Programs for 16-Year-Olds
Nichable lists 101 programs whose own pages say they take 16-year-olds. 15 of them pay a wage or stipend. Each one is checked against the organization's own page. Soonest deadlines first.
Access/VSA Playwright Discovery Program
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsProgram· Paid· Remote
Opening soon · Due Nov 19, 2026
Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsProgram· Paid· Remote
Opening soon · Due Nov 19, 2026
OHSU Partnership for Scientific Inquiry
Partnership for Scientific InquiryProgram· Portland, OR
DeadlineNov 23
FLEX Global Abroad (formerly YES Abroad)
U.S. Department of StateProgram· Paid· Remote
Opening soon · Due Nov 30, 2026
NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program
NOAA Office of National Marine SanctuariesProgram· Remote
Opens Nov 13, 2026 · Due Jan 3, 2027
Summer Academy for Math and Science
Carnegie Mellon UniversityProgram· Pittsburgh, PA
Opening soon · Due Feb 1, 2027
TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen)Program· Phoenix, AZ
Opens Dec 14, 2026 · Due Feb 3, 2027
VolunTEEN Summer Program
Eskenazi HealthProgram· Indianapolis, IN
Opens Feb 1, 2027 · Due Feb 26, 2027
Apprenticeship in Medicine
Medical College of WisconsinProgram· Paid· Milwaukee, WI
DeadlineMar 1, 2027
LSU Health Shreveport AHEAD Allied Health Program
LSU Health ShreveportProgram· Shreveport, LA
DeadlineMar 15, 2027
Montana 4-H Congress
Montana State University ExtensionProgram· Costs money· Bozeman, MT
Opens May 1, 2027 · Due Jun 15, 2027
Music Technology and Production Camp
Oregon State University School of VisualProgram· Costs money· Corvallis, OR
Opening soon
Columbia Engineering SHAPE (Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers)
Columbia Engineering Outreach ProgramsProgram· Costs money· New York, NY
Opening soon
King Conservation Leadership Academy (King Conservation Science Scholars)
Brookfield Zoo ChicagoProgram· Brookfield, IL
Opening soon
Stanford IFSS (Inspiring Future Scientists through Shadowing)
Stanford Department of ChemistryProgram· Stanford, CA
Opening soon
Philadelphia Youth Commission
Mayor's Office of Youth EngagementProgram· Philadelphia, PA
DeadlineRolling
Morgan Hill Youth Action Council
City of Morgan Hill Parks and RecreationProgram· Morgan Hill, CA
Opening soon
San Francisco Youth Commission
City and County of San FranciscoProgram· San Francisco, CA
Opening soon
St. Louis City Youth Council
City of St. Louis Board of AldermenProgram· St. Louis, MO
DeadlineRolling
City of Albuquerque Job Mentor Program
City of Albuquerque Department of Youth and Family ServicesProgram· Paid· Albuquerque, NM
Opening soon
North Dakota Game and Fish Explorer Program
North Dakota Game and Fish DepartmentProgram· Bismarck, ND
Opens Jan 1, 2027
Rhode Island Youth Climate Conference
Rhode Island Environmental Education AssociationProgram· Providence, RI
Opening soon
Phipps Conservatory Youth Climate Advocacy Committee
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical GardensProgram· Paid· Pittsburgh, PA
Opening soon
Year-Round Youth Program
Detroit at Work (Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation)Program· Paid· Detroit, MI
DeadlineRolling
Charlotte Office of Youth Opportunities Envision Academy
City of Charlotte Office of Youth OpportunitiesProgram· Charlotte, NC
Opening soon
Las Vegas-Clark County Library District EmployNV Youth Hub
Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Workforce ConnectionsProgram· Las Vegas, NV
DeadlineRolling
Nebraska Medicine and UNMC Job Shadow Program
University of Nebraska Medical Center / Nebraska MedicineProgram· Omaha, NE
DeadlineRolling
City of Richmond Youth Empowerment Council
City of Richmond Youth Engagement ServicesProgram· Richmond, VA
DeadlineRolling
NextForce Youth Program at Workforce Solutions Borderplex
Workforce Solutions BorderplexProgram· El Paso, TX
DeadlineRolling
Chase Youth Commission (City and County of Spokane)
Chase Youth Commission, Spokane CountyProgram· Spokane, WA
Opening soon
Mark Twain House Nook Farm Writers Collaborative
The Mark Twain House & MuseumProgram· Paid· Hartford, CT
Opening soon
ORNL SAGE Summer Camp (Science Accelerating Growth and Engagement)
Oak Ridge National LaboratoryProgram· Oak Ridge, TN
Opening soon
Common questions
How old do you have to be for a high school program?
Of the 102 programs on Nichable whose own pages state an age, the most common minimum is 14. 72% take 14-year-olds, 82% take 15-year-olds and 99% take 16-year-olds.
Do these programs really take 16-year-olds?
Each listing here states an age range that includes 16 on the organization's own page. Many also limit where you live or which school you attend, so read the listing before you apply.
How do I apply?
Each listing is run by its own organization and you apply on that organization's site. A free Nichable account shows each listing's deadline and how to apply, and lets you save and track them.