Top 10 Academic Enrichment Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Aug 2
- 6 min read
Academic enrichment programs are a solid option for middle school students to engage with advanced academics and explore their interests. Such programs are available in various subjects, including science, math, humanities, technology, and more. Academic enrichment programs also introduce you to college life and help develop practical skills. Meeting industry professionals and experts allows you to discover different career paths and network with them.
So, if you want to get ahead in your academics by participating in programs that are not very expensive, you could consider academic enrichment programs. Many of them are available free of cost and online, so you needn’t worry about the financial aspect. We have curated a list of the top academic enrichment programs you could participate in.
Top 10 Academic Enrichment Programs for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies, financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 8 weeks starting June 2 (Summer Cohort I) or July 14 (Summer Cohort II)
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a virtual 8-week program for middle school students. In the program, you will be matched with a mentor, explore your academic interests, and build a project you are passionate about. You can expect the programming to be rigorous and intensive. These mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE. The Junior Explorer Program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. Financial aid is available for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
Location: Andries Hudde Junior High or STAR Early College School, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders who are NYC residents
The SoSC program introduces you to topics in engineering, computer science, and technology. You will learn about electronics, circuitry, coding, and microcontroller programming. Working in teams, you will integrate what you learn into projects on environmental science. You will explore environmental and urban science. You will also complete and present a final project that creatively solves a real-world problem. Thus, the program builds problem-solving and communication skills.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies, financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
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
AI Trailblazers is a virtual program for middle school students. In this program, you will learn the principles of artificial intelligence and machine learning in 25 hours of programming. The course introduces you to Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. With a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio, you will attend lectures and group sessions. In previous years, students have built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and created a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 28 – August 8 (summer) or November 9 – May 17 (academic year)
Application Deadline: April 15 (summer) or September 15 (academic year)
Eligibility: 7th – 12th grade students who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine or related STEM fields and maintain an 80% grade average, particularly in math and science
This free program is for students interested in pursuing medicine or STEM subjects. It will prepare you for advanced courses in mathematics, science, technology, health-related fields, and the licensed professions. The enrichment courses are designed to improve your knowledge of math and science. Some of the available subjects are Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Brain & Cognitive Science, Ready for PreMed, Physics, Psychology, Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Statistics. Beyond academics, the program offers college preparation and career development workshops, college & academic counseling services, field trips, and college tours. Attending S-PREP also opens up opportunities to participate in other science research programs in the future.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12
Dates: July 7 – 25 (summer) + August 27 – December 10 (fall meetings)
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Low-income students in grades 6 or 7 who reside in and attend school in the United States. Admitted students’ families typically have household incomes under $90,000.
The SMSSP imparts rigorous high school education to middle schoolers. In the summer, you will attend live online classes taught by Stanford faculty. In the fall, weekly meetings cover topics such as high school options, academic writing, math enrichment, and growth mindset. The courses offered by the program are Democracy & Dissent, History through Graphic Novels, and Real-Life Applications to Mathematics. The program provides support in terms of considering high school options, academic enrichment, and applying to a selective school or program.
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost/Stipend: $75. Full scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 7 – 14 per class
Dates: June 23 – July 30
Application Deadline: February 26
Eligibility: Middle school students who are enrolled in public and parochial schools in New Haven, CT
This 6-week academic program has a team of Yale undergraduate teachers teaching ambitious middle school students. You will explore topics in the humanities and electives. This academic exposure and group activities will prepare you for your current school environment and help you succeed in college. The schedule involves morning classes, investigations, and afternoon electives. These investigations cover topics such as biology, chemistry, finance, and architecture. The core classes may vary according to your grade. Further programming includes guest speakers, theme days, social events, field trips, and more.
7. dynaMIT
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: August 11 – 15 (rising 6th/7th graders) and August 18 – 22 (rising 8th/9th graders)
Application Deadline: February 10
Eligibility: Rising 6th – 9th grade students
dynaMIT is a free summer program where you can delve into your passions in science and engineering. MIT undergraduate and graduate students mentor and guide you throughout the program. You will participate in activities and conduct experiments. Because the program is held on the MIT campus, you will also get a taste of college life. Furthermore, dynaMIT is designed to provide instruction in science and engineering to students from low-income backgrounds.
Location: West Point, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – 6 (middle schoolers)
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Students currently in 6th and 7th grades (middle school) and 8th and 9th grades (high school). You must demonstrate strong academic performance and a strong interest in pursuing a college education.
This STEM program organizes workshops in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for middle and high school students. You will participate in hands-on projects, develop problem-solving skills, and explore STEM careers. Some activities held in the past have included soldering circuits, robotics, egg drop competition, fuel cell cars, mechanical circuits, fish biodiversity, water chemistry, data analytics, and bridge building. These workshops will help enhance your knowledge of STEM subjects. Because this program is available at no cost and also provides meals, students from under-resourced locations are particularly encouraged to apply.
Location: Yale School of Music, New Haven, CT
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 24 – July 19
Application Deadline: March (tentative)
Eligibility: Participants must be enrolled in the New Haven Public Schools, be in good academic standing, be enrolled in their school’s music program (where available), and have a recommendation from their school’s music teacher
Morse Summer Music Academy is an intensive music program. The program covers music theory and introduces you to music composition. You will also be able to perform in chamber and larger ensembles. For each assessment, you must be prepared to sing a one-to-two-minute solo, play a significant scale, and sight-read a short excerpt. You will attend rehearsals and perform in the final concert.
Location: Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, CA
Cost/Stipend: $525
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 16 – July 11
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students entering grades 5 – 8
This is a 4-week enrichment program for you to explore your academic and creative interests. The enrichment program offers electives in STEM and the arts. Special programs are also held in film and debate. In the film camp, you will learn to plan a film, undertake audio and video recording, and edit the film using Adobe Premiere. In the debate component, you will learn to communicate effectively, craft convincing arguments, conduct research, and more.
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.
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