Best Extracurriculars for High School Freshmen

What Freshmen Should Focus On

• Explore diverse interests and try new activities
• Join clubs to find your passion
• Start building foundational skills
• Participate in beginner competitions
• Develop time management habits

Programs open to freshmen right now

1138 matching programs are listed in the directory right now. The most recently added:

• Khan Academy High School Volunteer Translation Program — Khan Academy: Translate educational content to make free learning accessible worldwide.
• Free Rice High School Volunteer Program for Hunger Relief (World Fo — World Food Programme: Answer trivia questions to donate rice through the World Food Programme.
• Missing Maps — Missing Maps / Red Cross: Map vulnerable areas to help humanitarian organizations respond to crises.
• DoSomething.org High School Leadership and Community Service Program — DoSomething.org: Lead youth-driven social impact campaigns on issues you care about.
• 7 Cups High School Emotional Support Volunteer Program — 7 Cups: Provide free emotional support through anonymous online chat conversations.
• Be My Eyes Video Volunteer — Be My Eyes: Help blind and low-vision people with everyday tasks through video calls.
• Presidential AI Challenge — White House Office of Science and Technology Policy: National K-12 AI competition where students build real-world AI solutions for community challenges, with finals at the White House.
• National Japan Bowl — Japan-America Society of Washington DC: Compete in the National Japan Bowl to showcase your Japanese language and cultural knowledge. Build key skills, earn scholarships, and enhance your co
• Kaggle Data Science Competitions — Kaggle/Google: Join exciting online data science competitions for high school students! Build Python coding skills, explore AI, and strengthen your college applicati
• Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition — Blue Ocean Global Network: Join the world’s largest virtual pitch competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurship skills, boost your college applications, and showc
• EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship — Experimental Aircraft Association: Earn up to $12,000 for flight training toward a Private Pilot Certificate. Perfect for high school students seeking hands-on STEM experience and colle
• MIT Global AI Hackathon — MIT RAISE & App Inventor Foundation: Join a free virtual AI hackathon for high schoolers to develop apps tackling global challenges. Gain hands-on STEM experience and boost your college a
• Microsoft AI for Good Challenge — Microsoft: Empower global impact by joining this free AI competition for high schoolers. Develop machine learning skills, boost college applications, and tackle
• NASA International Space Apps Challenge — NASA: Solve real-world space and climate challenges in NASA’s global hackathon. This free competition lets high schoolers build coding, data science, and te
• International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) — IOAI Foundation: Compete in the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence to enhance AI and machine learning skills, boost college applications, and gain hands
• Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy — Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association: Explore the free ACE Academy summer program for high schoolers in grades 9-12. Gain hands-on aviation experience, build skills, and boost your college
• World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY) — Ready AI: Join a global AI competition for grades 6-12 to solve real-world problems using artificial intelligence. Build STEM skills, boost college applications
• Davidson Fellows Scholarship - Music Category — Davidson Institute: Prestigious music scholarship recognizing high school students with exceptional compositions. Boost your college applications and showcase your creati
• Yau Science Awards (Asia) — Tsinghua University / Harvard University: Showcase your scientific research skills in this prestigious high school competition. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, and connec
• MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition — MIT: Compete in a premier entrepreneurship competition for high schoolers. Develop business skills, launch innovative ventures, and boost college applicati
• Yale Entrepreneurial Society High School Fellowship — Yale Entrepreneurial Society: Master entrepreneurship skills in this free 8-week virtual fellowship for high school students. Build startups, strengthen college applications, and l
• International Chemistry Olympiad Team Member — American Chemical Society: Compete globally in the International Chemistry Olympiad, a free STEM competition for high schoolers. Build advanced chemistry skills and boost your c
• Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition — Forbes Magazine: Gain national recognition as a high school entrepreneur with Forbes 30 Under 30. Boost college applications and showcase your achievements in business
• Technology Student Association National Officer — TSA: Lead as a TSA National Officer in this hybrid STEM opportunity. Build leadership skills, enhance college applications, and gain hands-on experience in