10 Summer Programs for Middle School Students in Washington DC
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 17
- 6 min read
Middle schoolers in Washington DC can opt for summer programs to make the most of their holidays. These programs enable you to expand your knowledge and build relevant skills. Courses are available in a wide range of subjects, and you can choose the one that best fits your interests. Summer programs also provide the opportunity to meet and interact with seasoned industry professionals.
Learning alongside peers enables you to build your teamwork skills as well as a network of like-minded individuals. You can expect to engage with a rigorous curriculum. Here are some Washington DC-based summer programs you can check out.
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
Students interested in rigorous research can participate in Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program. You are paired with PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton; these mentors are experts in their respective fields. By conducting hands-on research, you gain specialized knowledge in the field of your choice. 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 also polish 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.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Georgetown University, Washington DC
Cost: $2,998
Dates: July 12 – 17
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Students who have completed 6th grade and have at least a 3.0 GPA
This program introduces you to STEM concepts in engineering, technology, and sustainability. You learn how renewable energy, especially wind and solar, reduces environmental impact. Regarding the hands-on component, you design, build, and program a small solar-powered car, which you put to the test in a race. You solve other environmental challenges by applying the concepts you learn throughout the program, such as electricity, such as voltage, current, and resistance. Through this course, you explore renewable energy and engineering while hearing from industry professionals about career pathways.
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
Students interested in an interdisciplinary program can opt for Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program. This course on science and technology teaches you the basics of AI and machine learning. It covers diverse subjects in the field, like Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. Upon completing the theory, you apply your learnings to a practical project. This project must use technology to solve a real-world issue in a field of your choice. In the 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.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Location: American University, Washington, DC
Cost: $3,095 (residential) or $2,695 (commuter)
Dates: June 16 – 21, June 26 – July 1, or July 5 – 10
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8 who are at least 11 years old
This program is for students interested in politics and law. You learn how policies and laws not only shape but also affect the world around us. Stepping into the shoes of a lawyer or policymaker enables you to debate real issues, craft proposals, and learn how collaboration and leadership drive change in society. Through simulations of Congress, federalism, the Supreme Court, and more, you develop hands-on knowledge and skills. You also go on field trips to historic landmarks.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Washington D.C.
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 22 – July 31
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
This program provides a fun and learning-filled summer opportunity. You can attend the program at one of 4 available sites and explore high-demand careers. You can opt for the Robotics or Mini Med track. In the Robotics track, you learn the basic as well as advanced topics, alongside how to build, program, and control robots. In Mini Med, you learn about the basics of medicine and healthcare through studying the human body, medical tools, and how doctors and nurses help people stay healthy. Both courses build your critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older
Students looking to pursue a career or build a business in finance and technology can opt for this program by Rice University. You learn about the latest developments in financial technologies that affect payment processing, investing, and financial services. The course also introduces you to how entrepreneurs are capturing revenue, democratizing access, and impacting economies. For the capstone project, you create a business plan for an entrepreneurial fintech product or service. You can develop a product or solution or add your offering to an existing fintech company.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
Dates: July 6 – 24 (summer) and August 26 – December 9 (fall)
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Low-income students in grades 6 or 7 who reside in and attend school in the U.S. and with a family income of less than $90,000.
SMSSP is a selective program for ambitious middle school students. The program is conducted online in the summer and fall. You can choose from 4 tracks according to your interests: Democracy & Dissent, Discovering Geometry: From Flatland to the Fourth Dimension, History through Graphic Novels, and Real-Life Applications to Mathematics. In the summer, you learn through interactive classes led by Stanford faculty. In the fall, you participate in debates and discussions regarding your chosen track to deepen your understanding of the subject. You also receive support and counseling to apply for other prestigious programs.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online or in-person at various locations
Cost: Varies by course
Dates: Varies by course
Application Deadline: Varies by course
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8; additional academic criteria vary by course
Johns Hopkins’s CTY offers several virtual and in-person programs for you to choose from. They cover a range of subjects, with varying difficulty. Middle schoolers in Washington DC can opt for the virtual programs in the subject of their choice. These courses accept small cohorts and tend to be rigorous and challenging. You can expect to enhance your learning as well as develop field-specific skills.
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 program by Berkeley allows you to delve into AI, data science, and coding. You begin by gaining an introduction to Python, a beginner coding language to understand big data. Throughout the program, you learn how to create visualizations, build machine learning models, and apply AI in the real world. The lectures teach you new concepts and techniques related to the subject. You maintain a coding notebook during this time. You then work in small groups to complete practical projects where you apply your theoretical learnings. You also conduct original research in technology subjects in these cohorts. By the end of the program, you will have a portfolio of work and a certificate of completion.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small classes
Location: Online or in person at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Cost: Ranges from $990 – $6,025 depending on duration
Dates: Varies by course
Application Deadline: One week before the start date
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 12; additional academic criteria vary by course
Northwestern CTD’s programs are designed for academically advanced students. Depending on your interests, you can opt from a range of courses spanning diverse subjects. The eligibility criteria for each course may vary, but you can expect them to be rigorous. You build your knowledge in a specific subject while developing critical and creative problem-solving skills. Through interactions and networking opportunities with industry professionals, you gain insights into their career journeys.
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.