Although you wouldn’t know it judging by the weather, summer is almost here and summer programs aimed at high school students are about to kick off. We made a list of the five programs that teach entrepreneurial skills to teens in the greater Boston area (the Berklee-Brown program includes a week in Providence).
Many deadlines have already passed, but schools may still have spots available for Summer 2017 or offer the opportunity to sign up to receive updates about next year’s application deadline.
Berklee-Brown Creative Entrepreneurship Summer Program
Cost: $5,750 tuition + $50 registration fee
Dates: July 16-28
Over the course of the two weeks, students age 15 to 18 live on both the Brown campus in Providence, Rhode Island and the Berklee campus in Boston. The program encourages creative and social entrepreneurship, with a special attention to businesses that are related to music, theater and dance. The goal of the program is, among others, prototyping a hands-on project and develop the startup mindset. Unlike other Berklee programs, students aren’t required to play an instrument. “Fundamentally, we believe that entrepreneurship, very much like music, is a universal language,” Panos Panay, Managing Director of BerkleeICE, said in a promotional video.
Cost: $6095, including housing, activities and program materials
Dates: Two sessions options, June 12 -July 8 or July 11 - August 10
Open to students in current 9-12 grade (freshman through senior) when applying, the 4-week camp is aimed at launching a real startup. Students, who live in MIT dorms and take classes in MIT classrooms, work in teams of 3 or 4 to start their own business. The application for summer 2017 is now closed, but MIT will open applications for the Summer 2018 program in the fall of 2017.
Harvard Summer Business Academy
Cost: $795, housing not included
Dates: First week is June 19-23, other weeks are on schedule
The one-week long program is designed to teach high school students the essentials of business leadership, including how to interview potential customers and how to write a business plan. At the end of the week, students present their business plan to judges, entrepreneurs and Harvard students. Applications are closed, but students are encouraged to email the school to learn about spots that may still be available.
Babson’s Summer Study for High School Students
Cost: $7,900, including room and board, tuition for 4 college credits, activities and health insurance plan
Dates: July 6-August 4
During the 4-week program, rising high school juniors and seniors take classes in Design Thinking, Business Ideation, Communication, Business and human rights, and Reframing failure. The learning experience includes company site visits and meetings with local entrepreneurs. At the end of the program, participants pitch their entrepreneurial action plans to the Babson community.
Experiential Entrepreneurship (E2) at Northeastern University
Cost: $5,495 for the residential program, $3,995 for the non-residential program
Dates: July 17-August 11
Powered by the Level Program at Northeastern University, the E2 program is a 4-week camp where students will start and run real companies. The program offers four different paths depending on the type of startup students what to found: Technology Startups, Social Entrepreneurship, and Consumer Products and Services. Each path provides students with customized mentorship and networks.
Photo provided.
