13 Tech Programs for High School Students in Oregon
Technology skills are becoming increasingly crucial across almost every career path, whether you plan to study engineering, medicine, business, or data science. Participating in structured learning experiences focused on tech can help you move beyond theory and build practical skills such as coding, data analysis, cybersecurity awareness, and design thinking. Many of these opportunities also include mentorship, allowing you to learn directly from people working in the tech industry or academia. This type of exposure often helps you understand what different tech careers really involve before choosing a college major.
Why should you attend a tech program in Oregon?
Oregon is home to institutions like Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, and OHSU, all of which offer learning opportunities in engineering, computer science, biotechnology, and applied technology. These institutions often collaborate with research centers, startups, and industry professionals, creating opportunities that go beyond classroom learning. Many of these programs help you dive into advanced tech fields through lab exposure, collaborative projects, and mentorship from faculty or professionals. Through these opportunities, local students get to explore nearby university environments, while out-of-state students gain exposure to new academic settings and networks.
To help you find the right option, we have narrowed down 13 tech programs for high school students in Oregon.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
1. Veritas AI
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 Scholars 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.
2. University of Oregon’s Summer Academy to Inspire Learning (SAIL)
Location: University of Oregon Eugene campus, Eugene, OR
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12 – 17 | July 20 – 24
Application deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9 to 12, who are Oregon residents and meet the financial eligibility criteria; the residential program is open to rising 11th and 12th graders.
SAIL is a free program run by the University of Oregon that offers high schoolers the chance to explore their academic interests, including in technology, through structured sessions led by faculty. You can choose the computer science track to work on projects like programming a robotic car, developing a computer game, and working with artificial intelligence. You will also learn through faculty presentations and classroom and lab demonstrations. Sessions on college and career readiness and field trips will help you explore career paths in tech. You will also get a taste of college life through campus tours, dining hall experiences, and social activities.
3. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Tech track
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: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: Students enrolled in high school who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities across a wide range of subject areas for high schoolers to explore. The program pairs you with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the program, you will have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as data science, psychology, physics, economics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
4. OSU NW Cyber Camp: High School Edition
Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost: $200; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – 17
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 – 12
NW Cyber Camp at the OSU campus is designed to introduce high schoolers to cybersecurity concepts through interactive technical exercises and guided challenges. During the weeklong program, you will learn how digital systems can be protected against threats and how security professionals identify vulnerabilities. Sessions will cover topics such as encryption, digital forensics, phishing, and cyberattacks to help you analyze simulated cyber incidents. You will also connect with cybersecurity professionals and college students during the program, and learn about career paths in cybersecurity.
5. Chemeketa Community College CTE Exploration Week
Location: Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to 100 students
Dates: June 22 – 25
Application deadline: May 20
Eligibility: Students, ages 14 – 16, in Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties
CTE Exploration Week is a free four-day program that lets high schoolers explore technical career pathways through hands-on workshops and guided activities. You will learn about areas like robotics, computer information systems, and technical problem-solving through interactive sessions. Mentors will offer insights into how technical skills are applied in real workplaces. The program structure is designed to help you gain exposure to different fields and the academic and career pathways within these areas in a short time. You also gain insight into technical education pathways available after high school.
6. OSU SMILE Program
Location: Rural Oregon schools
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~1,000 students/year
Dates: Academic year + summer events and activities
Application deadline: Not specified; participation is facilitated via schools
Eligibility: Students in grades 4 – 12
OSU SMILE Program supports long-term engagement in STEM through structured technical activities, after-school clubs, and year-round mentorship. You will participate in coding exercises, engineering challenges, and collaborative projects designed to build analytical thinking skills. The program emphasizes consistent skill development rather than short-term exposure. Mentorship from teachers and professionals will help you explore interests in STEM and learn about possible college pathways in these fields. Summer events will allow you to connect with peers interested in similar academic areas.
7. OSU-Cascades Summer Academy
Location: Oregon State University Cascades, Bend, OR
Cost: $1,000 (day) | $1,500 (overnight); financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited seats
Dates: July 19 – 24 | July 26 – 31
Application deadline: June 30
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10 – 12
OSU-Cascades Summer Academy allows you to spend a week exploring STEM subjects while experiencing a university learning environment. You can choose tracks like Computer Science or Art + Media + Technology, depending on your interests and goals. Throughout the program, you will participate in hands-on projects where you apply programming or digital design concepts to practical challenges. Faculty mentors will guide you and provide feedback to help you refine your work. Industry sessions and field trips will introduce you to possible career pathways and offer insights into how technical skills are used in professional environments. Social and recreational activities, such as hiking and board games, are also part of the experience.
8. Portland State University’s CyberPDX
Location: Portland State University, Portland, OR
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 20 – 25 (tentative)
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Native and Indigenous high school students who are rising 9th – 12th graders
CyberPDX is a free, five-day residential summer camp hosted at Portland State University's Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. During the camp, you will learn about cybersecurity skills, principles, policies, and careers through hands-on activities led by PSU faculty, local experts, and Indigenous community leaders. The curriculum is interdisciplinary, blending STEAM topics with exposure to real-world cybersecurity careers. You will live on campus in downtown Portland, getting a taste of life as a college student.
9. Oregon Institute of Technology Cyber Camp—Cyber Ops: Hack, Defend, Secure
Location: Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – 24 for high schoolers; a separate camp for middle schoolers is available earlier in June.
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 – 12
Cyber Ops: Hack, Defend, Secure is a free, three-day cybersecurity summer camp held at the Oregon Institute of Technology. During the camp, you will explore real cybersecurity scenarios, practice ethical hacking techniques, and learn about digital forensics using actual cybersecurity tools. You will also compete in Capture the Flag challenges, which are hands-on competitions where you get to solve security puzzles and find hidden data. At the end of the camp, you will earn an industry-recognized cybersecurity credential that you can add to your profile. The experience can help you refine tech-focused problem-solving skills.
10. Cybersecurity Summer Camp @ University of Oregon
Location: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 20 – 24
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
The Cybersecurity Summer Camp is a free, weeklong day camp hosted by the School of Computer and Data Sciences at the University of Oregon. You will participate in hands-on activities covering cybersecurity concepts under the guidance of university cybersecurity experts and guest speakers from industry. The curriculum is reviewed and updated each year to reflect current trends and technologies in the field. The camp also includes information about career paths and educational opportunities in cybersecurity, giving you a sense of what working or studying in this field could look like.
11. OSU Blender Camp
Location: Virtual or Oregon State University campus, Corvallis, OR
Cost: $200; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 – 12
OSU’s Blender Camp introduces high schoolers to 3D modeling and animation using industry-relevant digital tools. Throughout the weeklong camp, you will learn to create digital objects, adjust lighting, and build realistic visual environments using the free Blender tool. Step-by-step guidance will help you understand how design and technology intersect in the creative industries and how to create digital products using rendering, animation, and modeling. Collaborating with peers lets you exchange ideas and refine your work.
12. Kode With Klossy Summer Camps
Location: Virtual and in-person camps (sites vary by year)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Two weeks in the summer
Application deadline: Typically, the end of March
Eligibility: Women and gender expansive teens ages 13 – 18
Kode With Klossy offers free summer camps for teens seeking structured coding instruction and exposure through project-based learning. Depending on the track you join, you may focus on web development, artificial intelligence, or data science over the course of two weeks. Sessions are designed to gradually help you build technical skills and then apply programming logic to create functional digital projects focused on website design, chatbot training, or data visualization. At camp, you will also hear from women in tech, who will share insights into career paths in the field.
13. Girls Who Code Summer Pathways Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – August 14
Application deadline: Early: February 25; General: April 10
Eligibility: High school girls and non-binary students; U.S. students must be 8th to 12th graders, and international students must be 14 to 18 years old
Girls Who Code’s Pathways program introduces high schoolers to programming concepts through structured lessons and guided technical projects over the course of six to seven weeks. You will learn coding fundamentals while working on real applications using programming languages such as Python or JavaScript. You can choose from tracks like game design, AI, data science, web development, and cybersecurity based on your interests. Each track covers core and advanced concepts through instruction, project work, and quizzes. Industry exposure events will help you understand how technical skills are applied in professional environments.