Overview
The My Streetscape Summer Research Institute is an interdisciplinary research program on urban technology and trust organized by the the Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3). This program is designed for 11th-grade high-school students (rising seniors) from New York City to hone their interests in engineering and the social sciences, regardless of their level of experience or knowledge.
High school students from New York City can apply for this program through the CS3 track of the E.N.G. program at Columbia University.
Students are paid $17.00 per hour for their participation.
The summer 2026 application is now open! Apply below:
KEY DATES
Application Opens:
December 2, 2025
Application Closes:
March 1, 2026
Interviews Begin:
April 6, 2026
Decisions Released:
May 2026
Program Dates:
July 6 - August 14, 2026
Note: Applicants will be directed to apply through the Columbia Engineering ENG program. When starting your application, please select "Create an account" under First-time users.
The application uses the same platform as the Columbia Engineering Graduate School, so some questions may not be relevant for high school students. Those questions can be left blank.
Conducting cutting-edge engineering research: Students explore projects related to transportation engineering and urban mobility.
Connecting the social sciences with engineering: Our program trains students for "field work" in Harlem, where they conduct interviews with residents and gather data.
Success: Students present their research and findings at the conclusion of six weeks of learning at Columbia University.
Program Goals
Program Details
- Program Dates: July 6 - August 14, 2026
- Mondays through Thursdays, 9am-4pm
- In-person engineering and social science sessions at Columbia University
- Students are paid $17.00 per hour
- Student Responsibilities:
- Attend all summer program activities in-person
- Complete assigned research project, final presentation, and report
- Attend a community-facing event that presents students’ research findings and project contributions to the public
- Complete program assessment surveys
Eligibility
- Rising high school senior (current 11th graders)
- U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents
- Interest in engineering and social science research
- Must attend a high school located in New York City (strong preference for students at Harlem schools or Harlem residents)
Student Stories
“This program helped me expand on certain aspects of engineering that I didn’t know much about, especially research. Now I know that speaking directly to the community and finding out their perspectives are methods I’d need to use as an engineer.”
— Christopher Grullon
