Texas middle schoolers looking for ways to make the most of their summer can participate in summer programs. If you are interested in data science and analysis, a variety of summer programs allow you to delve into the field to enhance your knowledge. These programs are rigorous to help you prepare for future academics and a career in data science. 

Many summer programs offer the opportunity to meet with and learn from experienced faculty and industry professionals. They provide insights into their career journeys. Similarly, collaborating with peers in your cohort allows you to develop teamwork and critical thinking skills while you grow your network. So, here are some data science programs in Texas for you to get started.

1. Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies; financial aid available

Dates: 8 weeks, varies by cohort

Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort

Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8

Ambitious middle schoolers who aspire to conduct hands-on research can apply for Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program. This program pairs you with PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts in data science. You gain specialized knowledge by conducting research. Over the course of the program, you learn how to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study, which enables you to build crucial skills. You can expect to sharpen your scientific communication skills through feedback and writing coaching sessions. You can opt for the Junior Research and Publication Program, where you can publish your research in academic journals.

2. Storytelling with Data Summer Camp

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Location: University of North Texas, Frisco, TX

Cost: $400 (early bird) or $425 (regular)

Dates: July 6 – 10

Application Deadline: May 11 (early bird)

Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 12

This is an interactive summer camp that blends data science with storytelling. Offered by the University of North Texas, this program teaches you to code using Python, whereby you learn to process, analyze, and visualize data by uncovering insights and transforming them into stories. You complete hands-on projects and activities to learn the real-world applications of data science techniques. You develop a data-driven story that you present to your family and friends. Supervised leisure activities are part of your daily schedule during the program. On the last day, you receive a certificate of completion.

3. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies; financial aid 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: Students in grades 6 – 8

Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program is an interdisciplinary option that teaches you data science and technology. The course teaches you the basics of AI and machine learning. During lecture time, you encounter a wide range of topics like Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. After the theoretical component, you work on a practical project. Your project must solve a real-world data science problem using technology. Past students have built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.

4. UT PREP Summer STEM Pathway

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Location: University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

Cost: $2,700; scholarships are available

Dates: June 15 – July 23

Application Deadline: On a rolling basis

Eligibility: Students in grades 6 and 7 who have an 85 minimum in Math, Science, and English

This is a summer enrichment program for middle schoolers. You delve into advanced concepts in Logic, Mathematical Problem Solving, and Engineering, topics essential to data science. As you complete one level, you can move on to more challenging courses that take on complex topics in the field. In addition to academics, you explore UT’s labs and facilities and hear from career speakers. You also receive mentorship during the program.

5. Johns Hopkins CTY’s Disease Dynamics and Data Modeling

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Location: Virtual

Cost: $1,365 – $1,420

Dates: June 15 – July 20 (Summer A) or July 17 – August 21 (Summer B)

Application Deadline: May 11 (Summer A) or June 8 (Summer B)

Eligibility: Students in grades 7 – 11 who meet CTY-level quantitative scores

This program by Johns Hopkins’s CTY takes an epidemiological approach to math and data. You discover how infectious diseases specialists rely on data and accurate modeling to predict the growth, spread, and control of disease. You use data sets to compute threshold values, determine statistical significance, and form an unbiased conclusion. Furthermore, you analyze the data using R and R-studio to code, plot, and fit the data to a curve. You work as individuals and in groups to learn how vaccinations and treatment protocols help control the spread of diseases.

6. Northwestern CTD’s Machine Learning: Algorithms & Data Science

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Location: Virtual

Cost: $860

Dates: June 3 – August 14

Application Deadline: One week before the start date

Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 12 who meet the Indigo-tier eligibility criteria

Northwestern CTD offers a range of programs for talented middle schoolers. In Machine Learning: Algorithms & Data Science, you uncover how data scientists, prompt engineers, and roboticists train AI tools and smart devices to recognize patterns, make predictions, and even take "intelligent" actions autonomously. You learn about data science from a machine-learning perspective. The course covers topics such as neural networks, regression, classification, clustering, dimensionality reduction, and deep learning. You also use the design cycle to modify your own AI innovation to solve a real-world challenge. 

7. Dartmouth’s Applied Math: Decode the World with Models

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Location: Virtual

Cost: $1,895

Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year

Application Deadline: Varies according to session

Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older

This program goes deeper into the mathematical dimension of data. You explore how real-world scenarios are translated into mathematical models to make predictions and decisions. The course teaches you to identify whether a problem requires mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, or a combination of both. Evaluating quantitative claims and identifying data uncertainty and bias are also important aspects covered by the course. Hearing from industry professionals, you consider careers in engineering, data science, economics, and business. In the final project, you use data to construct a model, test assumptions, and evaluate the reliability and limitations of your findings while responding to a real-world question. 

8. HPRC Summer Computing Academy

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Location: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

Cost: $325

Dates: June 1 – 5

Application Deadline: May 29

Eligibility: Students aged 13 – 18

This week-long program introduces you to computer science, data, and cybersecurity. During the week, you learn coding with Python, the programming language commonly used in data science. Practical activities include building a Raspberry Pi cluster, programming Sphero Bolts, flying drones, and creating your own AI chatbot. Through this program, you step into the world of cybersecurity and AI/ML. Beyond academics, you tour the Texas A&M University campus and data center.

9. Berkeley Coding Academy’s Data Science - The AI Journey

Acceptance rate/cohort size: 6 per cohort

Location: Virtual

Cost: From $2,599

Dates: July 6 – 31

Application Deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Students aged 11 – 18

This rigorous program by Berkeley introduces you to AI, data science, and coding. The program begins by teaching you programming using Python, a programming language crucial to understanding big data. During the program, you learn how to create data visualizations, build machine learning models, and apply AI in the real world. The program is split into lecture and cohort time. In the lectures, you learn new concepts and techniques and maintain a coding notebook. Thereafter, you complete practical projects in small cohorts by applying the theoretical topics covered in the lectures. The program enables you to conduct original research in these cohorts. By the end of the program, you will have a portfolio of work and a certificate of completion.

10. Kode With Klossy

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Location: Various locations, including Dallas, TX

Cost/Stipend: None

Dates: June 1 – 12 (Dallas, TX)

Application Deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive teens aged 13 – 18

Kode with Klossy is a coding-intensive summer camp for students interested in STEM subjects. Here, you pick one of the available tracks in AI, web development, data science, and more. Students opting for the data science track study data and derive insights using SQL, Python, and data visualization tools. During the program, you pick a topic you are passionate about and visualize it using data. Thus, you build field-specific skills and a passion for STEM alongside a community of like-minded peers.

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. 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.