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Aerospace, Aviation & Space Programs for High School Students - Part 2

Updated: 2 days ago

In this second part of the Aerospace, Aviation & Space Programs for High School Students, the spotlight shifts from big-name NASA and national programs to a mix of:

  • University-based aerospace engineering camps

  • Hands-on aviation and flight camps

  • Industry-linked internships and pipelines


Aerospace, Aviation & Space Programs for High School Students

1. University Aerospace & Space Engineering Camps


1.1 Illinois Aerospace Institute (IAI) - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)

Location & format

  • Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

  • One-week residential and virtual camps run by the Grainger College of Engineering / Department of Aerospace Engineering.


Eligibility

  • Typically for students entering grades 9-12 (rising high schoolers).


What you’ll do

  • Hands-on aerospace projects (e.g., model aircraft, rockets, or space systems).

  • Classroom sessions with UIUC faculty/graduate students on flight, space systems, and engineering design.

  • Field trips and guest speakers from the aerospace industry and related labs.


Cost & financial aid

  • Recent information lists separate tuition for residential vs. virtual options (e.g., residential around the $1,000 range and a much lower virtual fee), with exact numbers varying by year.

  • Limited scholarship support is sometimes available; families should check the current year’s application page.


Best fit for : Students who want a serious, engineering-heavy week on a top university campus, with real exposure to aero faculty and facilities.



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1.2 Aeronautical Explorations (AE) - The Museum of Flight (US)

Location & format

  • Museum of Flight, near Seattle, Washington

  • Three-week, non-residential day program with some on-site activities and field visits.


Eligibility

  • Open to Washington State students entering grades 9-12 (rising high schoolers).


What you’ll do

  • Explore aviation and aerospace careers through workshops, group projects, and industry visits.

  • Work with Museum of Flight educators and potentially meet professionals in aviation, engineering, and related fields.

  • Build career-readiness skills (teamwork, communication, technical exposure) with a clear aerospace/aviation lens.


Cost & financial aid

  • The Museum of Flight explicitly advertises AE as no cost to participants (tuition-free), which is rare for a multi-week aerospace career program.


Best fit for : Motivated Washington-state high schoolers who want a free, structured pathway into aviation and aerospace careers and can commute to the Museum of Flight.



1.3 TryEngineering Summer Institute - Aerospace Engineering Track (Multiple US Campuses)

Location & format

  • Hosted at different universities across the US (e.g., UT Austin, UC Riverside, etc.), coordinated by IEEE TryEngineering.

  • Typically a two-week residential engineering camp.


Eligibility

  • Designed for students roughly ages 13-17, which usually translates to rising 9th-12th graders.


What you’ll do

  • The overall program is broad engineering, but many sites offer aerospace-focused modules such as glider design, flight mechanics, wind-tunnel style experiments, and UAV/rocket-related projects.

  • Work in teams, attend faculty/industry talks, and visit nearby engineering facilities or companies.


Cost & financial aid

  • Recent listings show tuition a bit above $4,000 for two weeks, including housing and on-campus meals, varying slightly by campus.

  • Need-based scholarships are available through an application process; the number of grants is limited.


Best fit for : Students who want a broad engineering camp with a strong aerospace flavor, living on a college campus and working with IEEE-affiliated instructors.



1.4 NSLC on Aerospace - National Student Leadership Conference (US)

Location & format

  • Hosted at Duke University and Johns Hopkins University, with occasional offerings at other campuses.

  • 9-day residential pre-college program.


Eligibility

  • Designed for high school students ages 14-18 who have completed at least one year of high school.


What you’ll do

  • Design and build an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as a team project.

  • Run simulations and hands-on activities involving rocket launches, gliders, payload delivery systems, and wind-turbine or propulsion labs.

  • Go on trips to places like NASA centers, military bases, or aerospace companies, depending on the host campus.

  • Combine technical exposure with NSLC’s leadership curriculum (public speaking, teamwork, networking).


Cost & financial aid

  • Tuition is in the multi-thousand-dollar range (recent third-party listings show around $4,000 for a 9-day session, including housing and meals).

  • NSLC offers need-based scholarships, but competition is significant.


Best fit for : Students who want both aerospace exposure and leadership training, and who can afford (or secure aid for) a premium residential program.



2. Aviation & Flight Camps


2.1 EAA Air Academy - Aviation Camps in Oshkosh (US)

Location & format

  • Oshkosh, Wisconsin (at EAA’s Air Academy Lodge near Wittman Regional Airport).

  • Residential summer camps, typically one week long, with different sessions by age.


Eligibility

  • Multiple sessions aimed at roughly ages 12-18; the upper-level programs target high school students (often 16-18).


What you’ll do

  • Hands-on workshops on aircraft construction, avionics basics, and aerodynamics.

  • Time in EAA’s museum, flight-related simulations, and ground instruction with experienced volunteers and pilots.

  • Some sessions may include observation of aircraft operations or introductory flight experiences.


Cost & financial aid

  • Tuition is a paid residential fee (varies by age level and year).

  • Scholarships and “camperships” are offered through EAA chapters and the national EAA organization to offset tuition and sometimes travel.


Best fit for : Students who are serious about aviation and potentially pilot training, and who like the idea of being immersed in the EAA community around Oshkosh.



2.2 Western Michigan University - Aviation Summer Camp (US)

Location & format

  • Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation, centered in Battle Creek / Kalamazoo, Michigan.

  • Week-long residential camp, often run in partnership with the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum.


Eligibility

  • Historically aimed at high school students ages ~13-18, with some materials specifying grades 10-12 in more recent listings.


What you’ll do

  • Learn flight planning, aviation safety, and flight operations.

  • Visit local aviation museums (like the Air Zoo), observe or participate in pre-flight inspections, and explore maintenance/engineering aspects.

  • Experience life on a university campus with one of the larger aviation programs in the US.


Cost & financial aid

  • Tuition has historically been in the mid-hundreds to low-thousands of dollars for a week, depending on the exact camp and year.

  • WMU’s College of Aviation advertises camp scholarships (up to a set maximum, e.g., $500) with a separate application and essay.


Best fit for : Students who want to see what an aviation degree and flight training pathway actually look like at a large public university.



2.3 EAA Chapter 690 - Aviation STEM Summer Camp (US, Atlanta Metro)

Location & format

  • EAA Chapter 690 hangar at Gwinnett County Airport (Briscoe Field), Lawrenceville, Georgia.

  • Five-day day camp (9:00-16:00), plus an optional free Young Eagles flight on the Saturday after camp.


Eligibility

  • Structured into three groups:

    • Alpha Camp: ages 12-13

    • Bravo Camp: ages 14-15

    • Charlie Camp: ages 16-18

  • This means it directly serves students through the high school years (up to 18).


What you’ll do

  • Learn principles of aeronautics, aircraft construction methods, helicopters, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and basic flight training concepts.

  • Participate in hands-on STEM projects taught by pilots, engineers, and experienced volunteers.

  • Take a free Young Eagles airplane ride (weather and capacity permitting), giving genuine in-air experience.


Cost & financial aid

  • Recent information lists camp fees of roughly $375 for Alpha/Bravo and $575 for Charlie week-long camps.

  • As a volunteer-run EAA chapter, they sometimes offer local scholarships or sponsorships, though these vary by year and donor.


Best fit for : Students in the Atlanta metro area who want an intensive, relatively affordable aviation/STEM experience with clear progression year-over-year (Alpha → Bravo → Charlie).



3. Industry & Advanced Pathways


3.1 Purdue University - Aviation & Space Summer Experiences (US)

Location & format

  • Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana), known for its “Cradle of Astronauts”.

  • Purdue has a Summer College for High School Students framework that can include one-week aviation and space-focused programs.

  • In recent summers, Purdue has partnered with the U.S. Space Force and industry to run a week-long aviation and space camp exposing students to piloting, UAS, air traffic control, and space operations.


Eligibility

  • Typically aimed at rising 9th-12th graders with strong interest in aviation or aerospace; specific age/grade criteria can vary depending on the exact course or camp in a given year.


What you’ll do

  • Explore unmanned aircraft systems, flight operations, and space domain concepts in labs and simulations.

  • Interact with Purdue faculty, aviation professionals, and sometimes military or industry partners.

  • Live on campus (for residential programs) and get a taste of college life in a campus deeply connected to aerospace history.


Cost & financial aid

  • These are paid pre-college programs, with tuition determined by Purdue’s Summer College framework and varying by year and course length.

  • Limited scholarships or fee reductions may be available via Purdue or outside organizations; families should check each summer’s details.


Best fit for : High-achieving students who want a selective, engineering-heavy experience at one of the most recognized aerospace universities in the world.


Reference URLs :



3.2 Lockheed Martin Space - High School Internship Program (US)

Location & format

  • Multiple Lockheed Martin Space facilities in the US — e.g., Colorado (Boulder, Littleton), California (Sunnyvale), Florida (Cape Canaveral), Alabama (Huntsville), Pennsylvania (King of Prussia / Valley Forge), and others.

  • Typically a 9-10 week paid summer internship, full-time or near full-time.


Eligibility

  • Usually requires students to:

    • Be at least 16 years old at the start of the internship.

    • Be currently enrolled in high school (often rising seniors, but not graduated seniors).

    • Live within commuting distance of a participating facility (these are on-site roles, not fully remote).

  • US work eligibility and background checks are required; many roles will effectively be limited to US citizens or permanent residents because of the nature of the work and export-control regulations.


What you’ll do

  • Contribute to genuine aerospace and defense projects under supervision - for example, working on satellite systems, mission software, data analysis, or test/verification tasks.

  • Participate in career development sessions, networking events, and technical talks with engineers and leaders.


Cost & financial aid

  • These are paid internships - students receive an hourly wage, and in some cases additional professional-development activities are included at no cost.


Best fit for : Exceptionally strong students (especially rising seniors) who already show serious STEM skills - for example through advanced coursework, robotics, coding, or prior research - and who live near a participating Lockheed Martin site.



4. Putting it together -Aerospace, Aviation & Space Programs for High School Students


  • If you want a classic “live on campus and build planes/rockets” week:

    • Illinois Aerospace Institute

    • NSLC on Aerospace

    • TryEngineering Summer Institute (with aerospace modules)

  • If you care most about actual flight and pilot-pathway exposure:

    • EAA Air Academy

    • Western Michigan University Aviation Summer Camp

    • EAA 690 Aviation STEM Camp (especially if you’re in Georgia)

  • If you’re hunting for low-cost or free options:

    • Aeronautical Explorations (Museum of Flight) - explicitly free

    • EAA 690 - relatively modest tuition compared to many national camps

    • Scholarship routes into EAA Air Academy, WMU aviation camp, TryEngineering, and NSLC

  • If you’re aiming for deep industry exposure and already have a strong profile:

    • Purdue’s aviation & space experiences

    • Lockheed Martin’s High School Space Internship Program



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