Extracurriculars & Programs in Virginia for High School Students

Virginia pairs UVA and Virginia Tech pre-college programs with the DC-adjacent internship market in Northern Virginia — government, defense tech, and research labs within commuting reach.

11 verified programs match this page; 8 of the featured listings are completely free; 1 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 11+ curated programs for high school students:

  • 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
  • CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition — Air & Space Forces Association (AFA): Join a free high school cybersecurity competition to develop hands-on skills in Linux, Windows, and networking. Boost your college applications with r
  • Janelia High School Internships — HHMI Janelia Research Campus: Paid summer internship for high school juniors and seniors to explore neuroscience, imaging, and computational biology. Gain hands-on research skills
  • Stockholm Junior Water Prize USA — Water Environment Federation (WEF): Compete in a national water research competition for high schoolers. Build STEM skills, explore sustainability, and strengthen college applications wi
  • SeaPerch Underwater Robotics Program — Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Foundation & RoboNation: Build underwater robots in this hands-on STEM competition for grades 6-12. Gain engineering skills, boost college applications, and explore marine rob
  • Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) National Finalist — Aerospace Industries Association: 100 teams compete at nationals. Design/build rockets to specific altitude/time. Winners represent USA at international.
  • The American Rocketry Challenge — AIA & Partners: Design, build, and launch rockets in the largest rocketry competition for grades 7-12. Boost STEM skills, gain hands-on experience, and impress colleg
  • Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) — George Mason University: Explore hands-on STEM research in neuroscience, cybersecurity, and bioinformatics with ASSIP's summer internship. Boost college prospects and build pr
  • USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) — Center for Excellence in Education: Compete in the USA Biology Olympiad to enhance lab skills, deepen biology knowledge, and boost college applications. Open to high school students in g
  • William & Mary Pre-College Online Program — William & Mary College: Pre-college online program at the College of William & Mary for students ages 13 and up.
  • ASC Theatre Camp — American Shakespeare Center: Residential Shakespeare intensive in Staunton, VA for actors ages 13-19: three-week sessions culminating in one-hour early modern plays, with access t

Frequently asked questions

How many virginia programs are listed for high school students?

ExtracurricularHub currently lists 11 verified virginia opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link.

Are any of these virginia programs free?

Yes — 8 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early.

Which deadlines are coming up soonest?

The next deadlines: CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition (October 1, 2026); USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) (November 8, 2026); SeaPerch Underwater Robotics Program (November 30, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site.

Do I have to live in Virginia to participate?

Most in-person programs based in Virginia accept applicants from anywhere, though some give preference to local students. Residential summer programs typically accept students nationwide — check each listing's eligibility.