15 Global Entrepreneurship Programs for High School Students
If you see yourself building a company that operates internationally, you need early exposure to how business strategy changes across regions. Participating in a global entrepreneurship program as a high school student is one of the best ways to do that.
What do global entrepreneurship programs cover?
A global entrepreneurship program will help you explore how businesses expand internationally, conduct market research across cultures, and adapt strategies for different regions. You might collaborate with peers from other countries, analyze global startup case studies, or develop business ideas aimed at international markets. This kind of experience builds leadership, adaptability, and strategic planning skills.
Why pursue global entrepreneurship programs as a high school student?
It can add depth to your academic profile. Being able to reference cross-border collaboration or international market analysis shows that your interest in entrepreneurship is informed and practical. Further, you can use teamwork, leadership, and business skills acquired through these programs in building your venture.
If you’re looking for more programs, you can check out entrepreneurship summer programs. Or, to get an international experience, have a look at entrepreneurship programs abroad.
With that, below are 15 global entrepreneurship programs for high school students!
15 Global Entrepreneurship Programs for High School Students
1. Babson Summer Study
Location: Online (virtual) or in-person at New England Innovation Academy (NEIA), Massachusetts
Cost: Varies based on the learning format
Application Deadline: Round One (Early Bird) February 13; Round Two (Standard) March 13
Dates: July 8-28
Eligibility: High school students; rising juniors and seniors preferred
Babson Summer Study is a three-week immersive program centered on Babson's Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology. You learn to identify opportunities where others see obstacles, developing the mindset and practical skills needed to create value for yourself and society. The curriculum covers ideation, business modeling, marketing, finance, and social innovation, delivered through faculty lectures, case studies, simulations, and workshops. In the in-person format, you live at NEIA and engage in co-curricular activities designed to build collaboration and leadership skills. By the end of the program, you will have developed a venture concept and pitch, and you will earn four college credits from Babson College.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. You can access the application link here!
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is a virtual start-up boot camp where you build a business from the ground up. In this program, you develop a start-up idea and test whether it can become a sustainable venture that solves a real problem. You work with mentors who have experience building companies and operating in technology-driven markets. Alongside building your start-up, you attend structured sessions on business models, market research, customer validation, and basic financial planning. Workshops and case discussions push you to question assumptions and refine your strategy based on feedback. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. Rutgers University Global Entrepreneurship Experience
Location: Virtual
Cost: $595
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: July 20 - 24
Eligibility: High school students
The Rutgers Global Entrepreneurship Experience is a virtual program where you spend several hours each day in live sessions with entrepreneurs and startup experts. You explore emerging themes such as AI, Web3, digital branding, and innovation within a business context. You work on developing and pitching a venture concept while interacting with peers from different locations. Sessions also address communication, leadership, and teamwork in global settings. You gain exposure to how digital tools shape modern entrepreneurship. Recorded sessions remain available after the program for review.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies by the program. Full financial aid available
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10–20 hours/week, for 8–12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective internship program designed for high school students interested in gaining experience at start-ups. You will work remotely with a growing company on an internship project, with start-ups spanning fields such as technology, AI and machine learning, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. Many of the companies are early-stage but actively developing their products or services, and their founders often have prior experience building companies or working in established tech firms. During the internship, you collaborate directly with your manager and receive guidance from a Ladder Coach while contributing to real projects for the company. You also present your work to the start-up at the end of the program.
5. Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive (IGEI)
Location: Lehigh University campus (residential), Bethlehem, PA
Cost: $7,000 (includes tuition, room/board, materials, field trips, transportation)
Application Deadline: February 15 (priority; rolling after until full)
Dates: July 5 – 25
Eligibility: U.S./international high school students graduating in the next three years (ages 15–17 during program)
The Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive is a three-week residential program at Lehigh University. You work in teams to address real-world challenges through structured entrepreneurship projects. You participate in a Small Business Bootcamp and complete an “intrapreneurship” consulting project for a client organization. Coursework includes design thinking, concentration-based learning tracks, and business site visits. Leadership development and cross-cultural collaboration are built into daily activities. The program emphasizes teamwork, structured problem-solving, and presenting solutions clearly.
6. Georgetown Entrepreneurship Academy
Location: Georgetown University campus (residential or commuter), Washington, DC
Cost: Residential $6,465; Commuter $5,075
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: June 7 – 19
Eligibility: High school students
Georgetown’s Entrepreneurship Academy is a two-week program focused on venture creation and enterprise management. In this program, you study how startups move from idea to prototype to business plan and explore design thinking, market research, operations, and finance. The program ends with a team pitch competition where you present your venture concept. You also examine ethical decision-making and risk management in business. Lectures, field visits, and discussions connect theory with application.
7. Colorado State University Global Business Academy
Location: CSU College of Business, Fort Collins, CO (Philadelphia accessible via travel)
Cost: $3,750 per student; limited scholarships available
Application Deadline: May 1 (early: Feb 1)
Dates: July 12 – 22
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors (15–18 years old, enrolled in Fall)
The CSU Global Business Academy is a residential program where you explore entrepreneurship in a global context. In this program, you engage with faculty sessions on innovation, sustainability, ethics, and decision-making. You participate in a startup challenge that requires customer discovery and venture design. Company visits and executive talks provide exposure to how organizations operate internationally. Team-based projects help you practice negotiation and cross-cultural communication. Outdoor leadership activities are integrated into the experience to build collaboration skills.
8. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes – Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Location: Online (live virtual sessions)
Cost: Not specified
Application Deadline: Not specified
Dates: Two-week sessions offered in Session One and Session Two (exact dates vary)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 8–11 at the time of application
Stanford's Innovation and Entrepreneurship course offers an engaging introduction to building businesses in the Silicon Valley tradition. You study customer insight, marketing, product development, and business models, with an emphasis on design thinking to solve real customer problems. You explore fundamental business concepts and connect them to real-world companies through case studies and interactive exercises. The course meets for two hours daily in live online sessions with your instructor, plus asynchronous homework of 1–2 hours per day. You work on a team startup project throughout the program, culminating in a final presentation.
9. United Nations Young Leaders Training Programme
Location: Online
Cost: Typically above $700
Application Deadline: Varies by edition
Dates: 4 weeks (28 days); multiple editions: Jan 12-Feb 6, April, June, August
Eligibility: Youth aged 15–24 worldwide
The United Nations Young Leaders Online Training Programme is a 4-week e-learning course hosted on UNITAR’s platform. You will complete self-paced modules requiring 4–6 hours a week, focusing on Multilateral Diplomacy, the UN System, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Cosmopolitan Communication. The program also features live webinars with UN experts and e-workshops focused on leadership and negotiation skills. It is designed to give you firsthand experience with the United Nations and the knowledge necessary to understand global complexities. At the end of the program, you receive an official UNITAR certificate of completion.
10. Blanchard Institute Student Self Leadership
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: February 15
Dates: February 26 – March 25
Eligibility: Teens ages 14–18 (high school students)
The Blanchard Institute Student Self Leadership program is a four-week online course focused on personal leadership development. In this program, you attend weekly live sessions and complete structured activities on goal setting and accountability. You track your progress through the platform and apply communication tools in collaborative exercises. The curriculum emphasizes initiative and self-management in academic and professional contexts. You earn a digital credential upon completion. The structure encourages consistent participation and reflection.
11. University of Texas, Austin’s Subiendo Academy
Location: UT Austin McCombs School of Business campus (residential), Austin, TX
Cost: Free (all-expenses-paid)
Application Deadline: Opens November 1 (exact closing unspecified)
Dates: June 14 – 18
Eligibility: Current Texas high school juniors
The Subiendo Academy is a residential leadership program at UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business. You will work on real-world challenges in healthcare, energy, and education. You attend sessions led by business and policy leaders and participate in team-based problem-solving. Communication workshops prepare you to present structured recommendations. You live on campus and interact with mentors and peers throughout the week. The program aims to prepare future leaders for civic and business impact.
12. Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute (KWLI)
Location: Indiana University Bloomington campus (in-person) or virtual, Bloomington, IN
Cost: Free (in-person covers breakfast/lunch; participants handle travel/housing)
Application Deadline: March 20 (applications open January 5)
Dates: Virtual: April 22 & 29 (7–9 p.m. ET, 2 days); In-person: June 12, June 26, July 10, July 24 (all-day sessions)
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, seniors (3.5+ GPA); rising juniors/seniors for in-person
The Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute offers in-person and virtual sessions focused on business leadership. In this program, you attend faculty-led lectures and complete case-based projects. You analyze business scenarios and practice structured communication, and explore career pathways within business disciplines. The in-person option provides a campus immersion experience. The program is selective and emphasizes academic readiness.
13. Notre Dame Leadership Seminars
Location: University of Notre Dame campus (residential), Notre Dame, IN
Cost: Free tuition, housing, meals (students cover $75 app fee, $150 enrollment fee, travel)
Application Deadline: January 21
Dates: July 18 – 29
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (top 10% class rank, rigorous curriculum, leadership experience, age 16+ by Aug 1; SAT 1300–1500/ACT 31+ preferred)
Notre Dame Leadership Seminars is a residential program where you choose from thematic tracks, including business-focused seminars. You engage in a competitive 10-day residential program (150 students admitted) exploring leadership through specialized seminars. These include Business: What Is It Good For? and The Power of Investing alongside Global Issues, Inequality, RADIANT tech, and American Experiment tracks. Business aspects cover organizational purpose, financial literacy, compound interest, investment strategies, and economic inequities via lectures, discussions, and projects. You may earn 1 transferable college credit upon completion.
14. Columbia University’s Pre-college Programs — Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Changing the World via Venture Creation
Location: New York City, New York
Cost: Online (2 Weeks) - $3,960; Commuter (3 Weeks) - $6,380; Residential (3 Weeks) - $12,154
Application Deadline: February 3 (Priority); Late April (Final)
Dates: Multiple 2 and 3-week sessions for summer offered between June 29 and July 31. Spring, fall, and winter sessions are also offered
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12 and recent high school graduates
Columbia’s pre-college program offers a range of courses connected to business, economics, and entrepreneurship, giving you the chance to explore different aspects of the field. You can select classes that cover topics such as market analysis, business strategy, and data-driven decision-making. For students interested in entrepreneurship, the Entrepreneurship & Innovation course focuses on how new ventures are developed and assessed. In this class, you study business models, customer needs, and the relationship between products and their target markets. You also receive feedback from instructors and peers as you refine your ideas and apply core entrepreneurship concepts. Overall, the course emphasizes research, analysis, and practical frameworks that can be used to evaluate and shape new business ideas.
15. UC San Diego’s BRIDGE (Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,115
Application Deadline: June 26
Dates: July 6 – 23
Eligibility: Open to current high school students entering grades 9–12
BRIDGE is an online program that introduces high school students to entrepreneurship and venture development. Throughout the course, you learn through case studies, guided discussions, and interactive activities that explain how businesses are started and grown. You develop a detailed business proposal while practicing decision-making skills used in early-stage companies. The program also includes managing a simulated venture, where you respond to challenges such as growth planning and matching a product to its market. By completing the course, you earn three pre-college academic credits and gain practical experience in business analysis and planning.
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