The Wolfram Emerging Leaders Program: High School (WELP:HS) is a remote, semester-long program designed for exceptional graduates from the Wolfram High School Summer Research Program to continue to develop their skills.
WELP:HS students work in a small group over the course of a semester to do either a research-based project or a product development–based project. Projects are centered around a topic at the intersection of the group's interests.
Need-based financial aid is available.
What You'll Learn
During WELP:HS, you will go through the entire product development cycle from brainstorming a potential project, to creating a minimum viable product, to iterating on your idea, to producing an interesting and worthwhile project.
Research Skills
As your team works together to write a computational essay, you will dive deep into the subject area, developing research skills and discovering new knowledge. You will learn how to present your findings—in writing, in code and in visualizations—as well as how to formulate, investigate and defend a thesis.
Design Thinking
WELP:HS is structured around the steps of the design thinking process, which inspires intellectual curiosity and embraces iteration. At the start of the program, you will attend design thinking skills workshops, where you will learn to ideate, iterate and implement projects.
Computational Thinking
Computational thinking—the ability to translate complex thoughts into computable concepts—is a core part of WELP:HS. You will learn how to express your thoughts in a systematic and clear enough way that a computer can understand them, while also learning how to structure your approach to problem solving.
Collaboration Skills
At WELP:HS, you will work in a team of three to five other graduates of the Wolfram High School Summer Research Program. These groups are hand selected to both support and challenge each member. You will work together to find a project at the intersection of your interests, where each member has valuable skills to contribute. You will learn how to communicate, resolve conflict and innovate together.
What You'll Do
Complete a Project
Each group completes a project of their own design, culminating in writing a computational essay. Topics in the past have ranged from generating constructed languages, to simulating plastic polymer degradation, to analyzing hash functions from deterministic graph walks, to generating 3D printer infill using cellular automata, to exploring functional iteration and roots.
The ultimate goal of the project is to dive deep into your chosen interest and create a visually stunning, interactive piece of work that combines text, code and visualizations.
Teaching Assistant Training
Select students are invited to join the Teaching Assistant (TA) Training Program, and successful trainees are invited to join the staff team at the Wolfram High School Summer Research Program. TA trainees learn about pedagogy, running activities, public speaking and how to work 1:1 with students as they complete their projects. Becoming a TA at the program is an amazing experience and a great opportunity to share your knowledge and passion with the next generation of talented youth.
Explore Your Next Steps
We want to support you as you make challenging decisions about your future academic- and career-related goals. You will have the opportunity to talk through college decisions, subject specialization choices and summer activities with trusted advisors and engage in professional development activities both individually and as a group.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for one semester of WELP:HS is $2000 and includes all you need to be successful in the program.
WELP:HS runs from August to January, and this cost includes a one-year subscription to Wolfram|One; a one-year subscription to Wolfram|Alpha Pro; robust mentorship and support during the project development process; interactions with key employees at Wolfram; guidance on future education choices; a certificate of completion; and a letter explaining the program to prospective employers and educational institutions.
Financial aid is available for students who demonstrate financial need.
Take the First Step
Admission to WELP:HS is dependent on performance at the Wolfram High School Summer Research Program. The top students from this competitive program are invited to apply for a place at either WELP:HS or WELP:U.
Students interested in joining WELP should apply for the Wolfram High School Summer Research Program.
The Wolfram High School Summer Research Program is open to students aged 14–17. Students who turn 18 after the program but will continue to attend high school are eligible for WELP:HS. Students who turn 18 and have completed high school are eligible for WELP:U.