Non-Credit Opportunities for High School Students

Summer in Boulder offers high school students the opportunity to get involved in a number of exciting ²ÊÃñ±¦µä programs that go beyond Summer Session courses.

Build a Better Book Teen Internship Program

²ÊÃñ±¦µä’s Build a Better Book project offers high school students paid summer internships based on the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä campus, as well as at three partner sites around the country. Participating interns complete a multi-week engineering design experience, focused on using Maker technologies (e.g., 3D printers, laser cutters and electronics) to create accessible materials for community clients, typically children, who are blind or visually impaired. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this program encourages and supports the participation of teens from groups underrepresented in engineering, including girls, students of color, students with disabilities, and those who may be the first in their family to attend college.

Science Discovery High School Classes

Program Dates: June - July 2024

Commuter non-credit programs that allow students to explore topics representing a wide range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. Designed for high school students seeking hands-on laboratory and field experiences and STEM career exploration, summer high school classes connect participants with CU graduate students and subject matter experts, allowing them to make connections and explore labs and facilities throughout the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä campus.

Program Topics May Include:

  • Aerospace
  • Biotechnology
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Forensics
  • Maker Technologies and Innovation
  • Medicine
  • Neuroscience
  • Robotics
  • Video Game Design

Science Discovery STEM Research Experience

Program Dates: June 7 - July 26, 2024

A seven-week commuter program inviting rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to work on a research interest directly with ²ÊÃñ±¦µä and CU Anschutz Medical Campus faculty and graduate student mentors. Students work 30-35 hours per week, Monday-Friday with hours varying depending on lab needs. A weekly Research Methods course provides participants with support in conducting a literature review, exploring library resources, collecting and analyzing data, and communicating research results.

Sphinx Performance Academy

For the first time in 2023, the College of Music and  (SPA) are partnering to provide a full-scholarship intensive summer chamber music and solo performance program focused on cultural diversity for string musicians ages 11-17. Like the SPA’s long-term partners—The Juilliard School and Cleveland Institute of Music—the College of Music will host this nationally acclaimed program on the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä campus, June 22 - July 2.

Summer Music Academy

The Summer Music Academy at the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä College of Music presents exciting opportunities for high school and middle school musicians from Colorado and around the country to receive world-class instruction.