Middle schoolers in Texas looking to pursue psychology can opt for a summer program in the subject. These programs are often challenging in nature and offer an advanced curriculum for you to expand your knowledge. Interactions with seasoned faculty and professionals allow you to explore career options in psychology. 

Besides academics, you hone practical skills through hands-on activities. Collaborative projects with peers help you develop teamwork and communication skills. So, here are a few psychology summer programs in Texas you can consider.

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

If you want to conduct original psychology research, you can participate in Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program. You are paired with PhD mentors from various prestigious universities, like Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts in psychology and related subjects. As you conduct hands-on research, you gain specialized knowledge in the subject. The course prepares you 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 as you work on your research. You also build 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. Georgetown University’s Psychology: How the Brain Influences Behavior

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Location: Online

Cost: $1,895 (enrichment course fees) or $3,995 (college credit course fees)

Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year

Application Deadline: Varies according to session

Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older

Human psychology is affected by a range of factors. This course teaches you how psychologists study human behavior and about the brain’s reward system. Topics such as brain injuries, learning disabilities, and how we process our media environment are taught during the program. You also investigate the neuroscience behind the design of road signs, websites, social media, and more. For the culminating project, you create a multimedia presentation on “My Psychological Life”. Industry professionals introduce you to careers in social work, teaching, psychological testing, and counseling.

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 course that teaches you psychology and technology. The program begins with foundational instruction in AI and machine learning. Here, you study topics such as Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. For the practical component, you complete a hands-on project. This project must solve a real-world psychology 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. Johns Hopkins CTY’s The Mystery of Memory

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Location: Online

Cost: $1,420

Dates: To be announced

Application Deadline: To be announced

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

Two people may remember the same event differently. This course helps you answer why that happens. Studying memory, you learn about the neurobiology of remembering, the phases of memory, the different types of memory, and the instruments that cognitive psychologists use to measure memory. The program also teaches you about the phenomenon of forgetting, false memories, and memory disorders. You differentiate between the psychological and physiological aspects of memory. You also use strategies to improve memory.

5. Rice University’s Psychology In Our Everyday Lives

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

In this foundational course, you delve into psychology and its subdisciplines: human factors and organizational psychology. You discover the statistics and research methods crucial to the field. How psychology is connected with other social science topics is covered here. You also learn about cognitive and health psychology along with career pathways as a clinical psychologist, consumer psychologist, and forensic psychologist. At the end of the program, you apply your knowledge to three project parts, namely, problem identification, solution approach, and information presentation and create a ‘news’ video.

6. Northwestern CTD’s Pre-Med: Psychology & Behavioral Medicine

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Location: Online

Cost: $900

Dates: September 9 – January 13

Application Deadline: One week before the program

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

This course by Northwestern CTD lasts several weeks and provides a foundation in psychology as a pre-med subject. Behavioral medicine is a crucial field in healthcare. In this program, you study the interplay between the mind, behavior, and healthcare. The program introduces you to the latest developments in research, the role of psychosocial factors in health, and effective communication with patients. On a personal level, you learn to manage stress, change health behavior, and make a difference in your life. 

7. Dartmouth’s Psychology: Explore the Mind & Mental Wellness

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Location: Online

Cost: $1,895

Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year

Application Deadline: Varies according to session

Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older

Dartmouth’s course on psychology delves into the various dimensions of mental health. Various experts in the field speak to you about mental health, diagnosis, and treatment. In this program, you learn the core aspects of clinical psychology and how psychologists use therapeutic techniques for a wide range of mental health issues. The course delves into the role of effective communication in creating a strong relationship between the therapist and patient. You explore careers in neuropsychology, health psychology, geropsychology, child and adolescent psychology, and forensic psychology. For the final project, you examine the case study of a fictional character, propose a diagnosis, and suggest a treatment plan. You also present methods and interventions to measure progress. 

8. University of Notre Dame’s Psychology: Understanding the Self and Our World

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

This psychology program investigates various social influences and how individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are affected by others. The focus of the course is the role of personality and the ‘self’ in relation with our understanding of the world. You discover common cultural and social influences as well as assessment methods. You consider careers in psychology, such as psychologist, human resources professional, political strategist, and PR specialist. For the final project, you examine the use of social media and its effect on your sense of well-being. 

9. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes’s Topics in Psychology

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Location: Online

Cost: $3,200; need-based financial aid is available

Dates: July 6 – 17 (Session 2)

Application Deadline: March 13

Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 11

This virtual program by Stanford teaches you the methodological and theoretical aspects of psychology. Some of the topics covered during the program include social psychology, social and cognitive development, perception, memory, psychological disorders, and much more. In addition, you learn the methodological tools used by social scientists. The course traces the journey of psychology as a subject from its historical development to current topics of research. You complete hands-on activities and small research projects to cement your knowledge 

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.