Summer programs are a terrific way for high school kids to spend their summer, whether they are hoping to strengthen their college applications, are looking to test out a potential college major or job, or simply want something more to do than lounge around and binge-watch Netflix. The number of summer programs for high school students has considerably increased over the past several decades to the point that there are now hundreds of options to choose from
For those high school students interested in production and manufacturing using chemicals, a chemical engineering summer camp is the perfect setting for fostering their interest in that field. These summer camps offer them the chance to interact with real engineers, take part in hands-on design challenges, and visit engineering workplaces to get a sense of what it’s like to work in engineering.
In this blog, we have compiled a list of the best chemical engineering summer camps available for high schoolers.
Chemical Engineering Summer Camps For High Schoolers
From Nursing to robotics to even fashion, summer camps make children more clear about their future and help them understand the nitty-gritty of the path they are about to take in the future.
This camp is designed for high school juniors and seniors who have an interest and aptitude for chemistry and want to consider it as their college major. It provides the students a great opportunity to learn about the impact of the chemical engineering profession through hands-on and digitally simulated activities.
The camp is a week-long and is available for a cost of $400 and covers all camp materials, food, and transportation. Scholarships are also available for this camp. This summer camp educates the students about chemical engineering while giving them an improved perspective for making it their career choice.
It is a nonprofit program intended to inspire enthusiasm for science, scientific research, and scientific careers while equipping the students with the adequate knowledge necessary to pursue their careers in the field of science. There are various seminars under this program, like foundational series, mentorship program etc from which students can opt for. The overall aim of this nonprofit program is to give opportunities to those who do not have the resources to advance and pursue their career in science.
Just like Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology runs this academic enrichment program for those young and bright students who come from underrepresented or marginalized communities. This program is six weeks long and specifically targets high school seniors. The total cost of the program is covered by MIT and students only have to look after their transportation costs. In addition to fostering the abilities required for success in science and engineering, this nationwide initiative emphasizes the value and benefits of pursuing advanced technical degrees and careers.
The Chemistry Research program from Boston Leadership Institute is a three-week long program that provides in-depth and immersive programs for students entering grades 8-12. The main focus of the Chemistry Research program is on ‘green chemistry’ which is an emerging field within chemistry today with potential job offers.
This program guides high school students through guided lab activities and toxicology studies and prepares them to develop experiments with adequate background research. Field trips are also included in this program.
The Summer Scholar Program (SSP) is offered by the Department of Chemistry, Illinois Tech meant for motivated, talented high school and community college students who are interested in chemistry across various fields bioanalytical chemistry, computational chemistry and biochemistry, environmental chemistry, forensic chemistry, and medicinal chemistry etc.
This is also a no-cost program i.e., fees will be covered by the institute for those students who get in. Selected students will collaborate with a faculty adviser from their department for eight to ten weeks while working in their research lab.
The Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) programme offered by Boston University accepts applications from high school juniors who are enthusiastic in the sciences. It is a six week long program that focuses on teaching students laboratory research while advancing their knowledge in STEM.
This program also offers internships in chemistry where students undertake research projects under the mentorship of distinguished faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students in the field of chemistry. By the end of the program, students are expected to advance their STEM skills, build a network of like-minded people, and gain firsthand experience with college-level research.
Hosted by the Society of Women Engineers at the University of Michigan, SEE Camp is a one-week, co-ed, residential program for high school students entering grades 10-12 with interest in engineering.
Participants at SEE Camp will take part in design challenges and gain hands-on experience through a variety of engineering-focused activities across various engineering disciplines. Students also get the chance to learn about the University of Michigan by meeting faculty, staff, and students and touring the campus.
This online course is a foundational course for high school and college students that teaches them the basics of organic chemistry through use of clear and concise examples and exercises.
This course covers hydrocarbons, homologous series, alkanes, alkyl, alkenes, alkanols, esters, and much more. The main aim of this course is to use visually descriptive teaching and learning tools to make learning more fun for the students
The COSMOS program was started with the aim of inspiring the brightest and most skilled upcoming scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. It is a four weeks long residential summer program that is open to high school students from 8-12th grades and places importance on technology and engineering.
COSMOS is held at four University of California campuses namely Davis, Irvine, San Diego and Santa Cruz. Students have the unrivaled opportunity to collaborate with exceptional university faculty and researchers on themes that go beyond the conventional high school curriculum through COSMOS.
ARISE is a seven-week-long summer program presented by The NYU Tandon School of Engineering. It is open for 10th and 11th graders in New York City with an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). ARISE boasts around 400 high school graduates from the program till today. The best part is that the program is free for the students.
The free seven-week ARISE program will give participants a real research experience, allowing them to contribute in a meaningful way to the lab’s research goals while simultaneously taking part in a range of activities to help them be ready for the college application process.
Conclusion
Summer chemistry courses for high school and pre-college students help them develop their research and study skills while also introducing them to the theory and practice of chemistry, launching them into successful academic and career paths. Through courses in areas including organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, environmental, nuclear, industrial, and biochemistry, students can strengthen their existing knowledge and explore new avenues. As such, it is highly advisable for students interested in chemistry to enroll in one of the mentioned classes and utilize their summer breaks well.
Having a 10+ years of experience in teaching little budding learners, I am now working as a soft skills and IELTS trainers. Having spent my share of time with high schoolers, I understand their fears about the future. At the same time, my experience has helped me foster plenty of strategies that can make their 4 years of high school blissful. Furthermore, I have worked intensely on helping these young adults bloom into successful adults by training them for their dream colleges. Through my blogs, I intend to help parents, educators and students in making these years joyful and prosperous.