on a team project that they present on the final day of the program. The advanced track places you in a smaller group working directly with a faculty member on a focused research-style project or technical challenge. All camps emphasize teamwork, problem-solving, and exposure to multiple engineering disciplines in a university lab setting.
14. Fashion Summer Camp @ Istituto Marangoni Miami
Location: Istituto Marangoni Miami, Miami, FL
Cost: $3,000 (domestic students) or $3,500 (international students); optional food package: $250
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 – 12 | June 15 – 26 | June 29 – July 10 | July 13 – 24 | July 27 – August 7
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students who are ages 14 – 18 and/or currently in high school
This two-week pre-college camp offered by the Instituto Marangoni Miami introduces you to several parts of the fashion industry, including design, styling, and the business side of fashion. During the program, you will attend classes covering fashion illustration, trend forecasting, garment deconstruction, and fashion photography, while working on creative projects. You will also learn how branding, marketing, and social media shape modern fashion brands. A key focus of the program is building your own fashion portfolio, which you will develop throughout the sessions and present at the end. Classes run Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM and combine studio-style work with lectures and workshops led by industry faculty. If you are considering studying fashion or design in college, this camp gives you structured portfolio work and exposure to several areas of the industry in a short time.
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