NASA Glenn Invites Applications for Free Summer Program

High school students can apply for hands-on STEM learning experience at NASA's Glenn Research Center.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 12:28am

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NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is hosting the 2026 NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute this July, a five-day program that will immerse rising high school juniors and seniors in NASA's work while providing essential career readiness tools. Students will collaborate on hands-on STEM projects, assembling and testing components related to acoustic dampening, power management, and simulated lunar operations.

Why it matters

The program aims to help prepare high school students for future careers in the aerospace workforce by giving them a deeper understanding of the engineering design process and practical experience solving real-world challenges through NASA's mission content and guidance from technical experts.

The details

Throughout the five-day program, students will use authentic NASA mission content and work alongside Glenn's technical experts to gain a deeper understanding of the engineering design process, develop practical engineering solutions to real-world challenges, and test prototypes to answer questions in key mission areas: Acoustic dampening - How can we reduce noise pollution from jet engines? Power management and distribution - How can we develop a smart power system for future space stations? Simulated lunar operations - Can we invent tires that don't use air?

  • The institute will take place over three weeklong sessions from July 13-17, July 20-24, and July 27-31, 2026.
  • Applications for the 2026 NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute are open from March 20 through May 1, 2026.

The players

NASA Glenn Research Center

A NASA research center located in Cleveland, Ohio that conducts research and development to advance air and space travel.

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What’s next

Selected students will be notified of their acceptance into the program by June 1, 2026.

The takeaway

This free summer program at NASA's Glenn Research Center provides high school students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience and career readiness skills that could help prepare them for future academic and professional pursuits in the aerospace industry.