Career, Pre-College and Leadership Opportunities
Pre-College Programs are incredible opportunities for students to experience residential college life and possibly earn college credit. Opportunities range from taking an English class to Acting to Archaeology. In addition to Pre-College programs, many schools and companies offer summer programs, career exploration and leadership experiences. These programs are an exciting opportunity to explore potential career paths and/or make connections for later in life. Note that this is not an exhaustive list and we will be updating the list as new opportunities arise.
UpCOMING opportunities:
Mizzou School of Journalism Opportunities - The Missouri School of Journalism offers enrichment programs for high school students who want to learn more about journalism and strategic communication. Whether it is attending one of three summer high school workshops or providing online teaching resources for high school teachers, the School is committed to helping high school students explore the field of journalism and strategic communication, build skills and get a better understanding of the field of journalism.
Mizzou Mini Medical School - The University of Missouri - School of Medicine offers an exciting and informative summer experience for high school students interested in a career in medicine. MU’s High School Mini Medical School is a one-week program that gives students a preview of life as an MU medical student.
Mizzou Advanced Veterinary Academy - Are You Interested in a Career in Veterinary Medicine? The Advanced Veterinary Academy (AVA) at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine is a summer program for high school students interested in studying veterinary medicine. Through a series of lectures, labs and related activities, the three-day academy presents participants with a peek at the life of a veterinary student.
Elon University: Scripps Howard Emerging Journalists Program at Elon - For students curious about what it means to be a journalist, reporting and producing news that informs communities, the Scripps Howard Emerging Journalists Program at Elon University provides the ideal platform to explore their media interests. Thanks to financial support from the Scripps Howard Fund, Elon’s School of Communications established a free, educational initiative to inspire high school students to embark on journalism careers.
Marquette Pre-College Program - Choose from Athletic Camps to Engineering to Law and more. Check out their website for more information.
Washington University - Summer Experiences at Washington University provide academically talented students the perfect opportunity to challenge themselves in a supportive and encouraging atmosphere.
SLU Parks Pre-College Programs - Our pre-college programs are designed to build interest in the fields of engineering and aviation among middle and high school students, and we are constantly adding new programs and events that showcase the field’s exciting possibilities.
SLU K-12 Camps and Academies - We offer more than 60 camps and academies for pre-K through high school-aged students, nearly 500 college credit courses, host a variety of international immersion programs, deliver workshops for adult learners and serve as a destination for numerous conferences and events. From Engineering to Soccer to Theater to Healthcare, SLU has it all.
BJC Career Exploration - BJC School Outreach and Youth Development works closely with experts at BJC member hospitals, Washington University School of Medicine, the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College and the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Human Resources (HR) is an integral part of career exploration programs as HR professionals discuss health care career options and the future of the healthcare industry.
BESt Pharmacy Summer Institute - Pharmacy Summer Institute is a collaboration between Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Express Scripts, Inc. and St. Louis College of Pharmacy. The mission of the BESt Pharmacy Summer Institute is to expose and prepare local multicultural students for a future career in healthcare, with an emphasis in pharmacy.
Missouri S&T Camps - Join scientific innovators for an exciting summer on the Missouri S&T campus. Our camps are all about discovering and exploring what it takes to have a future career in the business, science, communication, math, technology, and engineering fields. Campers have the opportunity to learn about explosives, tour a nuclear reactor, explore diverse engineering careers, create art, serve as environmentalists, travel to the edge of space, and prepare to become future STEM leaders.
UMSL Pre-Collegiate Programs - UMSL has a variety of summer programs from Acappella Camp to Coding to Jazz. Check out their website for a full list of programs.
University of Arkansas Engineering Summer Academy - The Engineering Summer Academy (ESA) is a one-week residential engineering academy for students who have recently completed 9th, 10th, or 11th grade. This intensive summer academy provides students with the opportunity for in-depth exploration into a concept that crosses engineering disciplines.
John Carroll University - Young Writer's Workshop weeklong camp in July!
University of Notre Dame College Program - Summer Scholars participants spend two intense weeks in one of 22 exciting programs of study. We keep the classes small and personal attention from Notre Dame faculty high. The coursework is a true preview of college academics—it is both rigorous and rewarding, and students earn one college credit upon the completion of a program track.
Case Western Reserve Pre College Programs - If you have a passion for a certain subject and would like to explore it in-depth before college, here is your chance to do so with one of the nation's premier research institutions. For nearly 200 years, Case Western Reserve University has prepared ambitious students for their futures—in that spirit, we offer our pre-college online courses, designed for high school students ages 13 and up.
University of Illinois - Get a jump-start on college life and all it entails — sign up for one of our summer programs. These will give you a taste of the incredible variety and opportunity open to you on the Illinois campus. These camps are meant for students ranging from age 9 through high school.
Fontbonne University Cyber Camps - Open to high school students – only 20 spots at each camp! No coding experience necessary!
Johns Hopkins University Summer Programs - Whether you’re an academically advanced high school student or an undergraduate enrolled at JHU or elsewhere, Summer at Hopkins is your opportunity to tackle challenging coursework taught by world-renowned instructors in an environment that thrives on discovery and discussion.
Ringling College of Art and Design - PreCollege is immersive, rigorous, and FUN. All students are enrolled in a full-time program of immersions in the majors as well as courses in art and design fundamentals. Expect to experiment, take risks, push yourself and make mistakes. You will strengthen your ability to think critically and creatively.
Loyola Chicago Pre-College Summer Programs - Students develop college-level discussion, research, and time management skills which will prepare them for success in their future. In addition to coursework, your student will receive an introduction to many aspects of college life: being away from home, having a roommate, getting to know students from diverse backgrounds from all over the U.S., and participating in many cultural activities.
University of Tulsa - Filmmaking Camp - The Department of Film Studies at The University of Tulsa offers a residential filmmaking camp for high school students. Students will have the opportunity to plunge into every aspect of creating films, as well as exciting evening group activities and film screenings.
Murray State University's Commonwealth Honors Academy - Upon completion of the academy, students will: 1. receive 6 hours of university studies credit 2. have the opportunity to take an additional six hours of tuition-free university courses at Murray State University during their senior year and 3. be awarded a four-year $2,000 renewable housing scholarship to attend Murray State. To qualify, students must be a junior with an ACT composite of approximately 25 and a 3.5 GPA. Other credentials such as community involvement, class rank and teacher recommendations are also taken into consideration.
Truman University ATSU-Healthcare Academy - This academy is targeted at enthusiastic high school learners, and is hosted on campus during a one-week summer session. This format is specifically designed to serve the needs of students who often have summer employment and competing opportunities, but still crave interaction with their peers in a highly engaging hands-on educational environment.
NYU Programs - We are proud to offer high school programs that draw on the strengths of NYU’s various schools and colleges. Whether it’s by earning college credit or strengthening artistic or professional skills in an intensive workshop, students will experience life at NYU, first hand. Many of our programs allow students to strengthen their academic portfolio, while others enhance performance and studio art experiences.
Drury Leadership Academy for high school students.
STARS - Lab Research at UMSL; The STARS program introduces both high school students and teachers to the various aspects of the scientific enterprise as practiced by successful scientists in academic, and private research institutions.
Vanderbilt Summer Academy - Vanderbilt Summer Academy is an intentionally designed, accelerated summer experience for academically advanced students, grounded in academic rigor and scholarly exploration, while also focused on fostering a strong sense of community and friendship.
Carnegie Mellon University - PreCollege Programs in Computational Biology, Music, Drama, Writing & Culture and more!
Georgetown University - Law, Medicine, Political Science, Business and more!
Hampton University - Application for 2022 not open yet
Benedictine Catholic Youth Conference - June 2023
OPPORTUNITIES with Local Businesses/Leadership:
Ranken Jordan - As a pediatric bridge hospital, Ranken Jordan helps kids from birth to 21 who are well enough to leave a traditional hospital but still need help before they go home. Located in the heart of the Midwest, we specialize in caring for children and families with the most complex conditions, illnesses and injuries and bridge the gap between hospital and home.
BJC Career Exploration - BJC School Outreach and Youth Development works closely with experts at BJC member hospitals, Washington University School of Medicine, the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College and the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Human Resources (HR) is an integral part of career exploration programs as HR professionals discuss health care career options and the future of the healthcare industry.
Exploring - Exploring is a career exploration program for students 14-20 years old. Exploring pairs students directly with local companies and organizations for career exploration. Youth participate in unique, real-life opportunities to experience various career fields.
St. Louis Zoo Volunteer Opportunities
St. Louis CAPS - Students have the opportunity to gain real-world, hands-on work experience in professional work environments that relate to their academic and career interests, and prepares them for future jobs.
Bank of America Student Leaders Program/Paid Internship - Through our Student Leaders® program, we annually connect more than 300 community-minded high school juniors and seniors from nearly 100 communities to employment, skills development and service.
Music, Film and ART Opportunities:
University of Tulsa - Film Making Camp
UMSL Music Camps - This summer, UMSL is proud to offer three camps for student musicians: a Jazz camp; a Summer Keyboard Camp; Acappellooza Summer; and a String Orchestra Camp!