10 Free Summer Camps for High School Students in Texas
Summer is a great chance to participate in multiple extracurriculars to strengthen your application, discover new subjects and build foundational skills in your field of interest. One extracurricular available are summer camps which are a great way to have a guided experience, similar to university, all the while learning new concepts!
However, summer camps do come with a hefty cost, which might be a hurdle to many people. To solve that, here are 10 summer camps that are completely free of cost, making it accessible for everyone!
1. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Cost: The program is fully funded!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: There are 4 annual cohorts that run in fall, spring, summer, and winter
Program Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort.
Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall of 2023.
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note. Students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation stands as a non-profit research program tailored for gifted students from low-income backgrounds. Stemming from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, renowned for its extensive one-on-one research opportunities for high school students, the foundation provides the same access to independent research experiences at zero cost.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In our flagship program, we pair talented high-school students with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can apply here!
This program is a particularly solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper.
2. Veritas AI
Cost: Free (100% financial aid available)
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.
The AI Fellowship program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project. Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects here.
3. University of Texas at Austin - Summer Science Program
Cost: Free
Location: Austin, TX
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: June-July
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors with a strong interest in science
UT Austin’s Academy for All is a week-long program where you can explore computer science or game development through classes conducted by existing UT Austin faculty. The program runs in 2 streams - the Standard Edition and the Game Development Edition.
The Standard Edition is perfect for any student intending to pursue Computer Science as the program covers C++, careers in tech, engineering, and project management. You also gain hands-on experience through projects. For example, coding an Arduino microcontroller to put on an LED display light show!
If you're interested in game development, UT Austin also offers a game development edition where you'll cover game development processes - including programming in Java, art, and game design, 2D game development, running and debugging code and exploring game development tools!
4. Texas Tech University - Camp L.E.A.D
Cost: Free
Location: Lubbock, TX
Application Deadline: April
Program Dates: July
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from underrepresented backgrounds
Camp L.E.A.D. helps students with their leadership development, academic excellence, and fosters diversity. Students will be afforded the opportunity to participate in workshops, team-building activities, and leadership training sessions.
In addition to the summer camp itself, students will receive mentorship from Texas Tech faculty and come out feeling empowered and better prepared for college and leadership roles.
5. Rice University - Summer STEM Program
Location: Houston, TX
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: March
Internship Dates: June-August
Eligibility: High school students with strong interest in STEM
This program is tailored for high school students like you who want to delve further into a subject that captures your interest, be it genome engineering, biology, or physiology. You'll have access to dynamic video lessons presented by esteemed Rice faculty and the opportunity to connect with mentors. The courses are accessible throughout the year, and the online format allows you to study wherever and whenever you choose, all at your own pace.
The program culminates with a capstone project after which, you will receive a Certificate of Completion from Rice University. A bonus is that you will be able to utilize this project on resumes and applications for years to come; broadcasting your knowledge and presentation skills.
6. University of Houston - G.R.A.D.E. Camp
Cost: Free
Location: Houston, TX
Application Deadline: April
Program Dates: June
Eligibility: High school girls interested in engineering
GRADE Camp (Girls Reaching and Demonstrating Excellence in Engineering) is designed specifically for high school girls interested in exploring electrical engineering. Over one week, you'll dive into hands-on projects like designing and programming a Lego Robot to navigate a maze, all while learning from passionate professors and mentors.
The camp ends with a presentation day, where you'll showcase your projects to an audience of parents and teachers, giving you valuable experience in public speaking. As an added bonus, if you later choose to study electrical or computer engineering at the University of Houston, you'll receive an automatic $1,000 scholarship.
7. University of Texas San Antonio’s Explore!STEM
Cost: No Cost
Location: University of Texas, San Antonio North Paseo building
Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
Program Dates: June 12 - June 16, 2025 (tentative, based on previous year’s dates)
Eligibility:
Open to all students between the ages of 14 and 22.
Must have a 6th grade level reading ability and can type on a computer.
Note. There are no restrictions on the type of disability.
Supported by the Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation, the Explore!STEM camp at UTSA gives differently abled students the opportunity to learn about STEM concepts and occupations through hands-on activities and instructions.
In the 4-day program, students will delve into basic computer programming concepts and skills, computer vision and data science. Moreover, the camp provides hand-on activities to build autonomous driving AI computer programs! An added bonus are the guest lectures where students can learn from the expertise of professionals working in STEM fields.
UT Austin also has a tuition based Computer Science Academy with 4 different specializations - iOS game development, robotics, web-based game development or graphic programming. If you're interested in covering 1 specific aspect of computer science, this is a great opportunity!
8. Baylor University - High School Band Camp
Cost: Free
Location: Waco, TX
Application Deadline: April
Program Dates: June
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The High School Band and Orchestra Camp, hosted by the Baylor University School of Music, gives an intensive, enriching experience to aspiring young musicians. You will get to immerse yourself in daily technique workshops, sectional rehearsals, full-band and orchestral concerts with chamber music, and much more.
As a camper, you will also be able to listen in on musicianship classes led by renowned and distinguished musicians, as well as a great series of specialized workshops. Your mentors will be Baylor faculty and guest musicians who will enable you to learn and hone your potential. Do note that for each ensemble, you will have to audition for a placement.
9. Texas State University - Mathworks Honors Summer Math Camp
Location: San Marcos, TX
Cost: No Cost
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: June-July
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
HSMC is a 6-week residential camp for ambitious high school students looking to build a career in mathematics. The camp courses cover the fundamentals of mathematics, such as elementary number theory, combinatorics, abstract algebra, and analysis along with practical problem-solving using Mathematica software. Do note that HSMC is a multi-summer program – it encourages high schoolers to apply as returning second-year or even third-year campers!
This option is worth considering as returning campers get a chance to work on a math research project—an opportunity unavailable to new students. This camp is fairly selective, with an acceptance rate of 15% for first-year applicants. The program accepts 72 students each year, which includes approximately 40 returning students.
10. UT Austin’s Academy for Women
Cost: No Cost
Location: UT Austin Campus
Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
Program Dates: June 2 - June 8, 2024
Eligibility: Open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who identify as female.
UT Austin holds a week-long summer program for girls looking to pursue careers and degrees in computer science. In this camp, you learn foundational robotics concepts from the UT Austin faculty. The topics covered in this camp are C++, project management, teamwork, and women in tech jobs.
Apart from courses, you have the opportunity to gain hands-on experiences through projects such as coding an Arduino microcontroller to put on an LED display light show and explore technologies under the guidance of professors and industry experts! You will also discover future internship and career opportunities from the guest lectures and gain insights into the UT admissions process.
Bonus opportunity!
Horizon Research Seminars and Labs - If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper in a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far, and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI is founded by Harvard graduate students. Through the programs, you get a chance to work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. You can apply here!
Image Source - University of Texas at Austin Logo