Free Leadership Programs for High School Students

Every program on this page costs $0 to attend — cost should never be the reason a strong student skips leadership opportunities.

Funded leadership programs are often more selective than paid ones precisely because someone else is paying; treat their deadlines seriously.

145 verified programs match this page; 30 of the featured listings are completely free; 11 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• White House Internship Program — The White House: Gain hands-on leadership experience with this prestigious White House internship. Perfect for building government skills and boosting college applicat
• Nonprofit Founder (501(c)(3)) — IRS / State Government: Launch your own 501(c)(3) nonprofit and gain leadership, entrepreneurship, and hands-on experience. Boost college applications while making a real-wor
• United States Senate Youth Program — Hearst Foundations: Explore leadership and civic skills in this prestigious high school program. Includes a week in Washington, D.C. and a $10,000 scholarship to boost co
• Robertson Scholars Leadership Program — Duke University / UNC Chapel Hill: Full-ride leadership program for high school seniors combining hands-on experience, college application boosts, and access to Duke & UNC resources. Ap
• Morehead-Cain Scholarship — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Earn a full-ride scholarship while developing leadership skills through the hybrid Morehead-Cain program. Perfect for college-bound high school senior
• Virginia Governor's School Programs — State of Virginia: Transform your summer with Virginia Governor's School Programs! Free in-person leadership and STEM opportunities for 10th-11th graders to boost skills
• U.S. Presidential Scholars Program — U.S. Department of Education: Earn national recognition as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, the highest honor for top high school seniors. Boost college applications and showcase leade
• Telluride Association Sophomore Seminars (TASS) — Telluride Association: Explore a free summer program for rising juniors focused on Black experience, leadership, and humanities. Build critical thinking skills and strengthe
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship — Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Secure up to $55k/year with this elite, need-based scholarship for high-achieving seniors. Boost college applications and unlock opportunities for aca
• Stamps Leadership Scholars — Stamps Foundation: Earn a full-ride scholarship plus enrichment funds at top colleges while building leadership skills. Perfect for high school seniors aiming to stand o
• Ron Brown Scholar Program — Ron Brown Scholar Fund: Elite scholarship for Black high school seniors excelling in academics and leadership. Earn $40k to fund college while building leadership skills for
• Boettcher Scholarship — Boettcher Foundation: Earn a full-ride scholarship to any Colorado college! This prestigious opportunity helps high school seniors stand out on college applications and bui
• Posse Foundation Scholarship — Posse Foundation: Earn a full-tuition scholarship to top colleges through this virtual leadership program. Build skills, join a supportive cohort, and strengthen your c
• Flinn Scholarship — Flinn Foundation: Elite full-ride scholarship for Arizona seniors to ASU, UArizona, or NAU. Boost leadership skills, gain recognition, and secure your college future at
• Telluride Association Summer Seminars (TASS) — Telluride Association: Explore a free in-person summer program for high school students in grades 10-11. Build leadership skills, study humanities, and boost your college ap
• Animal Advocacy Opportunity for Teens — Fur-Ever Friends Foundation: Hello! I'm Jemma, and I am a teen passionate about animal welfare. I am the outreach of a group called Fur-Ever Friends Foundation. We are a youth-le
• Humanity in Action Fellowship — Humanity in Action: Prestigious international fellowship for young leaders exploring human rights, democracy, and social justice. Fellows study in European capitals and b
• Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program — U.S. Department of State: Fully funded year-long exchange program bringing students from Eurasia to live with American host families and attend U.S. high schools. Promotes mutu
• UNA-USA Global Classrooms Model UN — United Nations Association of the USA: The United Nations Association's official Model UN program bringing authentic UN perspectives into classrooms. Free curriculum resources and city-wide
• World Affairs Councils of America - Youth Programs — World Affairs Councils of America: Network of 90+ councils across the U.S. offering students access to foreign policy speakers, global affairs workshops, Academic WorldQuest competition
• School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL) — School for Ethics and Global Leadership: Semester-long program in Washington D.C. where students study ethics, leadership, and global affairs while earning transferable high school credits. O
• AFS Intercultural Programs — AFS Intercultural Programs: One of the world's oldest and most respected international exchange organizations. Spend a summer, semester, or year studying abroad in 50+ countries
• American Legion Boys State — The American Legion: Premier week-long government simulation program where high school juniors create a mock state government. Free, highly selective, and one of the most
• Marine Corps NROTC Scholarship — U.S. Marine Corps: The Marine Option NROTC Scholarship provides full tuition and a monthly stipend to high school seniors who want to become Marine Corps officers. A hig
• National Urban League Whitney M. Young Jr. Scholarship — National Urban League: The Whitney M. Young Jr. Scholarship honors the legacy of the late National Urban League executive director. It awards scholarships to urban youth com
• Chick-fil-A Community Scholars Program — Chick-fil-A Inc.: Chick-fil-A Community Scholars awards up to $25,000 to non-employee high school and college students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and commun
• GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program — GE Foundation / Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation: A prestigious $10,000 scholarship for high school seniors who demonstrate leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship. Up to 20 scholars selected na
• St. Gallen Symposium Wings of Excellence Essay Competition — St. Gallen Symposium Foundation: Top 100 essayists invited to prestigious annual symposium with global leaders. Fully funded trip to Switzerland. One of most selective student opportu
• Princeton Model Congress — Princeton Model Congress: Four-day simulation where students draft and debate legislation in committee.
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute R2L NextGen — Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute: Free week-long program in Washington DC for Hispanic high school students interested in public service and policy. Includes meetings with Congress mem

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