14 STEM Programs for High School Students in Delaware

If you are a high school student interested in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, participating in a STEM program can be a useful way to explore these fields beyond your regular classes. These programs often introduce topics such as programming, engineering concepts, laboratory methods, or data analysis through structured instruction and guided activities. You can also gain exposure to how STEM subjects are studied at universities and research institutions.

Why should you attend a program in Delaware?

Delaware offers access to universities, healthcare institutions, and research organizations that host STEM programs for high school students. Through these opportunities, you may study areas such as environmental science, medicine, engineering, computer science, or biotechnology while learning from instructors and researchers in these fields. Whether you are a local or out-of-state student, these programs offer opportunities to explore STEM subjects within Delaware’s academic and research environment.

To help you get started, we’ve put together 14 STEM programs for high school students in Delaware.

If you’re looking for online STEM research programs, check out our blog here.

1. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program

Location: Available across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands | participants are placed within a 45-minute commute of their home.

Cost/Stipend: $3000

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (about 3%) | 27 - 33 students make it to the final cohort every year

Dates: June - August (flexible)

Application Deadline: January 19

Eligibility: Rising high school seniors | at least 16 years old by the internship start date

The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an eight-week paid summer internship focused on fisheries science and aquatic conservation. Hutton Scholars are matched with professional mentors and participate in research activities that vary by placement site. Field assignments may include fish population surveys, electrofishing, snorkeling, habitat restoration, and water quality testing, while some placements emphasize laboratory microscopy or data analysis. Certain sites require rigorous outdoor work, including multi-day trips. Scholars submit biweekly time sheets, a mid-summer report, and a final written reflection documenting their experience. Internships are hosted across the country, with each placement offering a distinct research emphasis.

2. Veritas AI Program

Location: Remote

Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program | need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: Multiple 12- to 15-week cohorts throughout the year, including in summer

Application Deadline: On a rolling basis – spring (January), summer (May), fall (September), and winter (November). You can apply to the program here.

Eligibility: High school students | AI Fellowship applicants must have either completed the AI Scholars program or have experience with AI concepts/PythonVeritas AI offers mentor-led artificial intelligence programs online for high school students.

The AI Scholars beginner track consists of 10 sessions and introduces machine learning, neural networks, and data science fundamentals through guided group projects. You work in small cohorts and receive feedback from mentors affiliated with universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. For students with prior experience, the AI Fellowship focuses on a one-on-one mentored research project, with an emphasis on research design, experimentation, and technical writing. Participants in the advanced track may receive support in preparing submissions to high school research journals. Across both tracks, the focus remains on applied project development. You can also check out examples of some past projects here.

3. Center for Composite Materials Internship

Location: University of Delaware, Newark campus

Cost/Stipend: Paid and unpaid opportunities

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective | approximately 25 - 30 students across all educational levels

Dates: Part-time during the academic semester and full-time during the summer and winter breaks

Application Deadline: Typically, March

Eligibility: High school students

The Composite Materials at the University of Delaware offers research internships focused on the full lifecycle of advanced composite materials. You may work on projects involving materials design, additive manufacturing, fabrication, characterization, and performance evaluation under the supervision of faculty and research staff. Responsibilities can include producing carbon-fiber components, testing stress tolerances using precision instruments, and contributing to multidisciplinary engineering teams. Technical skill development includes exposure to industry-relevant software and laboratory tools. The program concludes with a formal research presentation program for high school students at the annual summer undergraduate research symposium.

4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Location: Virtual

Cost/Stipend: Varies | financial assistance offered

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: Multiple sessions of varying lengths (12 weeks - 1 year) available, including summer cohorts

Application Deadline: Varies by cohort/multiple cohorts run each year. You can apply here.

Eligibility: High school students; accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0

The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students 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 psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. 

5. University of Delaware HighRise

Location: University of Delaware, Newark campus

Cost/Stipend: Paid

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective | about 6 students

Dates: July 6 - 17

Application Deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors | must be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident of the U.S.

HighRise is a two-week summer program hosted by the University of Delaware that introduces high school students to materials science and engineering. You rotate through soft- and hard-materials laboratories, exploring polymers, semiconductors, nanomaterials, and advanced characterization techniques. You conduct hands-on experiments using university-level instrumentation under the guidance of faculty and graduate researchers. Mentorship discussions address college preparation and STEM career pathways, while laboratory work is focused on experimental design and data interpretation. 

6. ChristianaCare Delaware Health Career Collaborative

Location: ChristianaCare, Wilmington

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: Not specified

Application Deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th and 12th grades

The Delaware Health Career Collaborative is a free, two-week immersive STEM program for high school students in Delaware that provides early exposure to healthcare professions. You engage in virtual exploratory learning that highlights both clinical and non-clinical career pathways. Disciplines may include neurology, cardiology, oncology, behavioral health, trauma-informed care, and public health. Participants interact with healthcare professionals and learn how interdisciplinary teams operate within a medical system. Additional informational sessions focus on career awareness and foundational knowledge relevant to health sciences.

7. Nemours Children’s Hospital Summer VolunTeen Program

Location: Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive

Dates: 7 - 8 weeks during the summer

Application Deadline: February 27

Eligibility: High school sophomores aged 16+ years | must be tested for TB

This STEM program for high school students in Delaware places motivated participants in volunteer support roles across multiple hospital departments. Depending on the hospital’s needs and placement availability, you may assist in patient-facing assignments or work with behind-the-scenes units. Volunteers must commit to at least 7 of the 8 program weeks and complete the required training and health compliance steps. Participants interact with children from birth through age 18 and their families while adhering to Nemours Standards of Behavior. The Volunteer Services Office determines final placements based on operational capacity.

8. Apollo: Youth in Medicine

Location: Various locations across Delaware

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: Multiple sessions available

Application Deadline: September 23

Eligibility: Delaware high school juniors and seniors

Apollo: Youth in Medicine is a student-run program that provides in-person physician shadowing opportunities for Delaware high school students. The application process begins in the fall and includes attending a mandatory education session covering HIPAA training and an overview of medical career pathways. After completing the training, you participate in Match cycles throughout the academic year to secure shadowing placements across as many as 17 medical specialties. In addition to clinical observations, students may attend seminars and enhanced learning experiences coordinated through the program. Past offerings have included cadaver lab dissection sessions when available. The program runs alongside the academic year and is designed to reduce barriers to clinical exposure before college.

9. Upward Bound Classic

Location: Delaware schools

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive application

Dates: Year-round

Application Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility: Students become eligible in January of their 8th-grade year. Those currently in 9th and 10th grades who are interested in going to a four-year college or university | must be from an eligible high school

Upward Bound Classic supports low-income and first-generation high school students through structured academic and college preparatory programming. During the academic year, you attend monthly Saturday sessions that include tutoring, advising, workshops, and campus visits. The summer component is a mandatory six-week institute featuring college-level coursework taught by trained faculty and staff. Students commute for part of the program and may participate in a residential experience at the University of Delaware during designated weeks, pending recommendations and approval. You receive support related to ongoing PSAT and SAT preparation, including access to Educational Testing Service materials and, for juniors, support to attend UD’s SAT Boot Camp. College tours are incorporated into both summer and spring programming.

10. Forensic Science Pre-College Summer Program

Location: University of Delaware, Newark campus

Cost: $1,995

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: June 22 - 26

Application Deadline: June 8

Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least one high school biology or general science course

At the University of Delaware, this one-week, noncredit forensic science program places high school students directly into lab-based investigation work. You explore DNA analysis, toxicology, fingerprinting, and forensic chemistry under the guidance of UD faculty and professionals from the Delaware Division of Forensic Science and the Delaware State Police. Throughout the week, you process simulated crime scenes, analyze evidence in university laboratories, and visit operational forensic facilities, with field trips subject to availability. The experience concludes in a group-produced, court-ready case report presented to a professional review panel. You receive a program reference letter and a digital badge upon completion of the program.

11. Environment, Climate, and Ocean (ECO) Camp: Technology to Measure our Environment

Location: University of Delaware, Newark campus

Cost: $425

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: July 6 - 10

Application Deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Students in grades 7 - 12

Hosted in collaboration with the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, this week-long program in Newark focuses on environmental monitoring technologies. In this STEM program, you build and test drones and remotely operated vehicles while learning how scientists collect and analyze ecological data. Activities include evaluating freshwater ecosystems, mapping natural resources, and studying the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. Students travel daily from Cab Calloway School to UD’s campus for laboratory- and field-based instruction. Digital imaging and drone piloting are used to examine land use change and coastal erosion, while team-based challenges simulate environmental response scenarios.

12. ECO Camp: Marine Science

Location: University of Delaware, Lewes campus

Cost/Stipend: $1,275

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: July 27 - 31

Application Deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders

This one-week residential marine science camp is hosted at the University of Delaware Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes and surrounding coastal sites. You conduct hands-on fieldwork using plankton tows, seines, and trawl nets to study biodiversity within Delaware’s marine ecosystems. The program includes exploration of the Great Salt Marsh, along with investigations in coastal geology and water chemistry. Learning extends beyond daytime labs through experiences such as a sunset kayak excursion and a nighttime ghost crab survey. Students design and implement a mini research project during the week. Lodging and meals are provided at Cape Henlopen State Park, with transportation from Cab Calloway School of the Arts included. 

13. Autonomous Driving Academy Pre-College Summer Program

Location: University of Delaware, Newark campus

Cost: $2,500

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive

Dates: July 6 - 10

Application Deadline: June 1

Eligibility: High school students with experience in robotics and Python, preferably those in honors or AP-level STEM courses

This five-day, application-based STEM program for high school students in Delaware introduces participants to autonomous vehicle systems through hands-on technical instruction. You study vehicle control fundamentals, sensor integration, and programming tools such as ROS, Python, and C++. Working in teams, participants build and optimize systems that model real-world autonomous-driving scenarios. The instruction draws on UD’s research in robotics and intelligent transportation systems. The program concludes with team presentations of project outcomes to peers and instructors at the end of the week. Participants receive a reference letter and a digital badge upon completion.

14. Edge Summer College Program

Location: University of Delaware, Newark campus

Cost/Stipend: $5,495

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: July 19 - August 8

Application Deadline: May 1

Eligibility: International and domestic rising high school juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0

The Edge Summer College Program at the University of Delaware allows rising juniors and seniors to enroll in one or two college-level courses for up to six transferable credits. You live in a campus residence hall and attend weekday classes capped at approximately 25 students per course. STEM offerings have included subjects related to engineering product design, clinical medicine, and crime scene investigation. All participants also complete a required edge seminar focused on college readiness and application strategy. Mentors provide support with time management and academic planning throughout the program. Evening activities are organized to build peer communities but remain secondary to academic commitments.

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