13 Summer Camps for Middle School Students
If you’re a middle school student looking to learn a new skill, explore a subject of interest, or build your knowledge base before high school and college, summer camps are a great way to start!
Middle school can be a great time for personal growth and exploration, and summer camps offer a valuable opportunity for students to develop new skills, make long-lasting connections, and discover their passions.
In this blog, we’ve curated a list of 13 summer camps for middle school students that you can consider, covering a range of subjects across STEM and non-STEM fields.
Note: The following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Program dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.
Fee: $1,790
Financial assistance: Need-based financial aid is available
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.
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Location: Virtual
Dates: Weekly camps from June 3 - August 2
Cost: $150
Eligibility: Students aged 11-14 are eligible
Application Deadline: Enrollment is open until the Wednesday prior to the start date of the week’s camps.
These camps will allow students to explore mathematical principles and computer programming. With platforms like Scratch and JavaScript, you'll witness how abstract math concepts come alive in the digital realm. From exploring angles and 3D space to working with random numbers and recursion, students will immerse themselves in a diverse range of mathematical ideas. There are options for both beginners and students with some experience in science subjects.
Location: University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
Dates: All camps are 4-day long, and will be conducted in June and July
Cost: Fees vary for different camps, ranging from $205 to $340. Some financial aid is offered.
Eligibility: Different camps are available for all middle and high school students.
Application Deadline: Registrations open in February. There is no information available at the moment on when they close.
The University of California, San Diego, offers a range of summer camps for middle and high school students. These camps cover engineering, Python, Java, graphic arts, robotics, and more.
Middle school students can choose from a number of camps, including Cartoon Animation and Beginning Programming with Scratch, Designing and Prototyping with TinkerCAD, Creating Awesome Stop Motion Animation, Introduction to Filmmaking Boot Camp, and Creating Awesome Stop Motion Animation. These camps will give students an opportunity to learn and build skills and knowledge in niche subjects such as programming in Scratch and TinkerCAD, or even filmmaking, and so on. The camps offer valuable insight which can be a strong building block in your computer science journey. Take a look at all the available camps here.
Location: SMU Lyle School of Engineering, Texas
Dates: Boys-only camp: June 3-7 | Girls-only camp: June 10-14 | Boys/Girls camp: June 17-21 (tentatively)
Cost: $600
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders can apply
Application Deadline: NA
This 5-day residential summer camp, which accepts only 20 students a year, offers a comprehensive introduction to various fields of engineering including electrical, mechanical, civil, and environmental engineering, as well as computer science basics. Through a number of hands-on projects and activities, participants will gain practical experience and theoretical knowledge. Each project is designed to simulate real-world engineering processes. This camp is ideal for beginners and can be a great starting point for middle school students eager to begin their journey into STEM education.
Location: Corvallis, OR (Oregon State University)
Dates: Dates vary with the camp.
Cost: $90-300. Needs-based scholarships are available.
Eligibility: Rising 6th-8th graders can apply
Deadline: Registration opens in late February
OSU offers a number of camps for middle school students across a range of interests and subject areas such as wildlife, engineering, robotics, and gaming. Some of the camps offered this year include Physics Camp, Wild about Wildlife Camp, Engineering Camp, Making with Microcontrollers, and Flying Robots Camp. These camps offer opportunities for experiential learning via organized field trips and hands-on experiments. Throughout these camps, students will be introduced to valuable tools for design, collaboration, and problem-solving, that would be useful in their chosen fields.
Location: Chicago, IL
Dates: Varies with the program
Cost: 1-week camp: $600 | 2-week camp: $1,200. Merit-based financial aid is available.
Eligibility: Students aged 10-13 can apply
Deadline: Rolling admissions.
As part of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's (SAIC) Middle School Program (MSP), the institute offers summer camps that allow students to explore a range of subjects and interest areas. Camps are offered in word-building, architecture, animation, illustration, fashion, video game design, drawing and painting, and graphic novels. Students at SAIC are encouraged to use creativity and unconventional thinking to express themselves in their in-class projects throughout the course.
Location: Both in-person (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA) and online options are offered.
Dates: Varies. Several 2-week options are offered in June and July.
Cost: $225-450
Eligibility: There are options offered for both middle school (rising 6th-8th graders) and high school students (rising 9th-12th graders).
Application Deadline: Application dates vary for each course. Check the course webpage before applying!
CEISMC (Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing) is part of a Georgia Tech initiative to extend learning beyond the classroom for middle schoolers and high schoolers. The CEISMC Summer P.E.A.K.S (Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEAM) is a set of one- to two-week-long programs designed to enhance students’ knowledge of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) through educational activities. The program offers you a chance to engage in experiential learning and relevant, advanced projects on the Georgia Tech campus. Each course in the program focuses on learning while also stimulating intellectual curiosity and innovation.
You can go through the complete course list and details here. The options available to middle school students include Lego Robotics, Masters of Science, Coding, Engineering, and Music Production.
Location: Morehouse University, Atlanta, GA
Dates: June 3 - 28. The program also offers Fall and Spring options.
Cost: $800
Eligibility: Rising 5th-8th graders are eligible to apply
Deadline: Rolling admissions.
This four-week program integrates the various disciplines of technology, engineering, health, and exploratory studies into its curriculum. The courses in this program are designed to meet the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) requirements. Additionally, the newly implemented curriculum includes weekly TED talks with healthcare professionals for career exploration, virtual field trips to museums across the world, and an application development course, where you will learn how to develop mobile applications in the field of health science to gain hands-on experience in expressing your ideas in the real world.
Location: Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Dates: July 8-12 | July 15-19
Cost: N/A
Eligibility: Rising 6th-8th graders can apply
Deadline: Rolling till summer begins but no specific deadline is provided.
Conducted by the Atlanta Urban Debate League (AUDL), this in-person workshop will teach students the fundamentals of debate. You will gain knowledge in areas such as research literacy, public speaking, evidence comparison, and argument response. AUDL summer workshops have been running for the past 25 years, and are worth considering whether you’re a beginner or have been debating competitively for years. The program also provides high-quality debate instruction through daily lab sessions that help students develop new skills and enhance existing skills with periodic group lectures and discussions, practice debates and speeches.
Location: Praire View A&M University, Praire View, Texas
Dates: July 9 - 12
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Students aged 13-14 are eligible to apply
Application deadline: Applications open June 17 and close on June 21. Note that registration is limited to the first 30 applicants.
The Junior Youth Leadership Lab is a four-day non-residential day camp hosted by the College of Agriculture and Human Science Cooperative Extension 4-H (Head, Hands, Heart, and Health) Program. During this camp, students will engage in activities focused on vocations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related to agriculture, while also working on developing their leadership skills.
Location: Both virtual and in-person options (across the U.S.) are offered
Dates: Varies based on the program
Eligibility: Programs are offered for students in grades 2-12
Application Deadline: Varies based on the program.
CTY, an initiative by Johns Hopkins University, offers academic enrichment programs for students across grades 2-12. Students can choose to attend a program at one of the many campus sites across the country or attend one online. CTY courses cover a range of subjects, from computer science and economics to physics and ethics. These programs will allow you to explore a subject of interest in depth, helping you build foundational knowledge that could be useful in your future academics and career. The Center for Talented Youth is a great way to expand your learning alongside your school curriculum, especially with the wide and varied options offered!
Location: Both in-person (Northwestern University, Evanston, IL) and online options are offered
Dates: Varies with the course. Students can choose from 1 to 2-week courses, 3-week summer camps and weekend programs. For online courses, please visit the individual course pages for the dates.
Cost: Varies with the course. See cost details here. Financial aid is available.
Eligibility: Courses are available for students in grades 3-8
Deadline: There is no information on deadlines available. Please check the individual program pages for further details.
Northwestern University CTD provides a wide range of both on-campus and virtual courses for students in grades 3-8. Students can choose between online programs, 1 to 2-week day camps in the Chicago area, or 3-week residential summer camps at the university. These camps have options across several disciplines for students to choose from, based on their interests and experience level. Some courses may offer high school credit too! Some of the subjects covered include algebra, biology, architecture, creative writing, engineering, economics, and more. The program also offers weekend options and leadership and service-learning options. With these camps and workshops, students can learn and achieve a lot in a short time frame.
Location: Both in-person (UC San Diego) and virtual options are offered
Dates: July 8 - August 2
Cost: $135 to $149 per course
Eligibility: Students in grades 3-12 are eligible
Application Deadline: May 31
The Sally Ride Science Academy's summer program offers STEAM workshops customized for students in grades 3 to 12. With these workshops, students get a chance to explore different roles such as space explorer, marine biologist, and computer programmer, via interactive hands-on projects. Guided by experienced STEAM instructors, who will also provide mentorship during the program, these workshops integrate stories of successful women in each field, to inspire students and promote greater accessibility to STEAM careers.
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for, you can refer to this page!
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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