12 Robotics Summer Programs for High School Students in California
If you are a high school student in California interested in robotics, then summer programs are a great opportunity for you to learn more about your field of interest. Summer programs allow you to gain experience, develop practical skills, and build connections with mentors and peers. You can work in professional settings and work on practical projects.
For those seeking robotics summer programs in California, these opportunities offer exposure to competencies such as CAD, prototyping, sensor integration, programming, and collaborative problem-solving. California’s leading universities and reputable organizations host a diverse range of programs, making robotics summer programs for high school students in California both accessible and valuable. These local opportunities provide access to advanced facilities, experienced mentors, and projects, without the need for extensive travel.
We have compiled a list of the 12 robotics summer programs for high school students in California.
12 Robotics Summer Programs for High School Students in California
1. San Diego State University - Robotics Camp
Location: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA.
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: July 14 - 21.
Application Deadline: February - May.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply.
San Diego State University’s SMILE Lab and Talent Search program offer a week-long summer Robotics Camp for high school students, supported by the National Science Foundation, SDSU College of Engineering, SDSU Talent Search, and Drone Legends. The camp covers an introduction to coding in Scratch and Python, fundamentals of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and renewable energy, as well as experience assembling and operating MBot Mega robots. You will also learn to program and fly drones, engage in STEM laboratory activities, and take guided tours of the SDSU campus. The program includes sessions with guest speakers and is offered at no cost.
2. Veritas AI - Robotics Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on the program. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
Founded by Harvard graduate students, Veritas AI offers specialised online programs for high school students interested in robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The AI Scholars program introduces you to foundational concepts over ten sessions, combining theory with projects. For more advanced learners, the AI Fellowship offers 1:1 mentorship with researchers from top universities, culminating in an independent research project. You will also receive guidance on publishing your writing in high school research journals. These programs aim to provide rigorous academic writing exposure while supporting students in exploring potential research or career interests in robotics, AI, and computer science.
3. UC Riverside - STEM-focused Engineering Robotics Summer Camp
Location: UC Riverside Bourns College of Engineering, Riverside, CA.
Cost: $600
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: July 14 - 18
Application Deadline: June 6
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply
The Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, offers a week-long Engineering Robotics Summer Camp for high school students interested in STEM. Through a custom-designed, immersive curriculum, you will gain foundational knowledge in electronics, robotic systems, and embodied AI design. Lab sessions cover topics such as embedded system design, microcontroller programming, autonomous and manual robot-car navigation, obstacle avoidance, and wireless control via mobile devices. The camp provides an opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of the broad applications of engineering while refining your academic and career interests before entering university.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program - Robotics Track
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Varies depending on the program. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program pairs you with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as robotics, computer science, data science, engineering, physics, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
5. Placer Robotics Center - Python Coding for Robotics
Location: Placer Robotics Centre, Roseville, CA.
Cost: $275. Need-based financial aid is available
Cohort size: 16-27 students
Dates: June 23 - 26
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9th and 10th are eligible to apply
This intermediate-level summer program teaches students to program robots and sensors using Python and Visual Studio Code. Working in pairs, you will learn to code robot behaviours and motion control, applying these skills to complete both autopilot and driver challenges. The curriculum includes exploration of robotics sensors such as inertial, optical, colour, gyroscope, and distance sensors. You will then integrate these technologies into autonomous programming to solve complex mazes and problem-based challenges. Prior VEX IQ experience is recommended.
6. UCLA - Engineering Design Summer Institute
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
Cost: $2,881. Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: Session A: June 23 – July 11 | Session B: July 14 – August 1
Application Deadline: June 13. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-11 in Spring are eligible to apply
The UCLA Engineering Design Summer Institute is a three-week program that introduces you to engineering design, teamwork, and communication in a university setting. You will explore UCLA’s engineering majors and careers while completing projects, concluding with a written report and presentation. Depending on your track, you may build a mobile robot, smart electronic system, or go-kart using engineering design software and materials. Tracks include: Mechanical Engineering – Go-Karts, covering all stages from CAD modeling to fabrication and performance testing; Electrical Engineering – Microcontrollers, focusing on circuit design, motor control, and hardware-software integration for devices such as robotic pen plotters or Bluetooth speakers; and Mechanical/Electrical Engineering – Rovers, where you will design, build, and program rovers for wireless and autonomous navigation.
7. University of the Pacific - Robotics Camp
Location: University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
Cost: $3,650
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: June 2 - 12
Application Deadline: November 1 - May 11
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9 to 12 are eligible to apply
The robotics summer program introduces high school students to autonomous systems used in applications such as robotic vacuum cleaners, warehouse automation, self-driving vehicles, medical service robots, and defence technologies. It covers locomotion, perception, electronics, sensor testing, and programming in C/C++ or Python to control robot functions like line tracking, obstacle avoidance, object following, and vision-based navigation. You will gain experience with Arduino microcontrollers, DC motors, breadboard circuit construction, and various sensors, applying them to navigate terrains, detect obstacles, follow objects, and use camera vision. Lab sessions integrate physics and engineering concepts to explain the principles behind robotic movement.
8. TryEngineering Summer Institute -Mechanical Engineering
Location: University of San Diego, San Diego, CA.
Cost: $4,095. Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate: Open enrollment
Dates: Session 1 - June 11 - 19 | Session 2 - June 24 - July 2
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply
This Summer Institute offers high school students an introduction to engineering. You will explore mechanical engineering principles, from the mechanics of motion to the design of complex systems, while gaining practical skills in problem-solving, construction, and design. A highlight of the program is the Hydraulic Robot Arm Challenge, where you will design and build a six-degree-of-motion hydraulic arm capable of precise lifting and movement. Working in teams, you will test your creations in challenges such as simulating a production line and competing to stack the most dice using your robot arm. The program also features guest lectures from professional engineers and a field trip to see mechanical engineering in action.
9. California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS)
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: $5,256 tuition and $44 application fee. Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 160-200 participants per campus
Dates: July 6 - August 2
Application Deadline: January 8 - February 7
Eligibility: California high school students are eligible to apply
The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) is a four-week residential pre-college program for high school students who show strong potential in STEM. Offered at five University of California campuses, the program allows you to join a specific “cluster” focused on advanced topics such as robotics, engineering, computer science, materials science, mathematics, and more. Each cluster combines two science or mathematics courses with a science communication course, taught by UC faculty and researchers. You will engage in lectures, discussions, hands-on labs, fieldwork, and a related research project, benefiting from small class sizes, typically 20–25 students, and a low student-to-faculty ratio of about 5:1.
10. SEA - Marine Robotics
Location: Pasadena, CA, and Woods Hole, MA.
Cost: $7,500; Need-based financial aid is available
Cohort size: 20- 25 students
Dates: August 11 - 25
Application Deadline: Deadline 1: January 15 | Deadline 2: February 28
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, and recent graduates interested in learning more about underwater robotics are eligible to apply
This two-week STEM program explores underwater robotics and its role in marine exploration and conservation. It begins in Pasadena, California, with a three-day session at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where you will take part in coursework, projects, and guest lectures, learning about NASA missions and careers in oceanography, robotics, and aerospace engineering. You will work with subsea ROV systems, contributing to the design and construction of sensors and payloads for collecting bathymetric and temperature data. The program then moves to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where you will board the SSV Corwith Cramer for a sailing expedition through the Gulf of Maine. You will deploy ROVs, map and analyse the seafloor, conduct oceanographic sampling, and take part in vessel operations, including navigation and sail handling.
11. UC San Diego - Robotics with JavaScript
Location: Virtual
Cost: $175
Acceptance rate: Open enrollment
Dates: July 14 - 18
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply
This summer program introduces high school students to robotics, automation, and the practical challenges of programming. You will learn the basics of JavaScript, including debugging techniques, and apply your skills to program robots to perform specific interactions with your environment. Instruction covers automation concepts, robotics applications in various industries, and the principles of iterative design (Fail, First, Fast, Fix). You will gain experience through an optional low-cost robotics kit or use the “DDE” open-source robotics programming IDE and simulator for virtual practice.
12. Stanford University - Stanford AI4ALL
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,000. Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 18 - July 2
Application Deadline: December 9 - January 24
Eligibility: 9th graders or rising 10th graders in the summertime are eligible to apply. Applicants must be over the age of 14 by the start of the program
Stanford AI4ALL is a two-week online program designed to promote inclusion in artificial intelligence by combining lectures, mentoring, and research. In collaboration with the Stanford AI Lab, you will explore advanced topics such as robotics, computer vision, medical AI, and natural language processing, while examining AI’s potential to address societal challenges. You will work on research projects, participate in career development workshops, and engage with a community of peers and mentors who share a passion for AI. The program emphasises both technical skills and the broader social impact of artificial intelligence.