Below is a list of opportunities geared towards high school students! There is information on exchange programs, study abroad opportunities, summer enrichment courses, and more.
Language Institute for Youth
Who: U.S. citizen high school students, age 15-18, with 2.5 GPA or above.
What: Opportunities to study less commonly taught languages in immersion programs abroad. Languages include Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Turkish.
When/Where: Summer or Academic Year/Selected countries worldwide.
How: Apply via https://www.nsliforyouth.org/.
Funding: Travel, lodging with host families and language studies are funded.
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for High School Students, Germany
Who: U.S. citizen, national and Legal Permanent Resident high school students (age 15-18), with GPA 3.0 or above; and U.S. citizens, nationals and Legal Permanent Residents (age 18-24) with some relevant experience in their career field (work, internship or volunteer).
What: Cultural exchange to study abroad in Germany. Meet with government officials while learning German language and culture. Live with a host family and make connections with State Department program alumni.
When: Academic Year/Germany.
How: Apply via https://usagermanyscholarship.org/apply/
Funding: Travel, lodging and academic studies are funded.
Youth Leadership Programs
Who: U.S. citizen high school students, age 15-17, with at least one semester remaining upon return. Specific programs may be open only to students from a particular city, state or geographic region.
What: Leadership training exchange program to gain firsthand knowledge of foreign cultures and examine globally significant issues.
When/Where: Three to four weeks in summer/Worldwide.
How: Apply to individual programs via https://exchanges.state.gov/us/program/youth-leadership-programs.
Funding: Travel, lodging and program fees are funded.
Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad Program
Who: U.S. citizen high school students at time of application, age 15-18.
What: Cultural exchange opportunities to enroll in local high schools and live with host families in selected countries.
When/Where: Academic year/Selected countries worldwide.
How: Apply via https://www.yes-abroad.org/.
National Student Leadership Conference
Who: High school students at time of application, grades 9-12.
What: Summer program in International Diplomacy. Students are. Given opportunity to live the life of a diplomat in the United Nations Security Council.
When/Where: Four summer sessions in June and July/ Washington DC and New York City
How: Apply via https://www.nslcleaders.org/youth-leadership-programs/international-diplomacy/#section-2.
Funding: Students must pay a tuition fee to cover housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities.
Georgetown University
Who: High school students at time of application, grades 9-12, with 2.0 GPA or above
What: Georgetown hosts a number of summer programs for high school students, including an International Relations Academy as well as Politics and Foreign Policy Academies.
When/Where: Summer sessions in June and July / Washington DC
How: Apply via https://summer.georgetown.edu/apply.
Funding: Students must pay a tuition fee to cover housing and all on-campus meals.
The Fund for American Studies
Who: High school students at time of application, grades 9-12
What: TFAS’ Foundation for Teaching Economics Program sponsors two different programs for high school students each summer: Economics for Leaders (EFL) and Economic History for Leaders (EHFL).
When/Where: Summer / Various locations across the U.S.
How: Apply via https://www.fte.org/students/2023-program-sites-and-dates/.
Smithsonian Student Travel
Who: Students completing grades 8-12 at time of application, at least 13 years old.
What: Smithsonian offers students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and cultural awareness of the world through immersive summer travel programs in the U.S. and abroad.
When/Where: Summer / Worldwide
How: Apply via https://smithsonianstudenttravel.org/.