15 Programs for High School Students in Oregon
If you're a high school student looking to explore your interests beyond the classroom, participating in a structured program can be a valuable next step. These opportunities allow you to build skills, explore potential career paths, and engage with subjects in greater depth than a typical school course. Whether you're interested in medicine, engineering, business, computer science, environmental studies, or the arts, programs often provide access to mentors, specialized facilities, and collaborative learning experiences that can help you better understand your academic interests and future goals.
Why should you attend a program in Oregon?
Oregon is home to institutions such as Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon, which offer programs across fields including healthcare, engineering, environmental science, business, and technology. Through these opportunities, you can conduct research, explore clinical settings, analyze environmental systems, develop technical skills, and learn from faculty, researchers, and industry professionals. Whether you're an Oregon resident or traveling from another state, these programs provide access to strong academic communities and specialized learning environments across a range of disciplines.
Below are 15 programs for high school students in Oregon that cover a wide range of interests and commitment levels.
If you’re looking for medical programs in Oregon, check out our blog here.
1. Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Allergy & Immunology High School Pathways Program
Location: OHSU Marquam Hill Campus, Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Free; $1,500 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – August 5
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Local high school students from the Portland metro area; 16+ by program start; priority to students from groups underrepresented in medicine
You’ll spend five weeks shadowing physicians in the Burghardt Food Allergy Center, observing how allergists diagnose and treat patients with immune disorders. A research component pairs you with an OHSU faculty member to learn laboratory techniques and work on a project in immunology. Weekly lectures cover the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. You’ll present your findings at a student symposium, where you will also hear from other young researchers. The program is designed for students who want a deep, mentored experience in a clinical setting.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies, 100% financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). 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 offers virtual programs that introduce you to artificial intelligence and machine learning through live, mentor‑led sessions. In the AI Scholars Program, you complete a 25‑hour curriculum covering regression, classification, and neural networks, then apply those concepts to a group project such as building a movie recommendation system. For deeper exploration, the AI Fellowship pairs you with a PhD mentor who guides you through an independent research project over several months. You might analyze medical imaging data, create a natural language processing model, or design a reinforcement learning algorithm for a simple game. By the end, you have a polished project that you can include in your portfolio or submit to high school AI competitions.
3. Knight Cardiovascular Internship at OHSU
Location: OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Third week of June through August
Application Deadline: April 6
Eligibility: Oregon high school students; must be at least 16 by May 30; preference to 10th and 11th graders
You’ll work alongside cardiologists, researchers, and nurses to understand how cardiovascular diseases are treated and prevented. The program offers four tracks, including an introduction track for students new to the field and a research track that runs from June through August. You’ll learn to read basic electrocardiograms, observe surgical procedures, and discuss patient cases during team meetings. The application requires responses to four essay prompts, including why you are interested in cardiology and how heart health affects your community. Interns leave with a clearer sense of whether a career in medicine or medical research is right for them.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies, 100% financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program matches you 1-on-1 with a PhD mentor to conduct original research over several months. You choose your topic, from computer science and biology to economics and psychology, and meet weekly with your mentor to design experiments, analyze data, and draft a research paper. The program includes small-group sessions on research ethics, data visualization, and submitting your paper to high school journals. You also receive feedback on your writing from peers and mentors through structured milestones. The final output is a college‑level research paper that you can use as a writing sample in college applications or submit to competitions.
5. Saturday Academy Apprenticeships in STEAM Exploration (ASE)
Location: Throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington (Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, Vancouver)
Cost/Stipend: Stipend varies by position
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 100 positions from 400+ applicants
Dates: 4 or 8-weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors from backgrounds underrepresented in the sciences
ASE places you in a pre‑professional internship with a mentor at a university, hospital, research lab, or private company. Past interns have been listed as co‑authors on published research, helped design commercial products, and spent weeks collecting field data in ecology or geology. Your mentor designs a project specific to their work, so you might analyze genetic sequences, test materials for engineering applications, or build a data dashboard for a local nonprofit. The program prioritizes students from historically excluded backgrounds, including first‑generation college students. At the end of the summer, you present your work at a showcase attended by mentors, families, and community partners.
6. OHSU Experience Camps
Location: OHSU Portland Campus, Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: August 18, 20, or 25 (choose one day)
Application Deadline: Varies by camp
Eligibility: Incoming sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Oregon high schools
You participate in medical simulations where you practice taking blood pressure, suturing a wound on a mannequin, and responding to a mock emergency. Health care professionals from nursing, emergency medicine, and research lead small‑group discussions about their daily work and career paths. You’ll also tour OHSU’s simulation labs and clinical spaces, seeing where medical students train. The camp is completely free thanks to scholarships from the Oregon Health Authority, and lunch is provided. Students who attend often use the experience to confirm their interest in health careers before applying to longer internships.
7. Lewis & Clark Precollege Programs
Location: Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies by program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by program
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders
In this program, you choose from one‑week residential programs such as Future Health Leaders, where you earn CPR certification and attend a mini‑medical school with lectures on anatomy and ethics. In the Circular Innovation Challenge, you learn design thinking and lean startup methods, then pitch a business idea to a panel of entrepreneurs. Data in Action: Sustainability, Science, and Storytelling combines data analysis with environmental science, using real datasets from Portland’s sustainability initiatives. Evenings include social activities and college admissions workshops. Students who complete a program and later attend Lewis & Clark receive at least $20,000 per year in renewable scholarship funding.
8. Oregon State University STEM Academy
Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies by camp; needs-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple sessions; varies by camp
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9-12)
This camp allows you to spend your days on the OSU campus in day‑long camps focused on a single STEM topic. In the High School Cybersecurity Camp, you tackle digital forensics puzzles, learn to spot phishing attempts, and experiment with encryption tools. The Toxicology Science Camp has you test the effects of chemicals on daphnia (tiny water fleas) and observe bioluminescent zebrafish used in genetic research. Other options include DNA Biology and Bioinformatics (extracting and analyzing DNA), 3D Printing and Design, and Wildlife Conservation Science (tracking animal populations with GPS data). Each camp is taught by OSU faculty or graduate students, and you leave with a small project or lab report.
9. University of Oregon Student Academy to Inspire Learning (SAIL)
Location: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Residential: July 12 – 17 | Day: July 20 – 24
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Oregon resident; Low-income; Residential: rising juniors and seniors; Day: rising freshman through rising senior
This program features faculty‑led sessions across 17 different academic departments, including biology, business, computer science, and journalism. The program includes both residential and day‑only options, and you live in UO dorms if you choose the residential track. Outside of class, you’ll participate in pre‑college mentoring, college application workshops, and social activities designed to build a supportive peer network. UO faculty volunteer their time to teach, so you get a genuine sample of college‑level instruction. SAIL also hosts follow‑up events during the academic year to help you stay on track for college admissions.
10. University of Oregon Indigenous Pre-College Academy (IPCA)
Location: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Cost/Stipend: Free (housing and meals provided)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 19 – 26
Application Deadline: May 22
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12 who self-identify as Indigenous; priority to juniors and seniors, and members of Oregon’s 9 federally recognized tribes
This program lets you stay in UO residence halls for a week of college preparation tailored to Indigenous students. Workshops cover the admissions process, financial aid (including the Oregon Tribal Student Grant), and integrating cultural knowledge into your personal statement. You also meet current UO Indigenous students and faculty members who share their experiences navigating higher education. Evenings include cultural activities, such as beading circles and storytelling sessions. The application requires several essay responses and does not allow you to save your answers, so prepare your materials in advance.
11. OSU-Cascades Summer Academy
Location: OSU-Cascades Campus, Bend, OR
Cost/Stipend: $1,000 (day) | $1,500 (overnight); financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 19 – 24 | July 26 – 31
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10, 11, and 12
In this program, you choose an academic track such as Computer Science (where you design a simple video game), Kinesiology (where you use motion capture to analyze a golf swing), or Outdoor Products (where you learn the business of gear and apparel design). Each track includes hands‑on projects, lab work, and field trips relevant to the subject. Afternoon recreation activities take advantage of Bend’s location: you might go rock climbing, rafting on the Deschutes River, or hiking in the Cascade mountains. You’ll live in the dorms with other students and eat meals in the campus dining hall. Students who complete the program receive a $500 OSU-Cascades scholarship to use after high school graduation.
12. Portland State University Summer Transportation Camp
Location: Portland State University, Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Week-long summer camp
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Oregon high school students entering grades 9-12
You’ll learn how transportation systems work by studying Portland’s light rail, bike networks, and traffic management. Hands‑on activities include designing a bus route on a map, using traffic simulation software, and conducting a pedestrian count near campus. Site visits take you to a TriMet operations center, a bridge maintenance facility, or a smart traffic signal lab. You’ll also hear from engineers, urban planners, and policy makers about careers in transportation. The camp is hosted by PSU’s Transportation Research and Education Center and is free to all participants.
13. George Fox University Pre-College Summer Institute
Location: George Fox University, Newberg, OR
Cost: $1,950 (cost includes on-campus lodging and meals)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 21 – 26
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 – 12
This program allows you to earn 1‑2 college credits while exploring a career track such as nursing, engineering, biotechnology, film, ceramics, theatre, or entrepreneurship. In the nursing track, you practice taking vital signs and work in a simulated hospital room. In the biotechnology track, you use micropipettes and gel electrophoresis to analyze DNA samples. Classes are taught by George Fox faculty, and you stay overnight in the dorms with other students. Evenings include social activities like movie nights and games. A separate Liberation Scholars program is free for high‑achieving Latino/a juniors and covers tuition, room, and board.
14. Eastern Oregon University Summer Institutes
Location: Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR
Cost/Stipend: $450 (Explorations) | $350 (Cottonwood Crossing) | Free (MedQuest); plus $25 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Explorations: June 22 – 27 | Cottonwood Crossing: June 14 – 19 | MedQuest: June 16 – 21
Application Deadline: February 15 – May 30 or until full
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9-12)
ECI Explorations lets you take weeklong classes in Business, Music, English/Writing, and Spanish, ending with a showcase for family and friends. Cottonwood Crossing Summer Institute is a residential field studies program at Cottonwood Canyon State Park, where you choose from courses like Rocks, Rivers, and Ancient Life (geology and paleontology) or Writing in the Wilderness (creative nonfiction). MedQuest is a free health career exploration camp where you shadow health professionals, attend medical panels, and experience college dorm life. Scholarships are available for all institutes.
15. NW Cyber Camp
Location: Various college campuses in Oregon (University of Oregon, Clackamas Community College, Portland Community College)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by location
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9-12)
In this program, you play the role of a network analyst solving a workplace cyber mystery, using OSINT (open source intelligence), cryptography, and log analysis tools. Each day introduces a new cybersecurity concept through a hands‑on challenge, and you work in teams to crack codes, trace digital footprints, and defend a mock network. Industry guest speakers from Oregon tech companies share real‑world examples of security breaches and how they were fixed. The camp includes follow‑up activities during the school year, such as an online Capture the Flag competition and tabletop exercises with cybersecurity professionals.