15 Chemistry Camps for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Aug 13
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 5
If you are a middle school student interested in chemistry, joining a summer chemistry camp can be a smart way to explore the subject early. These camps teach you the basics of chemistry through hands-on experiments and simple lab work. You get to try things like mixing chemicals, understanding reactions, and learning how real scientists work.
Chemistry camps for middle school students are usually short, do not interfere with school, and are often free or low-cost. Many offer financial aid, making them a good option even if you are just beginning to explore your interest in science. They’re also a way to test if chemistry is something you want to pursue further.
To help you get started, we’ve narrowed down 15 chemistry camps for middle school students!
15 Chemistry Camps for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Program Dates: Vary by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8; no prior experience required, but best suited for motivated and academically curious students. Apply here
The Junior Explorer Program by Lumiere Education is an online research program for middle school students who want to explore a subject they’re passionate about. Over 8 weeks, you work one-on-one with a PhD mentor from top universities like Harvard or MIT. You get to choose a topic in STEM, humanities, or social sciences, and spend time learning and creating your research project. The program is meant to help you think deeply, solve problems, and work independently. You can apply at any time, and new groups start regularly.
Cost: Application fee: $60 (or $90 for international students); Program cost: $915 (need-based financial aid is available)
Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 18 to 24 students per class
Dates: June 16–July 11
Application deadline: Applications typically close in March
Eligibility: Students completing grades 7 and 8
The Exploring Chemistry course at UC Berkeley’s ATDP Secondary Division is a summer camp for students finishing 7th or 8th grade. You spend time on campus doing hands-on chemistry experiments and learning how matter changes. Each day includes lectures and lab work where you explore topics like atomic structure, molarity, and conservation of mass. You’ll practice core lab techniques, build your problem-solving skills, and see how chemistry connects to the world around you. The program runs about 25 hours a week and accepts up to 24 students to keep the class focused and interactive.
Cost: Free
Location: Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
Dates: Typically in July for the summer session
Application deadline: Typically in April
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-12 with an 80% or higher grade average (particularly in math and science)
The State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP) at Columbia University is for students in grades 7 to 12 who want to dive deeper into science. During the summer session in July, you take classes in subjects like chemistry and biochemistry, combining lectures with hands-on lab work to apply what you learn. The program also includes field trips, college tours, and workshops to help you explore STEM careers. You can also join the academic year program from November to May. If you take part, you can even apply for summer research at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute or Cancer Center.
4. MIT dynaMIT
Cost: Free
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Dates: August 11–15 (Week 1) and August 18–22 (Week 2)
Application deadline: February 10
Eligibility: Rising 6-9 grade students
dynaMIT is a free, week-long STEM camp at MIT’s campus in Cambridge for students entering grades 6 through 9. You spend the week learning about chemistry, biology, physics, math, and computer science through hands-on projects and group activities. MIT undergrads guide your group as you work together on experiments and explore real-world science problems. The program gives priority to students from under-resourced communities in the Boston area. It’s non-residential, so you’ll need to commute to campus each day. Admission is competitive.
5. Penn GEMS
Cost: $650 (financial aid available)
Location: School of Engineering and Applied Science, Philadelphia, PA
Dates: June 23-27
Application deadline: Typically in March
Eligibility: Current 6–9 grade students who live and attend school within 60 miles of the University of Pennsylvania
Penn GEMS is a week-long day camp at the University of Pennsylvania for students entering grades 7 to 9 who live within 60 miles of Philadelphia. You explore different STEM topics through hands-on projects, including chemistry-focused activities. One of the main units covers chemical engineering and nanotechnology, where you work on real experiments like testing how sunscreens and soaps work at the chemical level. You’ll be in small groups, guided by Penn students, learning how chemical reactions connect to everyday products.
Cost: From $2,970, in addition to a $135 lab fee (scholarships available)
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Dates: July 20 - August 8
Application deadline: 1 week before the start date of the selected course
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8 who can provide evidence of being an advanced learner (view the ‘Eligibility’ section for full details)
Chem Lab is a three-week chemistry camp for middle school students, run by Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD). Held on campus, the course focuses on lab-based experiments that teach you how to design and carry out scientific investigations. You explore key chemistry topics like stoichiometry, atomic theory, periodic trends, and intermolecular forces. You’ll learn to adjust variables during experiments and talk through your results with peers.
Cost: From $6,459, in addition to a $180 lab fee (financial aid available)
Location: Multiple locations (view the ‘Dates and Locations’ section here)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 18-20 students
Dates: Session I: Options between June 22 - July 18; Session II: Options between July 13 - August 8
Application deadline: Typically until mid-May, with the option to request enrolment after the deadline
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-11 at the CTY-Level math (view the ‘Testing and Prerequisites’ section for details)
Chemistry in Society is a chemistry camp offered by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) for middle and high school students. You explore how chemistry relates to real-world problems through hands-on activities. You might test water samples for contaminants, look at alternative fuel options, and take part in a mock town hall to discuss local water use.
With small classes of up to 20 students, you can expect meaningful interaction and teamwork among peers with shared interests. If you are ready to take up high school chemistry, CTY offers a Fast-Paced High School Chemistry camp for middle school students who have completed the foundational Introduction to the Biomedical Sciences course.
Cost: $550 (scholarships available)
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Dates: July 14-18
Application deadline: July 2
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Summer P.E.A.K.S. at Georgia Tech offers full-day camps for K-12 students, including a chemistry camp for middle schoolers called “Ignite Your Curiosity: Reactions, Enzymes, and the Power of Chemistry in Action!” You attend in person at Georgia Tech’s Atlanta campus and take part in hands-on experiments that cover topics like titration, fermentation, and how enzymes work. You learn directly from Georgia Tech chemistry PhDs while building a foundation in chemistry and sharpening your problem-solving skills. Registration stays open until the camp fills up.
Cost: $275 (scholarships available)
Location: University of California, San Diego, CA
Dates: July 14-18
Application deadline: Typically in June
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
A Dose of Pharmacreations is a STEAM-based chemistry camp for middle school students, offered in person by UC San Diego’s Sally Ride Science Academy. You learn about pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences through hands-on, scenario-based activities. You get to create sample medications for fictional patients and use tools like inhalers and EpiPen trainers. The program includes guest sessions with pharmacists, where you learn about real-world careers and communication in healthcare.
Cost: $675 (scholarships available)
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective; 24 students per grade
Dates: June 30 - July 10
Application deadline: Students are admitted until seats are full
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7-9
Stony Brook University’s Science Exploration Program, run by the Institute of STEM Education (I-STEM), is a summer camp for middle school students with a structured curriculum by grade level. If you’re entering 7th grade, you focus on building basic lab skills across subjects like chemistry and ecology. If you’re entering 8th grade, you dive into topics like general and environmental chemistry using case-based learning. The program is capped at 24 students per grade, so you learn in a small group setting. Admission is first-come, first-served, so it’s best to apply early.
Cost: $1,495 (financial aid available)
Location: North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Morganton, NC
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July 6-11
Application deadline: Students are admitted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Rising 7-9 graders
“Intro to Analytical Chemistry” is a week-long chemistry camp for rising 7th to 9th graders, held at the Morganton campus of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM). You learn how to use lab techniques like titration and chromatography while gaining hands-on experience with preparing solutions, heating substances, and observing chemical reactions. The camp also introduces you to key chemistry concepts such as stoichiometry and molecular polarity through guided lab work.
NCSSM also offers another chemistry camp for middle schoolers called “Beauty by Chemistry: The Science and Art of Making Cosmetics,” where you explore the science behind everyday personal care products. Eligibility and cost are the same as this program, with different dates and campuses, and you are encouraged to view the course page for more information.
Cost: From $695, in addition to a $50 lab fee (scholarships and financial assistance available)
Location: Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
Dates: July 6-11
Application deadline: Students are admitted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
“Wild World of Chemistry” is a one-week chemistry camp for middle school students, offered through Michigan Technological University’s Summer Youth Programs (SYP). You visit the Houghton campus and explore how chemistry connects to real-world problems. Activities include turning plastic waste into green cleaning products, isolating DNA, refining copper, and solving mock crime cases using lab techniques. You stay in campus dorms, eat in dining halls, and join evening events, giving you a preview of college life while working closely with other students on hands-on projects.
13. Boston Leadership Institute’s Polymer Chemistry
Cost: From $699 (scholarships available)
Location: Gann Academy or Bentley, Waltham, MA
Dates: July 28 - August 1
Application deadline: Students are admitted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students entering grade 8 through entering college
The Boston Leadership Institute offers a week-long polymer chemistry course for middle school students, held at either Gann Academy or Bentley University in Waltham. You explore how polymers are used in everyday products and advanced fields, from silly putty to biomedical materials. You work with substances like acrylics, styrofoam, and DNA, and create your polymer-based project. The course is led by an experienced instructor, with past students meeting faculty connected to places like MIT. With a 10:1 student-to-staff ratio, you get personal guidance during labs.
Cost: $425 per week
Location: College of Science and Mathematics, Belmont University, Nashville, TN
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective; up to 24 students per camp
Dates: Typically in June
Application deadline: Information unavailable
Eligibility: Middle school students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0
STEM Explorers is a week-long, in-person science camp for middle school students, hosted by Belmont University’s College of Sciences & Mathematics. You spend each day focused on a different subject, including chemistry, math, and other sciences, through hands-on activities, games, and demos. Faculty guide you through experiments and help you practice using the scientific method and working in teams. The camp is limited to around 24 students, so you get personal support as you build your understanding and confidence.
Cost: From $230 (scholarships available)
Location: California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA
Dates: Between June and August
Application deadline: Spaces fill quickly after applications open in February
Eligibility: Middle school students (courses for elementary school students are also available)
The California Science Center offers the Hands-On Science Camp at the Wallis Annenberg Building for Science Learning and Innovation. Over 7 weeks, middle school students can choose half-day or full-day sessions. In chemistry-focused classes like “Chemical Meltdown,” you test different reactants, and in “All Cooked Up!,” you explore kitchen chemistry to understand scientific principles. You’re guided by trained educators and industry professionals. The program also gives you access to live demos, interactive exhibits, and the Science Center’s Big Lab, where you can explore physics, engineering, and more through hands-on learning.
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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