15 Coding Programs for Girls in STEM for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Mar 2
- 9 min read
Programs are one of the easiest ways for middle school students to learn more about a subject without going all in. They offer a peek into advanced learning, help you build useful skills, and give you a sense of how people work and think in different fields, all without high costs or long commitments.
STEM and computer science as a space can be quite inaccessible for girl students - to help solve this, multiple organizations host women-only programs in coding each year!
If you’re interested in coding or computers, a coding program is a natural next step. You learn how software is built, how problems are solved step by step, and how ideas turn into working programs. These experiences help you understand whether coding feels interesting or frustrating, fun or tiring, before you choose classes or pathways in high school.
To make it easier to explore your options, here’s a list of 15 coding programs for girls in STEM for middle school students.
If you’re looking for more such programs in computer science, check out the blog attached!
15 Coding Programs for Girls in STEM for Middle School Students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: NYU Tandon Campus, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Dates: July 8 – August 2 (tentative, based on the previous years)
Application Deadline: April 29
Eligibility: Middle school students aged 12–14 years old and residing in NYC
Science of Smart Cities (SoSC), hosted by the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, is centered on using technology to understand and redesign how cities work. You spend most of your time learning concrete technical skills like programming microcontrollers with C++, working with circuits, and building electronic systems that actually function. The work is project-driven, with small teams designing and testing models such as energy systems, transportation networks, or communication tools. Rather than focusing on theory alone, the program pushes you to turn ideas into working prototypes and explain your design choices to engineers and planners at the end.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online (Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers)
Cost: Varies. Full financial aid is available
Program Dates: 8 weeks (rolling cohorts throughout the year)
Application Deadline: Varies across different cohorts
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8; open to motivated students globally interested in exploring academic research or writing.
If you are interested in research, Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program may meet your requirements. This program pairs you with PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are specialists in physics. Throughout the program, you will conduct original research, learn to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study. You can benefit from feedback and writing coaching sessions to develop your critical thinking and scientific communication skills. Lumiere also offers a Junior Research and Publication Program for students who wish to publish their research in academic journals in 16 weeks.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, nomination only
Location: One of 22 different sites across the nation
Cost: Camp fees are sponsored by the local AAUW branch, though a small contribution of ~$50 may be required
Dates: Varies by location, but generally 1-week programs in June or July. You can check by specific location here.
Application Deadline: Varies by local branch
Eligibility: Rising 8th-grade female-identifying students nominated by teachers from schools partnered with local AAUW branches
AAUW Tech Trek, run by the American Association of University Women, is built around showing what STEM looks like when it’s hands-on and shared. You spend the week working through labs, workshops, and group projects that ask you to build, test, and solve problems. Activities change by location, but the core stays the same: learning science, technology, engineering, and math by doing the work yourself. Along the way, you meet women who study or work in STEM fields and talk openly about how they got there, what their jobs actually involve, and what challenges they faced.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by the program. Financial aid is 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
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.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Fully virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: Multiple batches throughout the year, the winter cohort takes place on four consecutive Saturdays in November
Application Deadline: Varies by batch; October 19 for the winter cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students residing in the U.S.
The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute’s Ring of Trust program for middle schoolers introduces you to data privacy and online safety. You will learn the technicalities of hacks, phishing scams, the functionality of cookies, and the storage and sharing of data. You’ll benefit from MIT's (virtual) collegiate environment and be taught by mentors from MIT’s School of Engineering. The program emphasizes practical work, and you’ll be exploring plenty of real-world examples and overcoming fun challenges.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: 25 affiliates across the U.S.
Cost: Free
Dates: Multi-year program starting with a six-week summer component starting in the summer before 7th grade
Application Deadline: Varies by location
Eligibility: Rising 7th graders, though local requirements may vary slightly
Breakthrough Collaborative is a national tuition-free program that recruits high-potential students from under-resourced schools in their middle school years. You will be committing to six weeks of intensive summer programming for three consecutive summers, creating a stable and supportive academic environment. You’ll be taught by college students who will sharpen your academic skills across a variety of subjects, including STEM and coding. Many of these near-peer Teaching Fellows are themselves actively studying in STEM fields, making it an excellent networking opportunity as well.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, 20-30 girls per year
Location: University at Albany, Albany, NY
Cost: Free
Dates: Five-year program with 4-week summer programs as well as 1 programming opportunity per month during the school year. Typically July 7 – August 1
Application Deadline: Usually in the spring
Eligibility: Girls entering 8th or 9th grade
This is a five-year STEM and leadership development program that recruits girls during the summer before 8th grade. The first two years involve intensive, four-week summer sessions held on a university campus, where you will engage in hands-on modules in various STEM subjects, including robotics, coding, and engineering. Unlike a standard camp, Eureka! is designed to stay with you through high school, offering internships and college support in the later years. The coding aspect is thus integrated into broader STEM challenges, and you are also offered guidance throughout the five years on how to best pursue your dream of a coding career.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Various major cities and Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: 2 weeks in the summer, between June–August
Application Deadline: Generally in the spring
Eligibility: Young women and gender expansive teens aged 13–18
Founded by Karlie Kloss, this program provides free, two-week coding camps for girls and gender-expansive youth aged 13-18. The camps are designed for students of traditionally underrepresented genders in the STEM fields, and do not require prior coding skills. As a scholar, you will learn one of four curricula: full-stack web development, mobile app building, artificial intelligence and machine learning, or data science. Regardless of which one you choose, the structure is highly technical, and you will be learning industry-relevant tools such as JavaScript, Swift, Python, or SQL. The program provides everything needed, including loaner computers for students who do not have access to one, making it a highly accessible and empowering option.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Location: Chapters in major U.S. cities
Cost: $100
Dates: 1-week camps between June and August, dates vary by location
Application Deadline: Usually in the spring
Eligibility: Students aged 10–18
Black Girls Code Summer Camp, run by Black Girls Code, focuses on learning technology by building things yourself. You spend the week writing code, working through guided projects, and understanding how tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning actually function. Sessions are hands-on, with mentors nearby to help you debug problems and think through decisions as you work. Alongside technical skills, the program makes space for conversations about how technology affects people and communities. The structure stays collaborative and practical, ending with you sharing what you built and explaining how it works.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Berkeley, CA or virtual
Cost: Varies between $790–$1,190; however, need-based financial aid is available, covering up to 100% of base tuition
Dates: June 22 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–11, though some courses may have additional requirements
The Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) at the University of California, Berkeley runs like a real academic term. You enroll in a single course and are graded on exams, assignments, and final work, with written evaluations at the end. Computer science options move fast and go deep, covering material from courses like introductory programming or data science in a compressed format that usually takes much longer during the school year. Classes expect you to keep up with technical concepts, write code regularly, and work independently outside scheduled sessions. The program is demanding by design and works best if you want to test yourself in a university-style setting and come away with formal academic credit and evaluation.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Remote / Hybrid
Cost: Free
Dates: Year-round sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Middle and high school girls
MAGIC is distinct from typical coding camps because it focuses entirely on 1-on-1 mentorship. You are paired with a female professional in the field of STEM who guides you through a semester-long project of your choosing. Rather than following a generic curriculum, you and your mentor decide what you want to build, whether it's a website, a mobile app, or a data analysis project. The program emphasizes the human side of STEM, helping you build a personal relationship with a role model who can offer career advice, technical support, and encouragement.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, 120 students chosen per batch
Location: College Park, MD
Cost: $400, but need-based scholarships are available
Dates: Three-year commitment starting with a two-week summer session between July and August
Application Deadline: Usually in the spring
Eligibility: Rising 6th, 7th, 8th graders
CompSciConnect, run through the University of Maryland, is designed to teach computing slowly and properly, without rushing concepts. You start with basic programming ideas and gradually move into areas like web development, game design, and computer science logic, building skills step by step over time. The focus stays on understanding how code works rather than memorizing syntax. Sessions are hands-on and guided by instructors and near-peer mentors who help you think through problems as you build.
13. Rosie’s Girls
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Location: Vermont, Ohio, California
Cost: Free
Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the year, usually around 1 week long or more
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Girls and non-binary or gender-expansive youth in grades 6–8
Rosie’s Girls is a unique program that blends technical skills with trades and engineering to build "grit" and self-efficacy in middle school girls. Their camps span a variety of topics, including STEM-related fields and coding. In conjunction with affiliated local STEM organizations like OVR Technology, UVM EPSCoR, VIP, UVM Society of Women Engineers, OnLogic, GlobalFoundries, Northern Digital Inc., Greentime.ai, Marvell Technology, and others, they can provide a rigorous, hands-on curriculum in computer science. The atmosphere is collaborative rather than competitive, with an emphasis on learning by doing and gaining confidence with hands-on work that adults use in careers every day.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: Registration typically opens in October. Submission deadlines are usually early May
Application Deadline: April 20
Eligibility: Girls (trans/non-binary inclusive) ages 8–18 (Junior Division covers ages 13–15).
Technovation Girls, run by Technovation, is built around solving real problems, not just learning how to code. You work in a small team to identify an issue in your community, then design a solution by building a mobile app or AI prototype from scratch. Coding is only one part of the work. You also develop a business plan, think through users, and explain how your idea would actually function in the real world. The process is structured and demanding, with clear milestones that push you to plan, build, test, and revise. In the Junior Division, you get early exposure to how technology, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving come together, with global judging that treats your work seriously rather than as a practice exercise.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to all entrants; finalists are selected
Location: Virtual (National Competition) with a Gala in D.C. for finalists
Cost: Free
Dates: Registration usually opens in the fall; projects due in late spring
Application Deadline: Typically mid-April
Eligibility: Girls in grades 6–8
ProjectCSGIRLS runs the nation’s largest computer science competition specifically for middle school girls. Unlike a camp where you are taught specific skills, this is a challenge where you must apply what you know (or learn as you go). You can participate individually or in a team of up to three. The goal is to build a project using computer science and technology that solves a social problem in one of three themes: global health, a safer world, or intelligent technology. If you are self-driven or have a competitive streak, this provides a concrete goal to work toward, and top winners are invited to a national gala to present their work to industry leaders.
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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