8 Robotics Programs for High School Students in California
Robotics programs provide high school students with hands-on experience, industry exposure, and the opportunity to explore career paths in engineering and technology. These programs offer access to cutting-edge tools, real-world problem-solving scenarios, and mentorship from professionals—all at a fraction of the cost of many other exploratory options.
For students interested in robotics, these experiences are particularly valuable, allowing them to develop technical skills, refine their problem-solving abilities, and gain insights into potential careers. Many of these programs are hosted by prestigious organizations, providing credibility and networking opportunities that can be beneficial for future academic and professional pursuits.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve compiled a list of 8 robotics programs for high school students in California to explore this exciting field!
Cost: $4,000 (financial aid available)
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: January 24
Program Dates: June 18 - July 2
Eligibility: 9th graders/rising 10th graders
Stanford AI4ALL is a comprehensive summer program for high school students that enables increasing representation and inclusion in the artificial intelligence field. Stanford faculty and graduate students give hands-on research and lectures, enabling you to learn about the various applications of AI, such as robotics and natural language processing. It allows students to experience hands-on knowledge along with the exposure to the advanced technology.
The program also focuses on career development, offering students workshops on higher education and opportunities in the AI field. The networking session also connects students to professionals and their peers in support of this innovative community of the future. The combination of technical training with mentorship and career guidance provides you with a more complete introduction to the world of artificial intelligence at Stanford AI4ALL.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program | $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $6,900 for both. Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
3. Playto Champion Robotics Summer Camp
Cost: $700 - $1,000
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Program Dates: Specific session dates vary
Eligibility: Open to ages 14-16
The Playto Labs Robotics Summer Camp for Kids is an online program designed for students between 14 and 16 years who wish to study and learn robotics through STEM. The program has a running period of 7-8 months with live, one-on-one classes and personalized mentorship to make learning interactive and interesting.
Participants will also receive a robotics kit that enables them to do hands-on projects in areas like coding, electronics, and robot design. Through the course, students learn how to build, program, and test their own robots, developing their analytic and critical thinking skills and confidence in their ability to make viable projects. For those looking for a robotics summer camp combining practical learning with skill development, Playto Labs would be an excellent choice.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: Free
Location: San Diego, CA
Application Deadline: Applications open in March.
Program Dates: 1 week in the summer
Eligibility: Open to 8th - 12th grade students
The San Diego Robotics Camp is a week-long experience designed for students who are beginning their journey in robotics and programming but are ready to take on more advanced challenges. This hands-on program combines practical workshops, coding exercises, and creative design projects, helping students develop a deeper understanding of robotics, automation, and AI-driven technology.
Throughout the camp, you'll work with industry-grade robotics kits, programming them to navigate obstacles, complete tasks, and execute complex functions. With guidance from experienced instructors and mentors, you'll refine your problem-solving, teamwork, and engineering skills, gaining insight into how robotics is shaping industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and space exploration.
Cost: Free for selected participants
Location: Riverside, CA
Application Deadline: TBD
Program Dates: 1 week in the summer; exact dates vary annually
Eligibility: Open to high school students who attend the Redlands Unified School District
This camp offers an exciting introduction to some of the most in-demand fields in STEM, equipping students with a strong foundation for future college studies and careers in engineering. You will follow a hands-on, structured curriculum covering key concepts in electronics, robotic system design, microcontroller programming, and embedded systems. You will also gain experience in autonomously and manually guiding a robot car, programming it to navigate and avoid obstacles.
Additionally, students will explore wireless navigation control by using a mobile phone to operate robotic systems.
7. UC Robotics with Javascript for High Schoolers
Cost: For all 3 courses, the maximum cost would be $1,185. Scholarships available.
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: None
Program Dates: Students have about 9 months to complete the courses, with 10 weeks per course
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
This course deeply explores robotics and automation, focusing on the challenges of real-world robotics programming. You will learn to program robots in JavaScript and gain hands-on experience using an Arduino-compatible bot. You will also study basic electronics and process sensor data, including camera images. Specific topics will include Robot positioning, forward and reverse kinematics, and 3D modeling with OpenJSCAD, giving a broad basis for future robotics developments.
Participants will be introduced to machine vision with OpenCV-JS, which allows them to find the positions of things and understand how AI safely applies to robotics. The course also covers some basic programming concepts, such as variables, loops, functions, and basic electronics, by adding drivers and sensors to a cardboard bot.
8. Northwestern University’s Modern Robotics Course
Cost: Included with Coursera Plus, which is $59/month; individual courses can be audited for free
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Program Dates: Self-paced; approx. 4 months.
Eligibility: Open to intermediate leveled students
The course covers the very basics of the subject, starting with basic robot motion, manipulation, degrees of freedom, kinematics, and dynamic modeling using Lagrangian and Newton-Euler approaches. It then moves on to advanced aspects of motion planning, manipulability, and control of wheeled mobile robots.
The system is flexible: you can progress at your own pace over four months. Lessons are video hosted on one of the most accessible platforms, YouTube. Therefore, when you cover a difficult concept and feel you haven’t fully understood it after watching, you can re-watch it to gain a better grasp of the most challenging notions.
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