11 Free AI & ML Programs for High School Students
Are you in high school and looking to participate in artificial intelligence and machine learning programs? We’ve curated a list of free opportunities from across the country for high school students.
Participating in an artificial intelligence or machine learning program can offer valuable exposure, setting you up for success in college and beyond by bridging the gap between the classroom and real-world experience.
Below are 11 programs to consider, some offered in the summer and others during the school year. The programs cover artificial intelligence and machine learning for students of all academic backgrounds, helping you learn more about this emerging field, regardless of your current knowledge.
1. Veritas AI
Location: Remote - you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Program Length: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall. No previous knowledge is required!
Application Deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students looking to get started in AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and have the opportunity to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students have the opportunity to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
2. MIT’s Day of AI
Location: Virtual
Program Length: Varies with most events held on a date in May
Eligibility: Varies by track
Application Deadline: Not specified
Stemming from MIT’s Media Lab, the Day of AI is a free, annual program that offers curriculum and practical experience for K-12 students to gain greater familiarity with artificial intelligence and its applications. There are two possible tracks for high school students to participate in, accommodating a range of programming backgrounds. The “High School” track does not require programming knowledge and is advertised as suitable for all students.
The “High School CS” track is much more technical and ideal for students with more familiarity with coding, ranging from block-based programming to Python. Both will provide exposure to data science visualization, image classification, and data activism. There is no rigorous application process, and the questions are fairly straightforward! You can register here!
3. Carnegie Mellon University: AI Scholars
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Program Length: 4 weeks for the month of July
Eligibility: High school juniors who are at least 16 years of age and U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or registered with DACA; no prior coding experience is required
Application Deadline: March
This merit-based, grant-funded program provides rising high school seniors with an opportunity to learn about artificial intelligence. Students work alongside faculty, staff, and researchers at Carnegie Mellon University through college-level courses and seminars on higher education. These courses offer hands-on experience with group projects, an in-depth introduction to ongoing research projects, and preparation for college academics and post-graduate studies. The program places special emphasis on students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in STEM fields. A major advantage of this program is that it provides each student with a comprehensive evaluation of their performance, which they can add as unique supplemental material to university applications.
4. Beaver Works Summer Institute at MIT
Location: Virtual/ Cambridge, MA
Program Length: The summer program is 4 weeks long
Eligibility: All high school students
Application Deadline: March
Sponsored by MIT’s School of Engineering and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the Beaver Works Summer Institute is a project-based program which seeks to expose students to technology and AI. They offer virtual courses and in-person summer programs. Some of the courses offered last summer included: Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Quantum Software, and Serious Game Development with AI, among others. Alumni have called the program “beginner-friendly” and accommodating towards individuals with very limited coding experience, while also noting that their projects in the program made substantial contributions to their college applications.
5. Google’s Machine Learning Crash Course
Location: Virtual
Program Length: 15 hours
Eligibility: Open to anyone! Recommended prerequisites are a basic understanding of variables, linear equations, graphs of functions, histograms, and statistical means, along with experience with Python.
Application Deadline: N/A
This course is a fast-paced, comprehensive introduction to machine learning and its application through real-world case studies. It comprises more than 30 exercises across 25 lessons, leaving students with a confident, thorough understanding of machine learning. The lessons provide comprehensive insight into machine learning, with individual lessons covering framing, logistic regression, neural networks, and more. You also receive a certificate upon completion of the program.
The program is open to individuals of all backgrounds and flexible in its completion. It is a great course to take during the school year, as you can take your time with it and adapt it to your own schedule. Since the course is online, you can complete it from anywhere! This is an especially great option for younger high school students who may not yet be eligible for other machine learning programs. The course also offers pre-work to familiarize you with the recommended prerequisites and ensure a smoother completion.
6. Curiosity Machine AI Challenge
Location: Virtual
Program Length: Variable
Eligibility: High school students 18 and under
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Sponsored by Technovation Families, this challenge asks students to identify a problem in their community and devise a solution using AI technology. Before starting the challenge, students visit the Technovation Families program and take 10 brief lessons to learn about the intricacies of AI, machine learning, and predictive modeling. This is a good opportunity to both learn about AI and also apply your knowledge in a competitive environment. Furthermore, the program invites students to involve their families in these questions and devise a solution as a team! If you are looking for a low-stakes program to kickstart your AI and ML journey, this is a great opportunity!
7. Google AI For Everyone
Location: Virtual
Program Length: 2-3 hours/ week, for 4 weeks
Eligibility: All high school students
Application Deadline: N/A
Google’s AI For Everyone course is a beginner-friendly course for students interested in an introduction to artificial intelligence and its applications in real-world contexts. It is an online, self-paced course that can be completed in roughly a month. Some of the topics covered include the ethics of AI, neural networks, and machine learning.
It is taught by Laurence Moroney, who serves as the lead AI advocate at Google, making him an excellent professor for this course. If you are interested, you can take this course independently or as part of Google’s larger Machine Learning Certificate Program, which will award you a certificate at the end of it. This is an excellent option for students balancing classes and coursework, as it can be completed asynchronously at your own pace.
8. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: 4 annual cohorts run in fall, spring, summer, and winter
Program Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort.
Eligibility: You must be enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall and must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation stands as a non-profit research program tailored for gifted students from low-income backgrounds. Stemming from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, renowned for its extensive one-on-one research opportunities for high school students, the foundation provides the same access to independent research experiences at zero cost.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In our flagship program, we pair talented high-school students with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can apply here!
This program is a particularly solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper.
9. The MIT Jameel Clinic AI & Health Summer Program
Location: Cambridge, MA
Program Length: Two cohorts of one week each
Eligibility: Current sophomore, junior, or senior high school students
Application Deadline: March 1
This is a one-week-long, intensive course with 3-4 hours of daily instruction. Students are introduced to AI, machine learning, coding languages, and various applications of these technologies. This is a unique opportunity given its focus on the intersection between healthcare and technology. Speakers from MIT’s campus also deliver lectures, and as a participant, you have the opportunity to take trips to partnering research organizations! Towards the end of the program, students complete and present a final group project, which will be evaluated.
Location: Virtual
Program Length: Variable
Eligibility: All high school students
Application Deadline: Not specified
AIEDU is a non-profit organization developing equitable learning experiences to help students build literacy in AI. Their platforms offer a wide variety of engaging material, including games and projects, that you can engage with for a few days or even weeks at a time, depending on your preference. Their range of courses and challenges is suitable for students to engage with at their own pace, with many of their most popular offerings lasting just 5 minutes. In particular, we want to highlight their AI Challenges, which give students an opportunity to experiment with AI in their daily lives and share their findings with their communities. These are great virtual opportunities to build competency in artificial intelligence and subsequently produce a project that demonstrates this knowledge.
11. Kode with Klossy
Location: Various in-person locations and online options available
Program Length: Several cohorts of two weeks each, taking place between June and August
Eligibility: Female-identifying, gender-nonconforming, and trans students ages 13-18
Application Deadline: Varies by camp
Kode With Klossy is a summer coding camp designed to create opportunities in coding and tech for marginalized groups in these industries. Students can choose to center their experience on one of four topics: web development, mobile app development, artificial intelligence/machine learning, or data science. The program offers virtual and in-person opportunities in 21 cities, so there is likely a participating program in your area! Kode With Klossy has emerged as one of the top programs of its kind, with its alumni continuing their journeys in technology to generate tangible impact in this field. No coding experience is required for this program, and students who complete it leave empowered with technical skills, as well as supported by a community of scholars and alumni in the industry.
Source: Google Machine Learning Crash Course Logo