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Skills & Opportunities

Turn ambition into evidence

Browse internships, competitions, scholarships and courses with recorded eligibility, cost, timing and source links. Deadlines shift, so always confirm on the official programme page.

Competition

Congressional App Challenge

U.S. House of Representatives

District-level coding competition where students submit an original app; winners are recognised by their member of Congress.

Who can apply
Middle and high-school students in participating US districts
Where
United States, by congressional district
Cost
Free
What you get
District winner recognition and Capitol Hill showcase
Timing
Submissions typically close in the autumn (around November)
programmingapp developmentdemo video

Weeks, part-time

Beginner to intermediate

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Congressional App Challenge
Competition

Conrad Challenge

Conrad Foundation

Innovation and entrepreneurship competition where student teams develop a commercially viable solution to a real-world problem.

Who can apply
Students aged 13-18 in teams of 2-5
Where
Online rounds plus in-person Innovation Summit
Cost
Entry fee at later rounds; check the official site
What you get
Awards, scholarships and mentorship
Timing
Activation round usually opens in the autumn (around October)
innovationbusiness planningprototypingpitching

Several months

Intermediate

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Conrad Foundation
Competition

Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs

University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship

High-school entrepreneurship competition with business-concept and social-innovation tracks.

Who can apply
High-school students in teams of 2-4
Where
Online with in-person finals in Delaware, USA
Cost
Free to enter
What you get
Cash prizes for winning teams
Timing
Written submissions usually due in early winter (around January)
entrepreneurshipmarket researchpitching

Several weeks

Beginner to intermediate

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Horn Entrepreneurship, University of Delaware
Competition

FIRST Robotics Competition

FIRST

Team-based robotics competition where students design, build and program a robot during a six-week build season.

Who can apply
Grades 9-12 in a registered team
Where
Regional and championship events worldwide
Cost
Team registration fees apply; check with your school
What you get
Scholarships offered by FIRST partners
Timing
Team registration usually opens in autumn (around October)
engineeringprogrammingteamworkproject management

Six-week build season plus events

Beginner to advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026FIRST
Competition

International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)

IMO Foundation

The world championship mathematics competition for secondary-school students; entry is through each country's national olympiad selection.

Who can apply
Secondary students under 20, selected by national team programmes
Where
Host country changes yearly
Cost
Free; national team covers costs
What you get
Gold, silver and bronze medals
Timing
National selection rounds run through the school year (around March)
problem solvingproof writinglogic

Year-round training

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026International Mathematical Olympiad
Competition

International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI)

IOI

Annual world programming olympiad for secondary students, entered through national informatics olympiads.

Who can apply
Secondary students, selected nationally
Where
Host country changes yearly
Cost
Free; national team covers costs
What you get
Medals and international recognition
Timing
National selection usually in the first half of the year (around April)
algorithmsprogrammingproblem solving

Year-round training

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026International Olympiad in Informatics
Competition

Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

Society for Science

The world's largest pre-college STEM competition; students qualify through affiliated regional and national science fairs.

Who can apply
Grades 9-12, qualifying through an affiliated fair
Where
International finals, host city changes yearly
Cost
Free to enter via affiliated fair
What you get
Millions in awards and scholarships distributed annually
Timing
Set by each affiliated regional fair, usually winter or early spring (around February)
researchexperimental designpresentation

Ongoing research project

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Society for Science
Competition

Regeneron Science Talent Search

Society for Science

The oldest and most prestigious US science and math research competition for high-school seniors, judged on an original research project.

Who can apply
US high-school seniors (and eligible international students at US schools)
Where
United States (national)
Cost
Free to enter
What you get
Top awards in the hundreds of thousands of US dollars
Timing
Applications typically close in November (around November)
researchscientific writingdata analysis

Several months of research

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Society for Science
Competition

Technovation Girls

Technovation

A global programme where girls build a mobile app or AI project to solve a community problem, supported by mentors.

Who can apply
Girls aged 8-18
Where
Online, global
Cost
Free
What you get
Prizes and scholarship opportunities for finalists
Timing
Submissions usually due in spring (around April)
app developmentAIentrepreneurshippitching

12 weeks part-time

Beginner

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Technovation
Competition

USA Computing Olympiad (USACO)

USACO

Free online programming contests held several times a year, with divisions from Bronze to Platinum; a common entry point into competitive programming.

Who can apply
Open to pre-college students worldwide
Where
Online
Cost
Free
What you get
Promotion through divisions; camp invitation for top US students
Timing
Contest windows in December, January, February and March (around December)
algorithmsC++JavaPython

A few hours per contest

Beginner to advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026USA Computing Olympiad
Course

CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science

Harvard University via edX

Harvard's free introduction to computer science and programming, widely used by school students to build a strong coding foundation.

Who can apply
Open to everyone, no prerequisites
Where
Online, self-paced
Cost
Free to audit; optional paid certificate
What you get
Verified certificate available for a fee
Timing
Self-paced, enrol any time
CPythonSQLalgorithms

~10 weeks part-time

Beginner

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Harvard University CS50
Course

MIT OpenCourseWare Highlights for High School

MIT

Free MIT course materials selected for high-school students, covering physics, calculus, biology and chemistry.

Who can apply
Open to everyone
Where
Online, self-paced
Cost
Free
What you get
No certificate; self-study materials
Timing
Self-paced, available any time
self-studymathematicsphysics

Self-paced

Beginner to intermediate

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026MIT OpenCourseWare
Extracurricular

Model United Nations

UN Association and school MUN clubs

Simulated UN debate where students represent countries, research global issues and negotiate resolutions.

Who can apply
Open to secondary students through a school or local club
Where
School, national and international conferences
Cost
Conference fees vary by event
What you get
Awards for best delegate at many conferences
Timing
Conference dates run throughout the school year
public speakingresearchnegotiationwriting

Weekly club plus conferences

Beginner to advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026National Model United Nations
Internship

Bank of America Student Leaders

Bank of America

Paid summer internship with a local nonprofit plus a national leadership summit in Washington, D.C.

Who can apply
High-school juniors and seniors in participating US communities
Where
United States
Cost
Paid internship
What you get
Paid work experience and leadership summit
Timing
Applications usually close in January (around January)
leadershipcommunity servicecommunication

8 weeks summer

Intermediate

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Bank of America
Internship

NASA Internship Programs (OSTEM)

NASA

Paid NASA internships across engineering, science, computing and communications; a limited number of sessions are open to high-school students.

Who can apply
Typically US citizens; minimum age and GPA requirements apply
Where
NASA centres across the USA and some virtual placements
Cost
Paid stipend
What you get
Stipend plus mentored NASA project work
Timing
Sessions have separate spring, summer and autumn deadlines (around February)
researchengineeringdata analysis

10-16 week session

Intermediate to advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026NASA
Internship

NIH High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP)

U.S. National Institutes of Health

Paid summer biomedical research internship in NIH laboratories, working alongside a scientific mentor.

Who can apply
US citizens or permanent residents aged 17+ in high school
Where
Bethesda, Maryland and other NIH campuses, USA
Cost
Paid stipend
What you get
Stipend and laboratory research experience
Timing
Applications typically open in November and close in February (around February)
laboratory techniqueresearchscientific writing

At least 8 weeks full-time

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education
Internship

Smithsonian Youth Programs and Internships

Smithsonian Institution

Museum, conservation and research placements for teens across Smithsonian museums and research centres.

Who can apply
Varies by programme; many are open to teens
Where
Washington, D.C. and virtual
Cost
Some placements are paid; check each listing
What you get
Museum and research experience
Timing
Varies by placement (around May)
researchcurationpublic communication

Varies

Beginner to intermediate

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Smithsonian Institution
Research Program

Research Science Institute (RSI)

Center for Excellence in Education & MIT

A free, highly selective summer research programme at MIT combining coursework with original, mentored STEM research.

Who can apply
High-school juniors (and international equivalents)
Where
MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Cost
Free, including room and board
What you get
Mentored research and a written and oral presentation
Timing
Applications usually close in January (around January)
researchscientific writingpresentation

6 weeks residential

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Center for Excellence in Education
Research Program

Summer Science Program (SSP)

Summer Science Program, Inc.

Residential research programme where teams complete a real research project in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics or synthetic chemistry.

Who can apply
Students who have completed grade 10 or 11
Where
University campuses in the USA
Cost
Tuition with substantial need-based financial aid
What you get
Original team research and a published data submission
Timing
Applications usually close in the winter (around February)
researchprogramminglaboratory technique

~5-6 weeks residential

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Summer Science Program
Scholarship

Coca-Cola Scholars Program

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

Achievement-based scholarship for graduating US high-school seniors who show leadership and service.

Who can apply
US high-school seniors meeting the published GPA and citizenship criteria
Where
United States
Cost
Free to apply
What you get
Scholarships of USD 20,000 for selected scholars
Timing
Applications usually open in August and close in autumn (around October)
leadershipserviceessay writing

Application plus interviews

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
Scholarship

Davidson Fellows Scholarship

Davidson Institute

Scholarships for students under 18 who complete a significant piece of work in science, technology, mathematics, literature, music or philosophy.

Who can apply
Students under 18 at the time of application
Where
United States
Cost
Free to apply
What you get
Scholarships of USD 10,000, 25,000 or 50,000
Timing
Applications usually close in February (around February)
researchindependent projectpresentation

A completed significant project

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Davidson Institute for Talent Development
Scholarship

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

A five-year pre-college scholarship and advising programme for high-achieving grade 7 students with financial need, continuing through high school.

Who can apply
US students in grade 7 with demonstrated financial need
Where
United States
Cost
Free to apply
What you get
Individualised funding, advising and summer programme support
Timing
Applications typically close in the spring (around April)
academic excellencecuriositypersistence

Multi-year programme

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Scholarship

QuestBridge National College Match

QuestBridge

Connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships at partner US colleges.

Who can apply
US high-school seniors meeting QuestBridge financial criteria
Where
United States
Cost
Free to apply
What you get
Full four-year scholarship at a matched partner college
Timing
Application usually closes in late September (around September)
academic excellenceessay writingresilience

Detailed application

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026QuestBridge
Scholarship

The Gates Scholarship

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

A last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, Pell-eligible minority high-school seniors in the USA.

Who can apply
US high-school seniors meeting the published eligibility criteria
Where
United States
Cost
Free to apply
What you get
Covers the full cost of attendance not met by other aid
Timing
Applications typically close in September (around September)
leadershipacademic excellenceessay writing

Application plus recommendations

Advanced

Partially verifiedLast checked: 7 Sept 2026The Gates Scholarship