Lang Science Program

Lang instructor and student who is putting a cap onto a tube.

Matt Shanley/© AMNH

Applications are currently closed.

Contact Information: [email protected]

Are you a 6th grader who is really excited about science?

Are you curious about science and the natural world? Do you always watch the latest rocket launch, follow #nature on Instagram, or like learning about different cultures around the world? You can learn about all of that and more as a student in the American Museum of Natural History’s Lang Science Scholars Program!

Lang Science Scholars is an intensive, six-year science program spanning middle and high school for students in New York City. Lang is a program for students who are curious about the world and eager to expand their knowledge. We work with our students to nurture this curiosity and joy, and to guide them to become responsible contributors to and consumers of science. In Lang, the Museum will be your classroom for six years—you’ll learn in the exhibits, visit our collections and labs, and take classes with students who share your passion for science. You’ll also conduct your own research, visit nearby forests, zoos, research centers, and other museums!

Eligibility

To apply to the Lang Science Program, you must be:

someone who loves science and can’t get enough of it!
curious about the world and eager to to expand your knowledge
enthusiastic about trying new things and challenging yourself
Value working in diverse teams and collaborating with others

and...

currently in the 6th grade
living in and/or going to school in the five boroughs of NYC
able, willing, and eager to commit to a 6-year program that meets for 3 weeks every summer, and 15-18 Saturdays every school year, with the option for some after school meetings in high school.
able to attend all dates of this year’s summer session: July 7- July 25 2025

For the incoming class starting in Summer 2025, program tuition is scaled to family income and size. Please see the income eligibility chart below to see if you qualify for free or reduced (50%) tuition. For those that do not qualify for tuition assistance, tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year is Lang is $7,490/yr for the incoming class. Tuition is set annually and is announced by early spring.

How to Apply

Interested in Applying for Lang?

Watch this short information session video about the application process for this year.

AMNH Youth Community

We are committed to building and fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community to provide young people with one-of-a-kind STEM experiences, within a museum context, that support their academic and social development and build foundational STEM and career skills. We invite students from across our five boroughs to explore human cultures, the natural world and our universe in a way that is creative, social, relevant, and welcoming.

What do you do in this program?

In middle school, students take courses in the major sciences that are exhibited and studied at AMNH, such as Anthropology, Geology, Astrophysics, Genetics, and other Life Sciences. Classes build on each other, creating a comprehensive experience.In high school, students choose courses and research topics, allowing them to concentrate on particular fields if they so choose, or continue taking a wide selection of different sciences. We offer courses in preparing for and applying to our high schoolers, as well as workshops for building career skills.

If six years isn’t for you, we encourage you to take a look at the Science Alliance Program, which offers weekday science programs for middle schoolers.

When does the Lang program meet?

We meet for 3 weeks each summer, and 15-18 Saturdays each school year.

In the summer of 2025, we will meet from July 7–July 25.
During the summer, our schedule is Monday–Friday, from 10 am–3 pm with a one-hour lunch break. During the school year we typically meet on scheduled Saturdays, also from 10 am–3 pm.

Times may change due to trips and other special events. In high school, students may have the option to meet during after-school hours instead of Saturdays.

What does the program cost?

For the incoming class of 7th grade students, tuition is scaled to family size and income. Tuition rate is determined according to New York City affordable housing eligibility.

Free Tuition: low income families (second column from left in the chart below)
Reduced Tuition ($3,745/year): moderate or middle income families (third column from left in the chart below)
Full Tuition ($7,490/year): families with higher than middle income (far right column in the chart below)

Following are household income requirements for free and reduced tuition.

Household Size	Free Tuition	Reduced Tuition	Full Tuition
2 people	$99,440 or below	$99,441–$205,095	$205,096 or higher
3 people	$111,840 or below	$111,841–$230,670	$230,671 or higher
4 people	$124,240 or below	$124,241–$256,245	$256,246 or higher
5 people	$134,160 or below	$134,161–$276,705	$276,706 or higher
6 people or more	$144,080 or below	$144,081–$297,165	$297,166 or higher

Questions? Reach out to [email protected]. Please sign up on this mailing list if you would like to be updated about any of our Middle School Programs.

Press

In 2018, a major study was published on Lang alumni, pointing to four reasons why students in the program tend to stick with STEM topics through college and into their careers.
In 2015-16, students in the Lang program collaborated with Museum Curator Susan Perkins to produce two games based on her exhibit, The Secret World Inside You. Download the card game, Gutsy. Or try the Minecraft Map that explores the human microbiome.
A 2014 study found that the Lang model enhances STEM interest, motivation, and persistence in girls who have participated. In 2014, to promote the Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs exhibit, Lang students made a video in which they attempted to pronounce Pterosaur names.
EdLab at Columbia University's Teachers College visited Lang in the summer of 2013 and made this video. Lang students participated in NASA's MoonKAM project.
Read about Henry Lim, who was a winner in the 2011 Young Naturalist Awards. Read the New York Times article on Henry's work.

The American Museum of Natural History Lang Science Program and Lang Scholar Awards are made possible by the Eugene M. Lang Endowment Fund.

Additional support has been provided by Melvin Klugman and the Zeldin Family Foundation.

The American Museum of Natural History gratefully acknowledges Morgan Stanley for its sponsorship of youth initiatives.

Middle School Programming in the Gilder Center is proudly sponsored by the New York Life Foundation.