The Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement is a three-week summer program designed for 26 high-achieving high school students. Participants engage in coursework comparable to first-year college coursework and gain a deep understanding of how media, communication, and journalism inspire socially conscious leaders and innovators.
Throughout the program, students strengthen key skills such as writing, critical thinking, public speaking, debate, multimedia production, interviewing, and ethnographic research, while discovering potential career paths in media and journalism.
Eligibility: Students reside and attend high schools in Los Angeles County
Application: March 03, 2025 – April 14, 2025
Program date: June 16, 2025 – July 3, 2025
Location: University of Southern California
Cost: Free
The Iowa Young Writers’ Summer Residential Program offers two immersive two-week sessions in June and July 2026 at the University of Iowa’s campus in Iowa City. This program is tailored for high school students passionate about creative writing, providing them with the chance to engage deeply in their artistic development while working closely with instructors who are graduates of the esteemed Iowa Writers’ Workshop, as well as MFA graduates in playwriting and nonfiction writing.
Students can choose from five main subjects for their core course: fiction writing, poetry writing, general creative writing (a blend of fiction, poetry, and personal essay), TV writing, and playwriting. Alongside these core courses, participants take part in a variety of activities, including peer workshops and feedback sessions, readings by published authors, discussions on translation and revision, collaborative projects, and social events such as open mics and talent shows that foster community and creative exploration.
Eligibility: High school students (Grade 10th – 12th)
Application: January 19 – February 1, 2026
Program dates: Session 1: June 14-27, 2026. Session 2: July 12-25, 2026
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City
Application fee: $10
Cost: $2,500
Read this article about All You Should Know About the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio Summer Program for detailed guidance on applying for this program!
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The Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS) is a free and selective residential summer program for high school sophomores and juniors who are intellectually curious, community-minded, and motivated to learn in a rigorous environment. All program costs, including tuition, room and board, books, and field trips, are fully covered for every participant.
The program immerses students in intensive college-level seminars focused on the humanities and social sciences with an emphasis on how power and privilege shape social structures. TASS offers two areas of study:
- Critical Black Studies: exploring the history, politics, literature, art, and intellectual contributions of people of African descent
- Anti-Oppressive Studies: investigating systems like white supremacy and classism and how to transform them.
Students participate in daily seminar-style classes led by enthusiastic university faculty, engage in reading, discussion, writing, group decision-making, community living, and public speaking, developing skills in critical analysis, communication, and leadership.
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
Application: October 15 – December 03, 2025
Program dates: June 21 – July 25, 2026
Location: Cornell University and the University of Maryland
Application fee: Free
Cost: Free
JCamp, organized by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), is a national, multicultural journalism program designed for high-achieving high school students across the United States. This rigorous, full-ride funded six-day summer camp brings together a diverse group of teenagers to learn directly from veteran journalists and top media professionals, with a focus on addressing the need for greater diversity in media.
The program’s curriculum includes interactive workshops, hands-on media production, and field trips, emphasizing cross-cultural communication, leadership skills, journalistic ethics, and the importance of inclusivity in newsrooms. Students gain practical experience by producing multiplatform news stories, participating in team-based projects, and networking with industry leaders, while also developing self-confidence and building connections for future careers in journalism.
Eligibility: High school students
Application deadline: January 31, 2025
Program dates: August 3 – 9, 2025
Location: Seattle, Washington
Cost: Free
The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) is a year-long college-preparation initiative designed for high school juniors interested in journalism, with a special focus on students from low-income backgrounds. The program combines a series of virtual workshops and lectures, followed by a 10-day in-person summer intensive on Princeton University’s campus, where participants stay in undergraduate dorms, interact with professional journalists and educators, and receive comprehensive support at no cost.
The curriculum covers a diverse range of media-related subjects and hands-on activities, including reporting, writing, investigative journalism, interviewing, multimedia production, digital content creation, and feature writing. Students tour major news organizations, cover real-world events, work on group blogs, and produce their own newspaper, The Princeton Summer Journal, which is published at the end of the program. Additional experiences, such as attending plays or sporting events and participating in college admissions seminars, further equip participants with essential journalism and academic skills.
Eligibility:
- High school juniors live in the United States and intend to attend American colleges.
- Have a minimum unweighted GPA equivalent to a 3.5* out of 4.0.
- Meet at least one of the socioeconomic conditions below:
- The combined income of your parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, does not exceed $60,000*.
- Your family income or circumstances qualify you to receive free or reduced-price lunch in your high school.
- Your family income or circumstances qualify you to receive an SAT or ACT fee waiver.
Application: December 01, 2025 – February 2026
Program dates: (2025 program) July 24 – August 03, 2025
Location: Princeton University
Cost: Free
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The Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week residential program for rising high school juniors and seniors. It offers students an immersive experience on Stanford’s campus where they explore fundamental questions of the humanities through seminars led by Stanford professors and graduate students. This program is designed to foster scholarly growth, critical thinking, and academic writing skills while engaging with a vibrant intellectual community.
Participants choose from a variety of humanities courses covering topics such as ancient philosophy, the American Enlightenment, racial identity, and magical realism. The curriculum includes faculty-led lectures, small-group discussions, and individual research projects. Alongside classroom learning, students participate in workshops, extracurricular activities, and weekend field trips to enrich their academic experience and foster peer connections.
Application deadline: February 3, 2025
Location: Stanford University
Cost: $8,575 (financial aid available)
The Social Justice Research Academy at the University of Pennsylvania is a fully residential, three-week program that brings together students from around the world to explore the past, present, and future of social justice. It is designed to foster critical thinking and discussion about the political, historical, and cultural contexts of inequality and resistance. The program includes students with diverse academic interests across the social sciences, humanities, and arts, encouraging engagement with a wide range of social justice topics and leadership development.
During the academy, students participate in daily lectures and workshops led by Penn faculty, teaching fellows, and guest experts, covering topics such as gun control, historical narrative framing, women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and the impact of poverty on children, among others. The program includes field trips to historical and cultural landmarks in Philadelphia and service-learning activities with nonprofit organizations. Students also undertake a capstone project, applying their research and leadership skills to explore social justice issues creatively or academically, often involving community-based work or multimedia presentations.
Eligibility: Current 9th – 11th grade students, including international students
Application open: December 2025
Program dates: July 11 – August 1, 2026
Location: University of Pennsylvania
Cost: $10,050
In just a few months, applications will open for these humanities summer programs, so now is the perfect time to begin preparing for the opportunities that 2026 will bring. These programs are highly competitive and offer transformative experiences through immersive lectures, hands-on research, creative workshops, and community engagement. Reach out to Aralia today for one-on-one support in selecting the right programs and crafting a compelling application!
