HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
While based in Alabama, they offer excellent virtual bioinformatics short courses ("Code of Life") for high schoolers.
These programs offer a wide variety of opportunities for rising 6th – 12th-grade students.
Summer programs are led by HudsonAlpha’s educational outreach team members.
High school students are invited to dig deeper into biotechnology content and skills.
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ASHG DNA Day Essay Contest
Annual essay contest by the American Society of Human Genetics. 2025 Question asks about the challenges of genetic privacy.
ProjectCSGIRLS (Bioinformatics)
While CS focused, many winning projects use code to solve genetics problems (Bioinformatics). Open to 8th-12th grade (Select tracks).
Rosetta Institute Molecular Medicine Workshops
Held at UC Berkeley. You must apply for the "Molecular Biology of Cancer" or "Bioinformatics" workshops.
UC Davis COSMOS (Cluster 8: Biotechnology)
A 4-week residential program. Apply specifically for Cluster 8 (Biotechnology) at UC Davis, which focuses on genetics and agricultural genomics.
Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair (ACSEF)
If you live in Alameda county, this is your regional fair. Essential for qualifying for state/national genetics competitions.
Genes in Space
Design a DNA experiment (PCR, etc.) to be performed on the International Space Station. Winners get their experiment launched to space.