Athena Summer Innovation Institute: Empowering Young Women Through Entrepreneurship

Barnard College's Athena Summer Innovation Institute is a transformative program designed to equip young women with the entrepreneurial skills and knowledge necessary to develop innovative solutions for a better world. This intensive, three-week boot camp provides a dynamic and supportive environment where participants can learn, create, and experiment with entrepreneurship.

Overview of the Athena Summer Innovation Institute

The Athena Summer Innovation Institute is an intensive, 3-week boot camp that provides students with the practical skills and knowledge they need to develop ideas that will make a difference in the world. At Athena, we see entrepreneurship as a powerful way to build the world we want to inhabit. Students will work in teams to create a new venture - start-up businesses, non-profit organizations, or advocacy campaigns - that have the power to disrupt traditional ways of doing things and create lasting change. The foundation of Athena Summer Innovation Institute is experiential learning. Students not only learn how organizations work, but they have the opportunity to develop their own idea.

Who Should Apply?

Participants in the Athena Summer Innovation Institute should be creative, motivated young women who have an entrepreneurial spirit. You don’t need to have a business idea (in fact, it’s good if you come in with a clean slate!), but you should be interested in developing ideas for products, services, and experiences that have the potential to challenge the status quo and create social good. You should be genuinely enthusiastic about working collaboratively to learn more about the startup journey and what it takes to be a member of a founding team.

Young entrepreneurial women at least 14 years of age can apply.

Ideal candidates also demonstrate:

Completing academically rigorous coursework with strong grades.
Well-rounded: excelling in the classroom and in extra-curriculars, volunteer positions, after school jobs, and community engagement.
Ready to learn and grow in a community of diverse young women.

Curriculum and Program Features

The Athena Summer Innovation Institute offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide participants with a solid foundation in entrepreneurship. Students will benefit from coaching and mentorship from our Program Manager, Lead Instructor and Mentor-in-Residence as well participate in workshops on financing, negotiation, branding and more. Participants in the Athena Summer Innovation Institute are creative, motivated, and have an entrepreneurial spirit. You will have the unique opportunity to learn from talented instructors and successful entrepreneurs.

Key components of the program include:

Engaging Classes: Attend engaging classes on product ideation and development, customer research, branding, marketing, startup finances and more: key topics necessary for any innovator or entrepreneur.
Team Projects: Work on an overarching team project to design a venture - culminating in a final pitch presentation in front of your peers. Through the group project, students put into practice what they are leaning in the classroom to build a pitch for their proposed venture.
Mentorship: Benefit from team sessions with our seasoned Mentor-in-Residence who will provide targeting venture advice and help you refine your elevator pitch.
Public Speaking: Practice your public speaking and presentation skills with support from Barnard’s Speaking Fellows. Students work with talented story coaches and prestigious Barnard speaking Fellows to enhance their public speaking skills and boost confidence. The group projects also allow individuals to exercise their team leadership and coordination skills.
Entrepreneurial Site Visits: Entrepreneurial site visits for a first-hand look at how start-ups run and existing companies stay innovative. Athena Summer Innovation Institute participants also have the opportunity to visit successful startups and meet women entrepreneurs who can help students understand what it takes to turn ideas into action.

Experiential Learning

The foundation of Athena Summer Innovation Institute is experiential learning. From ideation to engaging in market research to creating the communications plan and budget necessary to distribute the product or idea, students experiment with entrepreneurship. Students not only learn how organizations work, but they have the opportunity to develop their own idea.

Location and Schedule

The Athena Summer Innovation Institute takes place in New York, New York.

The schedule for the program is June 29 - July 17, 2026.

Application Requirements

To apply for the Athena Summer Innovation Institute, applicants must submit the following:

Online Application Form
Unofficial High School Transcript. Unofficial transcripts ARE permitted and if you are a freshman your transcript must indicate your mid-year grades.
List of Extracurricular Activities
Recommendations. Recommendation Form: Applicants are required to submit a recommendation letter in order to be considered for enrollment and you will be asked to upload your recommendation letter (s) here. Upperclass (or gap year) students: One (1) recommendation letter is required, this letter must be academic.
500 Word Statement of Purpose. “Statement of Purpose” - here you will be asked to write an essay of no more than 500 word
Supplemental Essays for Athena Summer Innovation Institutes - In 280 characters, tell us about a cause or issue you are passionate about and why.
Application Fee - There is a $75 application fee to apply to a Barnard Pre-College Program after our priority deadline of February 10th, 2023. After submitting your application, you will be brought to your status page where you will see a link called ""PCP Application Fee."" Click this link to pay your fee. The fee payment portal will ask for an ID number. Please input your application number.

Application Deadlines and Notifications

Priority deadline: February 10, 2026

All other applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early.

Decisions are made on a rolling basis starting mid January. You should receive a decision within 15 business days of the office receiving a completed application.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition (Residential): $10,171

Read also: Applying to Barnard College

Tuition (Commuter): $8,160

Our office requires a $800 deposit towards tuition at the time of registration but families are welcome to pay any amount over $800 at that time. Students and families will be able to access their registration portal 24/7 to pay tuition in as many or as few installments as they want up until the deadline for tuition to be paid in full. Our registration portal accepts all major credit cards. Once your check is received and processed, your balance will update in your registration portal.

Financial Aid

Barnard’s Pre-College Programs offer a limited amount of need-based financial aid each year. Each year our office is able to provide a limited amount of need-based financial aid to students. Our aid is need based ONLY. Our office does not provide merit based scholarships. Financial Aid is only available for our Summer Programs.

International applicants are not eligible to apply for financial aid. Our office does not provide financial aid for international students.

Students who wish to be considered for financial aid must submit both the Pre-College Program application and the financial aid form by February 9, 2026. To be considered for financial aid, students must submit the required financial aid application and documents along with their Pre-College Program Application. Financial aid applications, like program applications, are reviewed on a rolling basis. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible if they wish to apply for financial aid. Students who receive aid will receive a voucher code to reduce their tuition at the time of registration. Thank you!

The financial aid form is embedded within the program application and becomes available when an applicant indicates their intent to apply for financial aid. In addition to the Financial Aid form, please submit parent/guardian 2021 tax returns/W2s. There is a section on the form for you to upload these materials.

Applicants will then have two weeks after the February 9 deadline to upload all required financial aid documentation through their application portal.

Barnard College: A Legacy of Empowering Women

Barnard was founded in 1889 as the first college in New York City to offer degrees to women. Since then, Barnard College has aimed to provide the highest-quality liberal arts education to promising and high-achieving young women. The College is known for its rigorous academic programs, small class sizes, and collaborative environment dedicated to promoting women's education and leadership. Barnard students have the unique advantage of studying at an independent college which is also part of a major research university, Columbia University, located just across the street.

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