History Summer Programs for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 16 history summer programs for high school students. Of these, 7 are free to participate in and 3 offer virtual participation. Examples include Gilder Lehrman History School, Hoover Institution History Skills Academy, and Living History Youth Summer Institute.
- 16
- listed
- 7
- free
- 3
- virtual
- 16
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are history summer programs for high school students?
- History Summer Programs for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in history. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- Are any of these summer programs free?
- Yes — 7 of the 16 summer programs listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 3 of the 16 summer programs listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are history summer programs good for a college application?
- Yes — history summer programs are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in history on college applications.
Related Categories
16 activities found·Browse by category
Gilder Lehrman History School
A free summer program offering live, interactive history courses taught by Gilder Lehrman master teachers, with a track for high school students in grades 9-12 alongside elementary and middle school levels.
Hoover Institution History Skills Academy
Two-week intensive summer program at Stanford's Hoover Institution that trains high school students in historical research methods.
Living History Youth Summer Institute
Paid six-week Philadelphia program at the Museum of the American Revolution where high schoolers train in costumed historical interpretation.
Museum of Tolerance MOTivating Teens Program
Six-week Los Angeles teen internship where students build public-speaking and dialogue-facilitation skills while learning Holocaust history and museum education.
National History Academy
A four-week residential summer program at Foxcroft School near Washington, DC where rising 10th-12th graders study American history, government, and law through site visits, discussions with scholars, and a culminating project.
Pre-College Program in American History (William & Mary / Colonial Williamsburg NIAHD)
Three-week residential summer program where high schoolers earn William & Mary college credit while studying American history on-site at Colonial Williamsburg.
Rosie the Riveter Trust Youth Education Programs (Rosie's Service Corps)
Richmond, CA nonprofit program using WWII home-front history to give underserved middle/high schoolers trade skills, career mentoring, and service experience.
Smithsonian NMNH Summer High School Internship Program
A paid summer internship at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History where students ages 15-18 work 24 hours a week on museum projects, go behind the scenes, and explore both science and non-science museum careers.
St. John's College Great Books Summer Academy
A week-long, discussion-based pre-college program on St. John's College's Annapolis or Santa Fe campuses where high school juniors and seniors read and debate classic texts from the Western canon in small seminar-style classes.
Stanford Summer Humanities Institute
Three-week residential program where rising juniors and seniors study college-level humanities topics with Stanford faculty.
Student Leadership Academy – The National WWII Museum
A hybrid summer program combining online coursework with a six-day, behind-the-scenes visit to The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, open to current high school freshmen through seniors and fully scholarship-funded for accepted participants, with optional college credit.
TCR History Camp
An immersive online or in-person workshop in which secondary students choose their own historical research topic and, guided by instructors, transform it into a first draft of a historical research paper over a two-week session.
Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)
Free, fully-funded summer humanities seminar for high school sophomores and juniors hosted by the Telluride Association. Two tracks: TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies) and TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies). About five weeks of intensive seminars with college instructors plus democratic community life. All tuition, books, room, board, and field trips covered.
Thomas Aquinas College Great Books
Two-week residential summer "Great Books" program using Socratic seminars on classic texts in philosophy, theology, politics, and history of ideas.
University of the Pacific Pre-College
Pacific's two-week Summer High School Institute in Stockton includes humanities and social-science tracks.
Young Civil War Historians Conference (Gettysburg College)
A weeklong residential conference held alongside Gettysburg College's Civil War Institute summer conference, in which rising high school juniors and seniors analyze original documents, photographs, and battlefield landscapes with leading Civil War historians and walk sites like Pickett's Charge.
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.