Build Tech That Matters.

Fellows design technology and data solutions that reduce online harm—cyber-bullying, negative self-talk, and self-harm—while promoting youth digital well-being and mental health.

Fellows should expect to spend approximately 20 hours per week on the program. This includes live meetings (1–2 times per week), independent work, and collaboration with your assigned pod. The schedule is flexible to accommodate summer travel and school start dates.

Tech Cohort applicants should have completed AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, or at least one semester of college-level programming. You should be comfortable writing and editing basic Python and JavaScript/TypeScript code. Prior experience with React or Next.js is helpful but not required—we’ll cover them during Week 1.

Absolutely. This is not just another summer program—it’s a career and college accelerator. Fellows:

• Work side-by-side with university professors, licensed clinicians, and industry veterans on meaningful, publishable projects.
• Develop and present portfolio-worthy deliverables, including AI prototypes, behavioral health datasets, and campaign results backed by real-world metrics.
• Receive 120+ verified service hours, a formal letter of recommendation, and gain experience using professional tools such as DataCamp, BrightData, and UserTesting.
• Become eligible for publication or conference presentation, an uncommon opportunity at the high school or early undergrad level.

This combination of impact, mentorship, and rigor is designed to make your application stand out for top-tier colleges, scholarships, and tech internships.

The program is completely free. We do not charge any tuition or fees, and all selected fellows receive a stipend of $1,250.

Each fellow is part of a small cohort that includes both high school and college-level peers, fostering a collaborative, near-peer learning environment. In addition to this peer support, fellows receive mentorship from curaJOY’s leadership team—including university faculty, clinicians, and industry professionals such as Dr. Marc Lanovaz, Dr. Geetika Agarwal, and Dr. Anthony Pajot. These experts provide ongoing feedback, masterclasses, and support throughout the fellowship.

Each high-school fellow is paired with a college “near-peer” mentor inside their cohort. College-age fellows lead code reviews and project check-ins, while licensed adult staff supervise the whole cohort. Each six-person cohort pairs two college “Leads,” two college “Collaborators,” and two high-school “Associates.” This 4 : 2 near-peer ratio means every high-school student works shoulder-to-shoulder with older teammates who coach code reviews, project planning, and presentation skills, while licensed adult staff and PhD advisors provide expert oversight.

We welcome applications from rising high school juniors and seniors, as well as current college students, who are curious, motivated, and want to use technology and community engagement to improve youth mental wellness.
Tech Cohort applicants should have prior programming experience. Impact Cohort applicants should have strong writing, social media, or outreach skills.

Each fellow receives a $1,250 stipend, disbursed in two phases:

$625 at the program midpoint (on or around August 1)

$625 upon successful completion (by August 24), based on attendance, participation, and submission of final deliverables.

Stipends are processed as 1099-NEC income; no deposits or fees are ever required.

Since 2022, curaJOY’s year-round Youth Ambassadors and Joymakers have completed more than 40 software and community projects. Seventy percent of alumni who applied to internships were hired by companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, EA and the UN. The Summer Impact Fellowship distills those best practices into a competitive, 7-week paid program—making this Founding Cohort both new and built on a proven talent pipeline, intended for high-caliber youth who are committed to showcasing their technical and leadership capacity.

No. You may attend all sessions virtually. If you are local or can travel, you’re welcome to join the three on-site events for extra networking and a professional photo session. The fellowship is hybrid by design: all core work can be completed online for accessibility, yet we host three flagship in-person days in San Diego (Build Day, and Demo Day). These live events give fellows the networking and showcase experience of a traditional on-site internship, while our fully equipped virtual environment lets students join from anywhere. Colleges and employers value the hybrid model because it combines real-world deliverables with global reach.

California high-school fellows complete the B1-1 and B1-4 work-permit forms after acceptance. Stipends are reported on IRS Form 1099-NEC; families should consult their tax advisor about any impact.