59 activities found·Browse by category
ACS ChemClub
American Chemical Society's national program supporting extracurricular high school chemistry clubs, offering hands-on activities, career exploration, and scholarship eligibility.
ACS National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp
Invitation-only training camp for top USNCO performers preparing for International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).
ACS Project SEED - Northern California Sites
National, highly structured chemistry internship placing low-income HS students into real chemistry labs; many placements in Bay Area universities and companies.
ACS U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)
The premier national chemistry exam; progression from local section to national camp and possible IChO team. Requires deep problem-solving and independent study.
ASDRP - Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program
Nonprofit research institute where HS students work on year-round or summer research projects (chemistry, materials, bio, etc.), often publishing or presenting at conferences.
ASDRP - Summer Research Fellowship
Formalized summer fellowship branch of ASDRP where students conduct intensive research in chemistry, materials, or related fields and often present or publish.
Berkeley Lab ALSP Chemistry Programs
Summer research opportunities at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab for high school students interested in chemistry, materials science, and energy research.
Brookhaven National Laboratory High School Research Program (HSRP)
A competitive six-week commuter research program at Brookhaven National Lab where students who have completed 11th grade work directly with scientific and engineering staff on real DOE-mission research projects.
California Academy of Sciences - Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program
Multi-year, paid internship where students do authentic research or environmental projects and science communication; very selective for SF youth.
Chapman University Pharmacy Summer Research Program
Hybrid summer research program where small cohorts of high schoolers work with pharmacy faculty advisors on health-science/chemistry research projects.
Chemistry-Focused Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP)
Intensive research program described as a 9-month remote mentorship plus 4-week on-site summer internship in chemistry/biochem/materials; very structured and rigorous.
ChemMatters Magazine Student Writing Contest
Annual writing contest by ACS where students explain chemistry concepts and their real-world applications, with winners published in ChemMatters magazine.
Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge
Entrepreneurship and innovation competition where students create products addressing global challenges, with mentorship from NASA and industry experts.
COSMOS (California State Summer School for Math & Science)
A 4-week residential STEM program at four UC campuses. Students enroll in specific clusters – some are chemistry-focused (e.g. Nanochemistry, Chemical Engineering).
Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Prestigious scholarship recognizing extraordinary young people who have completed significant projects in STEM, including chemistry research, with awards up to $50,000.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Teen Science Scholars
Selective paid internship that places 20 high schoolers from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds into the Museum's Science Division each year, doing real scientific work alongside Museum scientists and exploring museum and STEM careers. Includes a stipend of about $1,800 per session plus professional development in public speaking and college planning.
ExploraVision
Science competition where students envision future technology by researching current science and extrapolating 20 years into the future, sponsored by Toshiba.
GRIPS at Stanford
GRIPS is a roughly 8-week research-intensive program placing HS students in Stanford labs; similar rigor to SIP/SIMR.
iCLEM (Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology)
6-8 week paid biotech internship in Emeryville labs, heavy wet-lab work (chemistry + microbiology + biofuels); very selective and supports low-income students.
International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
Elite international chemistry competition for top 4 USNCO performers representing the USA, featuring experimental and theoretical chemistry challenges.
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
World's largest pre-college STEM competition where students present original research projects, with winners earning scholarships and recognition.
ISC3 Innovation Challenge in Sustainable Chemistry
Design challenge where students develop sustainable chemistry solutions to real-world problems, focusing on green chemistry principles and innovation.
JHU CTY Fast-Paced High School Chemistry
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth's advanced three-week residential chemistry course covering roughly a year of high school chemistry through lab-based instruction.
JPH Chemistry Olympiad Summer Camp
Intensive chemistry Olympiad training program (organic chemistry classes and hands-on lab camps) run by a coach whose students have repeatedly medaled at IChO.
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) - Northern California Region
Selective research paper and presentation competition; NorCal regional winners advance to nationals; strong chemistry category.
Lamar University ChemE Summer Camp
Free week-long day camp introducing students who've completed chemistry and Algebra II to chemical engineering through labs, plant tours, and the ChemE Car competition.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab - Experiences in Research (EinR)
6-week, selective internship placing students in LBNL research groups (chemistry, materials, energy, etc.) with a weekly stipend.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Biotech Summer Experience
Two-week intensive biotech/experimental biology program with substantial lab work and molecular techniques, drawing on chemistry fundamentals.
MIT MITES Summer
Free, six-week residential STEM program at MIT for rising high school seniors (11th graders) from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds. Students take rigorous math, science, and humanities courses, complete a project, and live in MIT dorms. Highly selective; all costs covered.
NASA Ames (Moffett Field) - OSTEM High School Internships
Competitive NASA internships in research areas including materials and atmospheric science, which are chemistry-heavy; located in Silicon Valley.
National Science Bowl
Fast-paced academic competition testing knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and earth/space science with regional and national tournaments.
National Science Bowl - Bay Area Regional
DOE-run, fast-paced quiz competition with heavy chemistry content; NorCal teams compete at regional site then nationals.
NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Prestigious federal research internship where high school juniors/seniors near NIST's Boulder, CO or Gaithersburg, MD campuses conduct hands-on chemistry research.
Northern California Science Olympiad - Chem Events
Team-based competition with specific chemistry events (Chem Lab, Forensics, etc.); high-level teams train intensively all year.
Ohio State Marion STEM Summer Camp
Affordable week-long day camp combining hands-on chemistry and biology experiments with other STEM activities.
Penn Summer Science Initiative (PSSI)
Free, four-week materials-science-and-chemistry research course at the University of Pennsylvania's NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.