Sustainability programs for high schoolers.
36 programs indexed in sustainability. 24 are free or pay a stipend. 2 prioritize under-resourced or underrepresented students. This page updates whenever we add a new sustainability program.
All sustainability programs
- ModerateNC State University Global Training Initiative36 Hours to Save the World / Global Challenge Weekend
Students form remote teams and spend 36 hours developing solutions to global sustainability and policy challenges before presenting to judges.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveCalifornia Water ServiceA Splash of Creativity
Students submit original artwork addressing water conservation and local California water issues for statewide recognition and awards.
📍 CA🎓 Grades 9–12 - Highly SelectiveMissouri University of Science and TechnologyAccelerated Environmental Scientist
Intensive field-based environmental-science experience covering ecosystems, water quality and related topics, with an optional university-credit component.
📍 MO🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveArkansas Game & Fish CommissionAGFC Youth Volunteer Program
Students volunteer at conservation events and other AGFC activities across Arkansas while earning documented community-service hours.
📍 AR🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveAlabama A&M UniversityAgriFCS Academy Summer Camp
A free residential week introducing rising juniors to food, agriculture, natural resources, and human-sciences disciplines through hands-on activities and campus experiences.
📍 AL🎓 Grade 11 - SelectiveMississippi State UniversityAgriSTEM Summer Camp
Students explore precision agriculture and emerging agricultural technologies through hands-on projects, field trips, agricultural and biological engineering, and plant and soil science. Lodging and meals are provided at no cost.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveAlabama Wildlife Federation / Alabama Nature CenterAlabama Nature Center Volunteer Program
Volunteers age 16+ can assist with animal ambassadors, citizen-science work, educational field trips, fishing programs, and other conservation activities.
📍 AL🎓 Grades 10–12 - SelectiveUniversity at BuffaloArcadis Pathways to Engineering Camp
Free engineering exploration emphasizing environmental impacts, laboratories and hands-on field activities.
📍 NY🎓 Grade 9 - ModerateBall State University College of Architecture and PlanningArchitecture + Planning Camp @ CAP:Indy
Students explore architecture, planning, sustainability, site analysis, sketching, ecology, and 3D modeling through a week of design activities in Indianapolis.
📍 IN🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveMississippi State University Extension ServiceArt Doing Its Part
Mississippi high-school students create artwork, slogans, and short reflections explaining connections between litter and waterway pollution. The statewide contest highlights regional environmental challenges and uses winning work in public-awareness campaigns.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveArizona State UniversityASU SCENE
Free science club + research opportunities for AZ high schoolers, with focus on first-gen students.
📍 AZ⏱ Year-round📅 March🎓 Grades 10–12 - SelectiveAudubon ConnecticutAudubon Sharon Summer Internships (Youth)
Research and education internship at a wildlife sanctuary focusing on birds and habitat health.
📍 Sharon, CT⏱ 8 weeks📅 March 15🎓 Grades 11–12 - ModerateChesapeake Bay Foundation / Washington CollegeBay Science and Solutions at Washington College
Rising grades 10–12 collect environmental data by kayak and research vessel and work in Washington College science laboratories while studying ecosystem restoration and community solutions.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 10–12 - ModerateNC State UniversityBiomass to Brilliance: Engineering a Greener Future
Residential program explores biomass, paper engineering, biofuels, recycling, bioplastics and printed electronics through laboratory work.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 11–12 - SelectiveTulsa Community CollegeBuilding Your Sustainable Future
Sustainability-centered STEM exploration.
📍 OK🎓 Grades 9, 12 - SelectiveArkansas Tech UniversityCAKE: Creativity, Agriculture & Knowledge of Enterprise
Students investigate Arkansas agriculture and tourism through science laboratories, agritourism activities, enterprise development and interdisciplinary problem-solving.
📍 AR🎓 Grades 11–12 - ModerateCEICaretakers of the Environment International
Annual international youth conference on environmental research and projects.
📍 Varies (International)⏱ 1 week📅 Spring🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveUniversity of Kansas Wonderful Institute for Sustainable EngineeringChemical Engineering Experience in Research (ChEER) for Youth Interns
Students ages 15–18 conduct non-hazardous chemical-engineering research under graduate or postdoctoral mentors, participate in research meetings, analyze data, and present results. The internship is unpaid and intended for students who can commute locally.
📍 KS🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateCU Science DiscoveryChemical Engineering for a Changing World
Students design experiments, analyze data, optimize systems and investigate how chemical engineers address energy, medicine, sustainability and technology challenges.
📍 CO🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveChesapeake Bay FoundationChesapeake Bay Foundation Student Leadership Program
High-school students join a year-round leadership network, attend primarily virtual monthly meetings, participate in advocacy and conservation events, and design an evidence-based environmental action project.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateChesapeake Bay FoundationChesapeake Connections & Actions
Students investigate environmental challenges in rivers, marshes, farmland, and Bay communities while developing advocacy and environmental-leadership skills.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveField Museum / Youth Conservation Action partnersChicago Green Ambassadors Program
Paid youth interns explore environmental issues affecting Chicago communities and connect residents with neighborhood green spaces through conservation and community-engagement work. It particularly serves youth from several South and West Side neighborhoods.
📍 IL🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateLewis & Clark CollegeCircular Innovation Challenge
Students tackle sustainability/circular-economy challenges and develop/pitch solutions.
📍 OR🎓 Eligibility not confirmed - SelectiveMassachusetts Clean Energy CenterClean Energy Internship Program — High School Vocational Track
Eligible Massachusetts vocational-technical high-school students can obtain paid internships with clean-energy and water-innovation employers during the academic year and summer.
📍 MA🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateNorth Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesClimate Resilience Camp
Students investigate climate change, resilience and environmental solutions through field and laboratory activities.
📍 NC🎓 Grades 9–11 - SelectiveCalifornia Coastal CommissionClimate Storytelling Contest
Middle- and high-school students communicate their experiences and feelings about climate change through a podcast, photo essay or personal narrative essay.
📍 CA🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateLouisiana State UniversityCoast and Environmental Sciences Camp
Students collect environmental samples in the field, analyze them in LSU laboratories, visit conservation/research sites, and examine issues including microplastics, pollution, hypoxia, and coastal ecosystems.
📍 LA🎓 Grades 10–12 - ModerateAuburn UniversityCoastal Fisheries Camp
Five-day marine-science program featuring field and laboratory work, water sampling, plankton studies, salt-marsh ecology, marine-species identification, and research-vessel experiences.
📍 AL🎓 Grades 10–12 - SelectiveChicago Botanic GardenCollege First
CPS sophomores and juniors participate in a seven-week paid summer experience that combines environmental coursework with a mentored scientific investigation, field trips, and college preparation. School-year follow-up opportunities are also provided.
📍 IL🎓 Grades 11–12 - SelectiveUniversity of North Dakota / Williston Basin CTE CenterCONNECT Energy Education Workshop
Juniors and seniors explore engineering and energy careers through hands-on activities with UND and regional energy professionals.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 11–12 - SelectiveConrad FoundationConrad Challenge
International innovation and entrepreneurship competition addressing global grand challenges.
📍 USA finals + global teams📅 November🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveConnecticut's Beardsley ZooConservation Discovery Corps
Year-long teen volunteer program combining field-conservation research, zoological career exploration and public conservation education.
📍 CT🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human ResilienceCTAHR Summer Research Institute
Eight-week program where students conduct original faculty-mentored laboratory, field or library research addressing food systems, sustainability, community resilience and related problems, then present at a research symposium.
📍 HI🎓 Grades 10–12 - SelectiveDelaware Department of EducationDelaware ArcGIS StoryMap Competition
Students use maps, data, images and narrative to investigate a real issue. The 2026 high-school theme focused on sustainability challenges in students' communities.
📍 DE🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveU.S. Department of EnergyDOE STEM Rising / SCEP
Paid internships across the 17 DOE national laboratories.
📍 Multiple national labs (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 8-10 weeks (summer)📅 January🎓 Grades 11–12 - SelectiveDoSomething.orgDoSomething Campaigns
Volunteer campaigns with scholarship sweepstakes for participants.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 7–12