9 Best Geography Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 39 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Middle schoolers passionate about geography can explore their interests by pursuing a program. Geography and related programs integrate topics beyond the middle school curriculum for you to engage with advanced concepts. They may also be interdisciplinary, blending geography with earth sciences and ecology for a holistic view of the subject. In addition to academics, such programs are a way to interact with professionals in the field as well as like-minded peers.
Some programs have a practical component or field visits to help you develop specific skills. To help you in your search for the best geography programs, we have compiled a list. These programs are rigorous and competitive.
9 Best Geography Programs for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 8 weeks, start date varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8 globally
You can consider an online program like the Lumiere Junior Explorer Program to delve into geography. Over 8 weeks, you will conduct original geography research and learn more about the subject. To facilitate this research, you will be guided 1-on-1 by PhD mentors at top universities like Harvard, Columbia, and MIT. Through this program, you will develop research, critical thinking, and communication skills. The completed research paper can boost your profile for top high school or college applications.
Location: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Cost: 4,500 dollars for summer program, 1,000 dollars for fall, winter, and spring courses
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Various sessions throughout the year; summer program lasts 4 weeks
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
The Science Alliance Program for middle schoolers offers several sessions, including the 4-week Summer Science Academy. In this program, you will learn about various science topics based on your interests. Some topics offered by the course are Earth science, anthropology, astrophysics, conservation science, and evolutionary biology. To explore geography, you can opt for ‘A Universe Without Minerals’ or ‘Conservation in the 21st Century: From Hope to Action’ that explore different dimensions of the planet and conservation. You will interact with scientists and collaborate with peers to make scientific discoveries. The program also helps you build scientific skills.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks on weekends (spring cohort), 25 hours over 2 weeks on weekdays (summer cohort)
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Interdisciplinary education opens up several career avenues. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers is a program that helps you combine technology with geography. In this program, you will learn the basics of AI and machine learning. The curriculum covers topics like Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. You will then apply your learnings to develop a practical project, which could be in the field of geography. 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.
Location: Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI; Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA; Speyer School, New York, NY
Cost:
Roger Williams University: 7,259 dollars (residential), 6,459 dollars (commuter)
Loyola Marymount University: 7,501 dollars (residential), 6,701 dollars (commuter)
Speyer School: 3,959 dollars
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 14 to 16
Dates:
Roger Williams University: June 22 to July 11 (session 1), July 13 to August 1 (session 2)
Loyola Marymount University: June 22 to July 11 (session 1), July 13 to August 1 (session 2)
Speyer School: June 29 to July 18 (session 1), July 20 to August 8
Application Deadline: May (tentative)
Eligibility: Students in grades 5 and 6 with CTY-level verbal scores
This course by Johns Hopkins CTY blends international relations with geography. You will understand how nations address climate change, nuclear proliferation, and health challenges by studying multilateral institutions like the UN. For the geography aspect, you will look at how physical, economic, cultural, and political geographies influence and inform policy. Playing the role of a country’s ambassador, you will draft resolutions, propose solutions to global concerns, and participate in a mock meeting of the General Assembly, Security Council, or other U.N. entity. Through this activity, you can develop critical thinking and negotiation skills.
Location: University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 30
Dates: July 21 to 22
Application Deadline: Rolling until spots are filled
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders in the Champaign/Urbana area
The Earth, Society & Environment Camp is a free 2-day camp for middle schoolers. Here, you will delve into geoscience and related activities. You will also interact with scientists and have the opportunity to ask them questions regarding their education, career path, and more. The camp is led by faculty and students. The activities during the camp may include weather observation, measuring water quality, and studying rocks and minerals. You are required to prepare and present a poster on your learnings at the end of the camp.
Location: Yosemite, CA
Cost: Varies
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Various sessions throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students in grades 4 to 12
This overnight program is held at Yosemite National Park. During the program, you will participate in hands-on activities by exploring the deep valleys, grand meadows and sequoia forests. You will go on hikes, learn about glaciation, discover ecological relationships, and more. You can also contribute to National Park Service research projects by conducting water quality monitoring and conifer removal. The evenings are scheduled with educational debates and presentations.
Location: Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Campus, Accokeek, MD
Cost: Program fees for a group begin at 3,700 dollars
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 2 to 4 days during the school week
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Eligibility: Students in grades 4 to 12
The Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center invites you to participate in overnight camps. The program is aimed at enabling you to explore science and the world around you through practical activities. The initial days emphasize habitats, ecosystems, watersheds, human impact on the environment, and conservation methods. The activities involve hiking, kayaking, scientific inquiry, and service learning. On the last day, you will go cow milking and building teamwork skills on a challenge course. Thus, you will learn about geography and the environment from the perspective of conservation.
Location: The Ecology School at River Bend Farm, Saco, ME
Cost: To be announced
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 120
Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Eligibility: Middle school students can enroll in groups through their school
Organized for school grades, this program covers diverse nature and geography topics. You will explore food systems, the forests, fresh water sources, and other natural areas nearby. The program is conducted outdoors and invites you to learn about E-STEM (Environmental-Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) through daily classes. In the hands-on components, you will measure nutrients in soil, record field observations of a nocturnal forest, and much more. You can partake in leisure activities and theater performances in the evenings.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by session
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Middle school students
National Geographic offers several online courses for you to learn about geography and the natural world. Aimed at middle school students, you can learn about maps and mapping from scientists, discover glaciers through sound, and explore the oceans and marine life. You can opt for a one-off course or participate in a longer series. Most of these courses are available for free and can be completed at your own pace. The live sessions allow you to interact with the presenter and ask questions.
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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