At the NSLC on Engineering summer program for high school students, you’ll explore a variety of engineering fields including mechanical, civil, electrical, and biomedical engineering. Professors and professional engineers will tell you about exciting new research endeavors and their latest projects. Then, engineering simulations give you the opportunity to design and build with your teammates.
Program Highlights
Land and sea build project
Design a line-following car and a sea perch with your team, then test them through challenges with your peers.
Learn fundamental skills
Hands-on workshops teach you breadboarding, programming, soldering, and CAD techniques.
Alternative energy workshops
Build a wind turbine and learn to efficiently harness natural resources.
Start developing
Apply the skills you've learned to design a product that addresses one of the 14 Grand Challenges of engineering - then pitch it to investors.
Dates & Locations
Note: Space is limited. Please login to the online application to see up-to-date session availability.

Duke University
- June 11 - June 19
- June 23 - July 1
The NSLC is not sponsored by Duke University.

Johns Hopkins University
- June 17 - June 25
- June 29 - July 7
- July 12 - July 20
- July 24 - August 1
The NSLC is not related to or affiliated with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in any way. NSLC is an entirely separate entity with no connection to JHU aside from the temporary rental of facilities for the program.

University of California, Berkeley
- June 23 - July 1
- July 5 - July 13
- July 17 - July 25
- July 29 - August 6

Yale University
- June 24 - July 2
- July 6 - July 14
- July 17 - July 25
The NSLC is not sponsored by Yale University.
Hands-on Simulations
At the NSLC on Engineering program for high school students, you will experience some of the most exciting work that is challenging professional engineers today. During the program, you will design, build, and operate an underwater ROV. Then, you and your team will work together to find the most economical way to build a wind turbine that produces electricity. Each day offers hands-on activities and intriguing problems to solve.
Our college-level lecture series will provide you with a foundation of knowledge on a variety of engineering disciplines.
Topics include:
- Chemical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Computer Science
Meet Engineering Professionals
While at the NSLC’s summer high school engineering program, you will meet with and learn from leaders in the engineering community.
Examples of past guest speakers include:
Mr. George Levin
Director of the Aeronautics & Space Engineering Board, The National Academies
Dr. Roman Kuc
Professor of Electrical Engineering, Yale University
Mr. George Banker
Operations Manager, ARMY Ten-Miler
Dr. Stephen Carr
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University
Dr. Ken Goldberg
Professor of Industrial Engineering, UC-Berkeley
Dr. Mehran Sahami
Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University
Mr. Joseph Holtgrieve
Assistant Dean for Student Career Development, Northwestern
Mrs. Tiffany Reardon
Admissions Officer, UC-Berkeley College of Engineering
Mr. Barrie Green
Assistant Director of Engineering Operations, NASA
Dr. Brian Scassellati
Director, NSF Expedition on Socially Assistive Robotics, Yale University
Dr. C.D. Mote
President, National Academy of Engineering
Dr. Alton Romig
Executive Director, National Academy of Engineering
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
The NSLC on Engineering has created special partnerships with engineering facilities across the country to provide unparalleled access and experiences for our engineering students.
Trips may include:
Duke University
Duke Engineering Design Pod | Duke University Engineering Labs | Duke Harris Environmental & Energy Center | North Carolina Museum of Natural Science | West Campus
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering | Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division | George Washington University School of Engineering & Applied Sciences | Stephen F. Udvar Hazy Center | The Smithsonian Institution | Baltimore Harbor
University of California, Berkeley
Computer History Museum | Golden Gate Bridge Engineering Tour | Tech Interactive | UC Berkeley College of Engineering | Autodesk Gallery | Pier 39 | Fisherman’s Wharf | Ghiradelli Square
Yale University
Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science | Yale Social Robotics Lab | Boston Museum of Science | Historic Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market | Six Flags New England
Leadership Training
At the heart of the NSLC is a leadership curriculum designed to build concrete leadership skills that will help you succeed. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
Leadership topics tailored to the Engineering program include:
- Personality Styles and Group Dynamics
- Conflict Resolution
- Negotiation
- Public Speaking
- Intrapersonal Communication
College Credit Option
American University (AU) and NSLC have a unique partnership that enables you to earn college credit by enrolling in a supplemental online course designed to correlate with your NSLC program’s area of study. By enrolling in this credit course, you will enjoy a stimulating, innovative, and personalized college-level learning experience that builds on your NSLC accomplishments. The course is for one credit and is taught in a self-paced, asynchronous format across six weeks, allowing ample time to complete assignments. The course is designed to work within the framework of NSLC; students are not expected to complete coursework while on campus. Students may register for college credit via their personal student portal (myNSLC) once they have enrolled in an NSLC session.
Click here to learn more about this opportunity.
Tuition
Program tuition includes housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities. Tuition also includes chartered, air-conditioned motor coaches for off-campus briefings and tours. Note: Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the program as well as individual spending money for souvenirs, laundry, and a few off-campus meals during fields trips and tours.
Click here to view our cancellation and refund policy.
Location | Tuition |
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Baltimore, Durham, and San Francisco | $3,795 |
New Haven | $3,895 |