Start exploring Environmental science summer programs in the US for 11th graders

Dates:

8 consecutive weeks, summer 2027 (dates set by the lab)

Length:

8 weeks

Cost:

$0

Location:

2 labs across the U.S.

Grades:

9–12 (varies by lab)

Format:

Commuter

Deadline:

Due Nov 30, 2026 (11:59pm CT)

A paid eight-week summer research internship at a Navy laboratory, working on real Navy research with lab scientists and engineers as mentors and presenting the summer's work at the lab's closing activities.

Dates:

Jun 28 – Aug 6, 2027

Length:

6 weeks

Cost:

$0

Location:

Stony Brook, NY (Stony Brook University)

Grades:

Current high school juniors (rising seniors), age 16+, nominated by their school

Format:

Commuter / Residential

Deadline:

School nomination Jan 29, 2027 · Application Feb 5, 2027 · Recommendations Feb 12, 2027

Fellows join a Stony Brook faculty research group in science, math or engineering for six weeks, running experiments, analyzing data and pursuing a question of their own, and present a research poster at the end.

Dates:

Jul 18–31, 2027

Length:

2 weeks

Cost:

$4,985

Location:

Smith College, Northampton, MA

Grades:

Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Priority Feb 1, 2027 · Tuition assistance Mar 1, 2027 · Final May 1, 2027

Two-week residential program at Smith College on the causes of and solutions to climate change, with time on New England trails, farms, and community gardens, hands-on farm work, and study of sustainable agriculture and Smith's carbon-neutrality efforts.

Dates:

2 sessions between Jul 3–Jul 31, 2027 (2 weeks options)

Length:

2 weeks

Cost:

$4,985

Location:

Smith College, Northampton, MA

Grades:

Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Priority Feb 1, 2027 · Tuition assistance Mar 1, 2027 · Final May 1, 2027

Residential science and engineering program at Smith College. Students take lab-based courses with Smith faculty in the life sciences, physical sciences, or engineering, in topics such as robotics, genetics, neuroscience, chemistry, and climate science. Each two-week session is one lab-based course.

Dates:

Jul 5–31, 2027

Length:

4 weeks

Cost:

$5,518 (2026 pricing; housing, meals and field trips)

Location:

Davis, CA (UC Davis campus)

Grades:

Rising 9th–12th graders attending high school in California (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Due Feb 5, 2027

Examines how transportation can meet mobility needs with less environmental harm through courses in system design (using practitioner simulation software), vehicle technology, public transit and micromobility. Field trips include the Unitrans bus yard, the Vallejo ferry and mobility providers.

Residency restriction: CA residents

Dates:

Jul 5–31, 2027

Length:

4 weeks

Cost:

$5,518 (2026 pricing; housing, meals and field trips)

Location:

Davis, CA (UC Davis campus)

Grades:

Rising 9th–12th graders attending high school in California (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Due Feb 5, 2027

The biology, chemistry and engineering of raising fish, shellfish, seaweed and plants through freshwater and marine aquaculture, hydroponics and aquaponics. Field trips include caviar producers, Bodega Marine Lab, oyster companies and the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.

Residency restriction: CA residents

Dates:

Jul 5–31, 2027

Length:

4 weeks

Cost:

$5,518 (2026 pricing; housing, meals and field trips)

Location:

Irvine, CA (UC Irvine campus)

Grades:

Rising 9th–12th graders attending high school in California (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Due Feb 5, 2027

Aerospace and mechanical engineering design, flight mechanics and the emissions tradeoffs of fuels, batteries, solar and fuel cells, with CAD and 3D printing, ending in designing, building and flying a remote-controlled aircraft.

Residency restriction: CA residents

Dates:

Jul 5–31, 2027

Length:

4 weeks

Cost:

$5,518 (2026 pricing; housing, meals and field trips)

Location:

Santa Cruz, CA (UC Santa Cruz campus)

Grades:

Rising 9th–12th graders attending high school in California (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Due Feb 5, 2027

Power systems, smart grids and renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and tidal) plus storage, electric vehicles, microgrids and energy markets and policy.

Residency restriction: CA residents

Dates:

Jul 5–31, 2027

Length:

4 weeks

Cost:

$5,518 (2026 pricing; housing, meals and field trips)

Location:

Los Angeles, CA (UCLA campus)

Grades:

Rising 9th–12th graders attending high school in California (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Due Feb 5, 2027

How plants and ecosystems shape carbon, water and climate, using plant physiology lab techniques, urban ecology methods and satellite data, with group projects ending in a poster, presentation and game. Possible field trips include the Huntington and a UC nature reserve.

Residency restriction: CA residents

Dates:

Jul 5–31, 2027

Length:

4 weeks

Cost:

$5,518 (2026 pricing; housing, meals and field trips)

Location:

Los Angeles, CA (UCLA campus)

Grades:

Rising 9th–12th graders attending high school in California (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential

Deadline:

Due Feb 5, 2027

Sustainability frameworks, carbon capture and hydrogen production, storage and safety, with hydrogen demonstrations, building small fuel-cell vehicles for a competition, and simulations; field trips to a hydrogen home and fueling stations.

Residency restriction: CA residents

Dates:

4 sessions between Jun 5–Jul 29, 2027 (6 days, 5 nights options)

Length:

6 days, 5 nights

Cost:

$1,725

Location:

San Diego, CA (Mission Bay)

Grades:

Entering grades 7–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 6–11)

Format:

Residential

A residential marine science camp on Mission Bay with labs, plankton and water chemistry studies, a shark snorkel at La Jolla Shores, kayaking, paddleboarding, boogie boarding and a full-day boat trip for snorkeling and marine mammal watching.

Dates:

Jul 5–17, 2027

Length:

13 days

Cost:

$7,290

Location:

Vermont, USA

Grades:

8-12 (Completed)

Format:

Residential

Climate program in Castleton, Vermont, with the Columbia Climate School. Students meet Columbia faculty and researchers and work on climate science and solutions. Certificate of Completion, not college credit.

Dates:

7 weekly sessions, Jun 13–Aug 6, 2027

Length:

2 weeks

Cost:

$3,298–$6,298

Location:

Berkeley, CA

Grades:

Completed 8th-12th grade

Format:

Commuter / Residential

Two-week academic program at UC Berkeley. Students spend the session in one course, with excursions and college-readiness workshops.

Dates:

Jul 18–30, 2027

Length:

2 weeks

Cost:

$3,298–$5,798

Location:

Santa Barbara, CA (UC Santa Barbara)

Grades:

Completed 8th-12th grade

Format:

Commuter / Residential

Two-week academic program at UC Santa Barbara. Students spend the session in one course, with excursions and college-readiness workshops.

Dates:

2 sessions between Jun 27–Jul 24, 2027 (2 weeks options)

Length:

2 weeks

Cost:

$5,000–$5,250

Location:

Lakeville, CT

Grades:

Rising 7th Graders and Older (completed grades 6–11)

Format:

Residential

Two-week residential program at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. Students spend the session in one course.

Dates:

2 sessions between Jul 4–Jul 16, 2027 (2 weeks options)

Length:

2 weeks

Cost:

$4,999–$8,299

Location:

Hanover, NH (Dartmouth College campus)

Grades:

9-11

Format:

Commuter / Residential

Two-week program at Dartmouth. Students spend the session in one all-day academy, as residential or commuter students. All-day Academy on clean energy technologies.

Dates:

Not confirmed for 2027

Length:

1-2 weeks

Cost:

Roughly $2,000-$3,500 per session (varies by track/location)

Location:

Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Caltech, Yale, Georgetown, MIT, Tufts + Online

Grades:

9-12 (also has 4th-8th tracks)

Format:

Residential/Commuter

Dates:

Not confirmed for 2027

Length:

1-4 weeks

Cost:

Field $7400; Ecology $4900

Location:

Friday Harbor, WA

Ages:

14-18 (completed grades 8–12)

Format:

Residential

Dates:

Not confirmed for 2027

Length:

1-2 weeks

Cost:

Contact program for pricing

Location:

Redwood City, CA

Ages:

10-17 (completed grades 5–11)

Format:

Day

Dates:

Not confirmed for 2027

Length:

1-2 weeks

Cost:

Varies by format — see program site

Location:

Stony Brook, NY

Grades:

Rising Jr/Sr (ages 15-17) (completed grades 9–11)

Format:

Residential/Commuter

Dates:

Not confirmed for 2027

Length:

1-2 weeks

Cost:

Contact program for pricing

Location:

Bodega Bay, CA

Grades:

High school

Format:

Residential

Dates:

Not confirmed for 2027

Length:

2 weeks

Cost:

$3300+ (credit fee additional ~$600)

Location:

Seal Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME

Grades:

Rising 10-12 (ages 15-18) (completed grades 9–12)

Format:

Residential

Credit:

Yes (4 credits via U. Maine; extra fee)

Dates:

Not confirmed for 2027

Length:

4 weeks

Cost:

$3000

Location:

Dauphin Island, AL

Grades:

Rising 9-12 (completed grades 8–11)

Format:

Residential