10 Free STEM Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Mar 31
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 14
If you're a middle schooler looking for an accessible way to explore a STEM subject, consider a free STEM program!
What are STEM programs for middle school students? What will I do as a participant?
These programs are designed to introduce you to STEM disciplines through hands-on learning, real-world applications, and collaboration with experts. If you're interested in math, science, computer programming, or engineering, you can benefit from free STEM summer programs. These experiences provide rigorous coursework, networking opportunities, and access to industry leaders.
We've compiled a list of 10 top free STEM programs for middle schoolers, considering factors such as low selectivity, a fully funded nature, and the prestige of the host(s). Whether you are interested in robotics, artificial intelligence, environmental science, or coding, these programs offer immersive, hands-on experiences to inspire future innovators.
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $2400. Need-based financial aid is available.
Dates: The program runs for 8 weeks with cohorts available year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines depending on cohort.
Eligibility: Middle school students (Grades 6–8) with a strong academic background are eligible to apply.
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program (JEP) is an advanced research experience tailored for middle school students interested in biology, medicine, and public health. You will collaborate with PhD mentors from universities like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Yale to develop independent research projects based on your interests.
This program emphasizes critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and independent research, preparing you for academic competitions and future research opportunities. With expert mentorship and hands-on project development, JEP offers a personalized learning experience that nurtures young scientists' curiosity and analytical skills.
Location: Harvard Ed Portal, Allston, MA
Cost: Free
Dates: Spring Cohort: February 18 – April 24. Other sessions available in fall, spring, and summer
Application Deadline: Varies by session. Spring Cohort deadline: February 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 1 – 8 from Allston-Brighton and surrounding communities
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited spots available
The Harvard Ed Portal Mentoring Program is a free academic enrichment program that pairs middle school students with Harvard undergraduate mentors. Through this one-on-one or small group mentorship experience, you will receive guidance in STEM, the arts, and humanities, while developing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
You will participate in hands-on projects, structured learning activities, and collaborative discussions, all designed to encourage academic confidence and curiosity. Mentors provide support in digital literacy, health and wellness, workforce development, and college and career preparedness.
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $1,9790. Need-based financial aid is available.
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6-8 are eligible to apply.
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a virtual program that teaches middle school students the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over 25 hours, you will learn the basics of Python as well as topics like data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics.
Students learn through lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. Previous projects done by students have included building a machine-learning model to classify music genres and creating a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
4. dynaMIT
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Dates:
August 11 – August 15 (Rising 6th & 7th graders)
August 18 – August 22 (Rising 8th & 9th graders)
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: Rising 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th graders
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, limited spots available
dynaMIT is a free, week-long summer program hosted by MIT students, designed to spark curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among middle school students. You will participate in hands-on activities, team-based challenges, and interactive projects that connect STEM concepts to real-world applications.
You will visit MIT’s cutting-edge research labs, collaborate on problem-solving tasks, and work alongside mentors and instructors. At the end of the program, you will present your projects to peers and mentors, gaining experience in scientific communication and teamwork. The program also provides a unique opportunity to experience MIT’s academic culture firsthand.
Location: Virtual & In-person (select U.S. cities)
Cost: Free
Dates: June 2 - 13, July 7 - 18, July 21 - August 1, August 4 -15
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive youth aged 13 – 18
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Kode With Klossy is a free, two-week coding boot camp founded by Karlie Kloss, designed to empower young women and gender-expansive youth through immersive technology education. The program offers four specialized coding tracks, allowing you to develop skills in different areas of technology:
Web Development – Learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build websites.
Mobile App Development – Focus on user experience and mobile applications.
Data Science & Visualization – Work with real-world datasets to analyze and visualize data.
Machine Learning & AI – Gain experience in training machine learning models.
In addition to technical training, the camp features guest lectures from inspirational women in tech, providing mentorship and career insights.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free (Optional Coursera Plus subscription for certification)
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Eligibility: Open to all learners (basic math skills recommended)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Stanford's Machine Learning Specialization, taught by AI expert Andrew Ng, is a beginner-friendly online course that introduces students to key machine learning concepts. The program covers supervised and unsupervised learning, neural networks, decision trees, and deep reinforcement learning.
You will gain hands-on experience by building machine learning models using Python, NumPy, and Scikit-learn. The course also includes real-world AI applications, such as recommendation systems and anomaly detection, helping you develop practical machine learning skills.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free (Optional Coursera Plus subscription for certification)
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Eligibility: Open to all students interested in AI applications (no prior programming required)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Google AI Essentials is a self-paced online course designed to teach students practical AI applications without requiring prior programming experience. Instead of focusing on complex algorithms, the course explores how AI can be applied to everyday tasks, making it accessible for students at all levels.
You will learn how to use AI tools for idea generation, information organization, and productivity enhancement. The program also covers AI ethics, responsible AI use, and effective prompt engineering. Upon completion, you will receive a certificate from Google.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: Available year-round
Application Deadline: No specific deadlines
Eligibility: Open to students of all ages
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Great Learning’s Robotics and AI course is a free, self-paced online program designed to introduce students to robotics fundamentals and their connection to artificial intelligence (AI). The course covers control systems, algorithms, and robot programming languages, as well as AI concepts like neural networks and machine learning algorithms that power modern robotics.
This program is suitable for learners at all levels, blending theoretical knowledge with practical applications to provide a comprehensive educational experience. It also explores real-world AI applications in robotics and discusses ethical considerations in AI technology.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: Available year-round
Application Deadline: No specific deadlines
Eligibility: Open to students of all ages
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
The Understanding Robotics Architecture course is a free, self-paced online program that introduces students to the fundamentals of robotic systems and kinematics. You will explore key concepts such as degrees of freedom (DOF), links, and joints, which are essential for robot movement and manipulation.
The course also delves into robot manipulator configurations, with a focus on SCARA robots used in vertical insertion tasks. As you progress, you will learn advanced topics like the Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) algorithm and direct forward kinematics. This will allow you to gain insight into how joint and link parameters influence robotic movement and orientation.
Location: Virtual / In-person (TBD)
Cost: Free
Dates: June 22 – July 27
Application Deadline: May 21
Eligibility: Female-identifying students in grades 6 – 12
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
The Women’s Alliance in STEM and Humanities Summer Research Institute (WASH SRI) is a free, research-focused program designed to support female-identifying students in STEM and the humanities. You will conduct academic research under the mentorship of university faculty and graduate students, gaining hands-on experience in mathematics, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence.
The program offers three specialized research tracks:
Introduction to Number Theory – Explore mathematical patterns and structures.
Computational Neuroscience – Study brain function using data analysis.
Demystifying Deep Learning – Learn about neural networks and AI applications.
Over the six-week program, you will attend weekly 2–3 hour workshops, receive mentorship on publishing research, and gain guidance on future academic opportunities.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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