The Snap Academies are nine week, paid summer training program hosted by Snap Inc., the makers of Snapchat. As a Snap Engineering Academy Scholar, you will immerse yourself in a professional creative environment designed to make you internship-ready. If accepted, you’ll get the opportunity to:
+ Learn from Snap team members shaping products used around the world
+ Build meaningful connections with dedicated Snap mentors
+ Create standout portfolio pieces and expand your professional network
+ Elevate your collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills
+ Immerse yourself in a dynamic, nine-week Snap-designed curriculum built for your future in the tech industry
Our Snap Engineering Academy is looking to build a cohort of 15 aspirational Scholars with strong foundational experience in computer science, with at least two college-level computer science courses and familiarity with two more popular programming languages. Experience with basic data structures, algorithms, and/or UI development is a huge plus. This academy will provide Scholars with the opportunity to participate in technical workshops, fireside chats, and receive mentorship from Snap Inc. team members.
Quick Facts:
+ Receive an academy payment for participation and completion of the nine-week program and academy-related expenses
+ Designed for community college (or recent transfer) students
+ Spend Monday - Friday learning from June 15, 2026 to August 14, 2026
+ Snap Engineering Academy is held in-person at the Snap Offices in Santa Monica, CA
+ 15 Scholars for each of the four Snap Academies
If you’re passionate about learning, then we’re talking to you!
What you'll do:
Work on a team to design and code a mobile app for a local LA nonprofitLearn to work with JavaScript, React, React Native, and Postgres databases by making technical projects you can add to your professional portfolioLearn industry-ready tools and practices like using the terminal, making database/API requests, collaborating on Github, and pair programming.Prepare for technical interviews guided by the same process Snap Inc. uses to hire interns and engineersBuild a network of friends and professional connections who care about building non-traditional pathways into the tech industry.Serve as Snap Academies ambassadors for future cohorts!
Eligibility and Pathways:
The Snap Academies are designed to provide professional pathways for Scholars who have traditionally faced systemic barriers to entry in the tech industry. We welcome applicants who meet one of the following criteria: Community College Pathway: You are a current community college student or have recently transferred to a four-year institution.Expansion Pathway: You are a current four-year university student and identify as Opportunity Youth (this includes individuals with lived experience in the foster care system, the juvenile justice system, or those who have experienced housing insecurity).Important Note: Due to the specific mission and funding of this program, we are unable to consider applications from four-year university students who do not fall under the "Expansion/Opportunity" designation.
Participation Requirements:
Beyond the educational pathways above, all Scholars must meet the following participation requirements:Age: Must be 18 years or older.Enrollment: Must be a currently enrolled student with a graduation date no sooner than Fall 2026.Residency: Must reside in the Southern California area for the duration of the program.Attendance: Must be available for the full nine-week duration (June 15 – August 14, 2026) and able to attend in-person at Snap HQ in Santa Monica, CA, Monday through Friday.Commute: Must have access to reliable transportation to and from the Santa Monica headquarters.
Our ideal Academy Scholar cohort member is:
Aligned with Snap Inc.’s mission, values and voice. Learn more at www.snap.com Experience in computer science fundamentals in the form of at least two college-level programming classes. Experience with at least two popular programming languages, such as Python, JavaScript, C/C++/C#, Java, Ruby, PHP, Perl, Go, Rust, R, or Bash. Experienced with basic data structures and their algorithms, such as lists/arrays and dictionaries/key-value maps.Familiar with digital and social media platforms and emerging trendsComfortable presenting ideas and receiving feedback in group environments
It's a bonus if you have:
Experience with or a strong passion for visual designExperience with HTML and CSSExperience with intermediate data structures and algorithms, such as trees/graphs, recursion, and runtime analysis.