UC Berkeley IEOR Launches Summer Machine Learning and AI Research Program for High School Students

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to industries ranging from finance to health care, understanding how AI systems work is becoming an important skill for the next generation of students and innovators.

To help introduce these concepts early, the UC Berkeley Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research is launching a new summer program designed to give high school students hands-on experience with machine learning and data-driven research. The program, developed in collaboration with the Dado and Maria Banatao Center for Global Learning and Outreach (GLOBE) at the UC Berkeley College of Engineering, is called the Berkeley Engineering Summer Machine-learning & AI Research Training (BeSMART).

Scheduled for July 27–Aug. 7, 2026, the two-week residential program will introduce students to the algorithms, data manipulation techniques and validation methods that drive modern artificial intelligence. Participants will attend faculty-led lectures, take part in hands-on lab sessions and complete a final research project using real-world datasets.

“Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, and it is important for students to understand not just how to use AI tools but how they work,” said Xin Guo, UC Berkeley IEOR Department Chair, and one of the program’s faculty instructors. “Through BeSMART, we aim to give students an opportunity to explore the algorithms and data-driven methods behind AI and to develop foundational skills that will prepare them for future study and innovation in this field.”

The program is designed for high school students ages 15–17 and does not require prior coursework in computer science or programming. Participants will learn the fundamentals of Python programming, data manipulation and machine-learning techniques, while applying those skills to a final project focused on a topic of personal interest.

In addition to academic instruction, students will experience campus life at UC Berkeley. Participants will live in residence halls, dine in campus facilities and interact with UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students. The program will also include college preparation sessions and visits to student laboratories and Silicon Valley companies.

BeSMART will be taught by IEOR faculty members Xin Guo, Phillip Kerger, Ying Cui, Thibaut Mastrolia, Huiwen Jia and Anil Aswani, bringing together expertise across data science, operations research and applied machine learning.

Enrollment is limited to 20 students, allowing for close interaction with faculty and collaborative project work.

Applications for the inaugural program are due April 15.

Prospective students and families can learn more about the program here.

Students interested in applying can submit an application here.