15 Programs for High School Students in Georgia
As a high school student, academic programs help you gain early exposure to college-level learning and professional environments. These experiences allow you to explore your interests in a focused setting, build practical skills, and connect with mentors or industry professionals who can help guide your future goals. Whether you’re interested in research, art, technology, or leadership, such programs offer experience that goes beyond what you might find in a traditional classroom.
Why should you attend a program in Georgia?
In Georgia, several universities and organizations provide structured academic programs that cater to a wide range of interests. These programs can offer you access to strong research communities, diverse industries, and a network of professionals working at both local and national levels. Whether you live in Georgia or are visiting from another state, these programs provide a great opportunity to experience the state’s academic culture while preparing for college and future career paths.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 15 programs for high school students in Georgia.
If you are looking for research programs in Georgia, check out our blog here.
1. Winship Cancer Institute’s Summer Scholars Research Program
Location: Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA
Stipend: $2,400
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–12 students
Dates: June 9 – July 18
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Rising or graduating high school seniors who are 16 years old by the start of the program
The Summer Scholars Research Program is an opportunity for high school students in Georgia to step directly into the world of cancer research. Over six weeks, you’ll work alongside Winship Cancer Institute faculty and research teams on real projects in lab and clinical settings. Your daily routine will include lab work, lectures by oncology professionals, and field trips to research centres such as the CDC and Georgia Tech. Each participant completes an independent project under the guidance of a mentor and presents their findings at a final symposium. The program highlights the research process, from formulating questions to analysing results, and encourages collaboration among peers with a shared interest in medicine and science.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI, founded by Harvard graduates, offers two distinct tracks that introduce you to artificial intelligence and machine learning. The AI Scholars program focuses on the fundamentals, coding, data handling, and model building, and includes a collaborative project that lets you apply what you learn to data. If you already have experience in programming or data science, the AI Fellowship pairs you one-on-one with mentors from top universities to develop a custom AI project. You’ll work through each stage of design and implementation, refining a model in your area of interest.
3. CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp
Location: CDC Headquarters, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 27 slots/session
Dates: June 23 – 27 and July 21 – 25
Application Deadline: March 7
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old by the first day of camp
If you’ve ever wondered how outbreaks are tracked and controlled, the CDC Museum's Disease Detective Camp puts you in the middle of the action. This week-long academic camp for high school students takes place at CDC headquarters, where you’ll explore public health, epidemiology, and disease surveillance through hands-on investigations and mock press briefings. Each day, you’ll analyse data, discuss global health issues, and simulate real-world problem-solving in teams of “disease detectives.” The curriculum changes yearly to reflect current events, so topics might range from environmental health to global pandemics. The program highlights how science, communication, and policy intersect in protecting public health.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selectivee
Dates: Several cohorts annually
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Academically strong high school students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is designed to help you conduct independent academic research under the guidance of a PhD mentor. Over 12 weeks, you’ll choose a subject area such as psychology, physics, data science, and international relations (among others), and develop a research paper from start to finish. The process includes defining a question, analysing data, and presenting your findings at the program’s research symposium. Weekly meetings ensure steady progress and individualised feedback throughout your project. By the end, you’ll have a completed paper that reflects your own research and critical thinking.
5. Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP)
Location: Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: <20%
Dates: June 14 – July 11
Application Deadline: Nominations: November 11; Online application: January 9
Eligibility: Rising sophomores and juniors attending Georgia high schools who show exceptional skill in their area of nomination
The Georgia Governor’s Honours Program brings together talented sophomores and juniors for an intensive four-week residential experience designed around academic and artistic depth. Rather than focusing on traditional coursework, you’ll spend your time immersed in your chosen field, whether that’s computer science, music, mathematics, or visual arts. Classes are discussion-driven, experimental, and often collaborative, emphasising creative problem-solving and critical inquiry. Evenings include workshops and cultural events that build community across disciplines. By engaging deeply with your subject, you’ll see how specialised learning can connect to broader real-world contexts. As one of the state’s most established programs for high school students in Georgia, GHP offers an academic environment built around curiosity and rigour.
6. Georgia Tech's Summer Engineering Institute (SEI)
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 – 16
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-graders with an interest in STEM
At the Summer Engineering Institute, you’ll dive into engineering through experiments and interactive workshops led by Georgia Tech faculty and students. The one-week residential program lets you experience campus life while exploring how different branches of engineering connect to innovation. You’ll get a closer look at Georgia Tech’s labs and technology, meet professors and current students, and take part in guided campus tours. The program also includes sessions that clarify what colleges look for in future engineers. If you’re curious about how design, problem-solving, and creativity intersect in engineering, this program for high school students in Georgia offers an engaging place to start.
7. Microsoft Discovery Program
Location: Microsoft headquarters, Atlanta, GA
Stipend: $20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Graduating seniors who attend schools within the Atlanta Public Schools, DeKalb, Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett County School Districts, and have completed pre-calculus or an equivalent course
The Microsoft Discovery Program introduces high school students in Georgia to the collaborative and creative side of technology through a four-week, project-based internship. Working in small teams, you’ll tackle a product challenge from the design phase onward while learning about software engineering, UX design, and product management. Throughout the process, you’ll receive mentorship from Microsoft employees and gain insight into how large-scale tech projects evolve from concept to product. The focus is on developing a growth mindset and teamwork skills, not prior coding experience. You’ll also participate in workshops and discussions with professionals across Microsoft’s Atlanta campus.
8. University of Georgia’s Young Dawgs Program
Location: University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Cost/Stipend: None; students may receive academic credit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 120 hours over the academic school year (fall/spring) or summer
Application Deadline: Varies by semester
Eligibility: High-achieving high school juniors and seniors (rising for the summer program) with a minimum GPA of 3.7
The Young Dawgs Program at the University of Georgia connects you with internship experiences across the university and the surrounding community. You’ll spend a semester or summer working on-site in a placement that matches your interests, whether that’s research, administration, or another field. Over 400 work sites have hosted Young Dawgs interns since the program began, offering a wide range of opportunities. At the end of each term, you’ll present what you learned through an oral presentation, building both communication and workplace skills. This program for high school students in Georgia focuses on career readiness through direct engagement in professional environments.
9. GTAE Science, Technology, and Engineering Program (STEP) Summer Internship Program
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 7 – 18
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: High school students in Georgia who are at least 16 years old
The Science, Technology, and Engineering Program (STEP) at Georgia Tech offers an authentic introduction to aerospace engineering research. Over two weeks, you’ll collaborate in teams to solve open-ended engineering challenges drawn directly from ongoing Georgia Tech research projects. With guidance from faculty mentors, you’ll design, prototype, and test your ideas before presenting your results to academic and industry professionals at a poster session. STEP emphasises independent problem-solving and teamwork rather than pre-set instructions, giving you a realistic view of how engineers approach complex questions. The program’s connection to major aerospace partners like Boeing and Lockheed Martin adds context.
10. Oxford College’s Summer Experience Program
Location: Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students/school system
Dates: June 2 – 6
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 10th and 11th-grade students from Newton County and Putnam County Charter School System students
At Oxford College’s Summer Experience Program, you’ll explore academic life through college-level courses in political science, chemistry, and English while also attending workshops on study skills, writing, and college readiness. The program blends classroom learning with leadership sessions, community service, and recreational activities, giving you a balanced view of college life. Field trips and team-building activities add a practical dimension to the experience, showing how learning extends beyond the classroom. Oxford faculty lead small, discussion-based sessions that encourage curiosity and confidence in academic settings. Designed as one of the preparatory programs for high school students in Georgia, it aims to help you connect your current studies to future college and career goals.
11. KSU’s School of Art and Design Summer Art Intensives
Location: Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
Cost: $325
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – 6
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students
The School of Art and Design Summer Art Intensives at Kennesaw State University give you a glimpse of what studying art at the college level is like. You’ll work alongside experienced instructors who are both educators and practising artists, learning how they approach technique, creativity, and professional process. Each intensive focuses on a specific area such as 3D digital modelling, creature design, textile construction, or visual storytelling. Throughout the program, you’ll build technical and conceptual skills while experimenting with your own artistic voice. All intensives conclude with a final presentation or exhibition, allowing you to share your work with peers and instructors.
12. University of Georgia’s Summer Academy Camps
Location: University of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $530
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by camp
Application Deadline: Varies by camp
Eligibility: High school students; individual camps may have specific requirements
The University of Georgia’s Summer Academy brings together dozens of week-long specialty camps across disciplines like engineering, medicine, acting, digital arts, and more. Each camp focuses on exploration, from designing prototypes in Advanced Engineering to crafting animated stories in 2D Animation or developing a media campaign in Advertising and Public Relations. You’ll work with university faculty and industry mentors who guide you through projects tailored to your interests. The atmosphere encourages both creative risk-taking and practical problem-solving. With nearly 60 options to choose from, the program is one of the most wide-ranging STEAM programs for high school students in Georgia, offering a direct path to test potential college majors in a supportive, exploratory setting.
13. R.E.A.L. (Research, Experiment, Analyze, Learn) Program
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Each teacher selects 2–3 students
Dates: June 11 – July 16
Application Deadline: Sponsor (mentor) application deadline is February 21, 2025; student selection occurs after this
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 and older before the start date. Students are only eligible when paired with a teacher who has been accepted into the GIFT program
The R.E.A.L. Program, part of Georgia Tech’s GIFT Summer initiative, introduces you to authentic STEM research alongside educators and university mentors. You’ll work with a teacher from your high school who has been accepted to the GIFT program. Over five weeks, you’ll assist in lab-based research, gaining experience with experimental design, data collection, and analysis. The program is especially focused on students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM, fostering early exposure to scientific work. You’ll also complete lab safety certification and collaborate with your mentor teacher throughout the process.
14. Emory Pre-College Program
Location: Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: $70 application fee + $350 enrollment deposit + tuition (varies by session). Financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approx. 400 students
Dates: Several 2-week sessions over the summer
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who live or have living arrangements in the metro Atlanta area
Through the Emory Pre-College Program, you can take noncredit courses taught by university instructors and experience college-level academics in subjects ranging from public health and psychology to business, computer science, and the arts. This program for high school students in Georgia includes enrichment sessions like “College 101” workshops and degree explorations that help you think critically about your future academic path. You’ll attend lectures, participate in labs, and explore Emory’s campus community through extracurricular activities. Alongside peers from around the world, you’ll gain a sense of what it’s like to live and study at a major research university.
15. SCAD Rising Star
Location: SCAD, Savannah/Atlanta, GA
Cost: $6,490
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 28 – July 24
Application Deadline: No formal deadline; payment deadline is May 29
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
SCAD Rising Star immerses students in university life while they earn college credit through two intensive, faculty-led courses. You’ll work in professional studios and computer labs at either SCAD Atlanta or SCAD Savannah, gaining experience with creative tools like Adobe Creative Cloud. This program for high school students in Georgia combines lectures, demonstrations, and fieldwork to help you strengthen your artistic and design foundations. Alongside classmates from around the world, you’ll receive direct mentorship from instructors and begin developing a college-level portfolio. You’ll also have full access to SCAD’s libraries, galleries, and production spaces, making it a strong fit for students exploring creative careers.
Image source - Emory Logo