15 Cyber Security Camps for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Sep 10
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 5
If you are a middle school student interested in exploring technology, enrolling in a cybersecurity camp can be a smart way to spend your summer break. Cybersecurity camps are short and focused programs, usually lasting a week or two, where you get hands-on exposure to advanced computer science topics. You learn how online systems work, what makes them vulnerable, and how to protect them through interactive activities, simulations, and projects. Unlike longer or full-time programs, these camps are more affordable and easier to try, making them a cost-friendly way to explore the field.
Beyond technical lessons, cybersecurity camps help you build practical life skills like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. Many also introduce you to industry practices and tools, giving you early exposure to how cybersecurity works in the real world.
To help you get started, we’ve narrowed down 15 cybersecurity camps for middle school students!
15 Cyber Security Camps for Middle School Students
Location: Online
Acceptance rate/cohort size: One-on-one
Dates: 8 weeks, with multiple cohorts yearly
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines for each cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6-8. Apply here
Lumiere Junior Explorers is an 8-week online research program for middle school students (grades 6–8) interested in cybersecurity. You’ll work one-on-one with a PhD-level mentor, starting with a broad introduction to computer science and cybersecurity. Midway through the program, you’ll choose a specialized topic like ethical hacking, data protection, or network security and begin designing your own research project. In the final weeks, you’ll complete a cybersecurity paper, presentation, or prototype with mentor support. The program is fully virtual and open to students worldwide.
Cost/Stipend: $400
Dates: July 28 - August 1 (Session 1: Beginner/Intermediate) or August 4 - August 8 (Session 2: Intermediate/Advanced) | Students are welcome to participate in both weeks
Application Deadline: Applications open in January; check the program website for deadlines
Eligibility: Rising 6th-8th-grade students | As a non-residential program, students must be able to commute daily to the program
The SECURE IT Summer Academy is a one-week cybersecurity camp for middle school students, run by the Secure Software Supply Chain Center at the University of Maryland and NC State University. You’ll learn from undergraduate and graduate students who study cybersecurity at these universities. You can choose either the beginner/intermediate camp or the advanced camp.
Both camps include lessons and activities on Linux, computer networking, and how to think like an ethical hacker. You’ll also hear from guest speakers who work in cybersecurity and visit real cybersecurity centers to see what the field looks like in action. At the end of the week, you’ll work with other students to complete a group research project. You’ll present your findings to your instructors and peers.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 4-5 student cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Program Dates: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6 – 8
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers is a 10-week online program for middle school students (grades 6–8) interested in artificial intelligence and computer science. If you’re focused on cybersecurity, you’ll build foundational skills in Python and machine learning before applying them to real-world problems through hands-on group projects. You start with core AI topics like exploratory data analysis, regression, and classification. As the program progresses, you’ll explore neural networks, natural language processing, and AI ethics. In the final weeks, you work with a small group to complete a research project that can merge AI techniques with cybersecurity questions, such as image classification, threat detection, or ethical hacking.
Location: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
Cost: $1,899
Dates: Multiple 6-day camps from late May to mid-August
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment beginning the prior summer
Eligibility: Middle school students aged 12-14 | Attendees must be U.S. citizens
NASA’s U.S. Cyber Academy is a weeklong cybersecurity camp for middle school students held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Alabama. You’ll learn about data security, cyber ethics, and how cybersecurity is used to protect networks and systems. The camp is designed with help from the FBI and includes hands-on activities and coding challenges. You’ll study topics like malware threats, cryptography, and computer anatomy. You’ll build a PC, learn basic programming in Scratch and Python, and practice defending against cyber attacks.
Location: USF Tampa
Cost/Stipend: $399.99
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; 30-student cohort
Dates: Varies; check website for more details; Camps are 5 days and take place in June, July, or August
Application Deadline: Rolling registration beginning February 1
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
University of South Florida’s Middle School Cyber Camp provides a week of education and activities, training students in introductory cybersecurity. The camp is broken up into a series of lessons focused on different sub-topics in the field, with technical elements like cryptography and web exploration, as well as social elements like cyber ethics and forensics. You’ll complete activities related to each topic, such as identifying online vulnerabilities and implementing cyber safety strategies, with the goal of immersive learning. You’ll also work with peers on challenges and exercises and compete in cybersecurity competitions.
6. University of Colorado Colorado Springs and National Cybersecurity Center Cybersecurity Summer Camps
Location: UCCS O’Neil Cybersecurity Center, Colorado Springs, CO
Cost: $25
Dates: June 2-6 or July 9-13 (Beginner) and July 21-25 (Advanced)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8 | Students must be able to commute to campus daily
At the University of Colorado’s Cybersecurity Center, you’ll spend a week studying cybersecurity at either the beginner or advanced level based on your prior experience and abilities. You’ll take a look at the internal hardware and software of a computer, learning how each element of the computer influences security. You’ll also explore specialized cybersecurity topics like cryptography, cyber ethics, and cyber attack lifestyles. To build industry knowledge, you’ll speak to professionals in the cybersecurity field and complete hands-on activities to prepare for more advanced study and a future career.
Location: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; 25 students per cohort
Dates: July 14-18
Application Deadline: Rolling registration; check here for timeline
Eligibility: Middle and high school students are eligible
ODU’s Summer Cyber Camp is a one-week program for middle and high school students held in July. You’ll learn about cybersecurity through hands-on activities, virtual labs, and expert-led sessions. Topics include computer forensics, cryptography, penetration testing, and network security. You’ll work on problems like traffic analysis, wifi password cracking, firewall protection, and access control. The camp also includes robotics lessons using Zumi cars, live cyberattack demonstrations, and a Zumi racing challenge. You’ll hear from industry professionals during lectures and panels, and take a field trip to ODU’s Data Center.
Location: Over 100 locations across the U.S.; see site for options | Most recent locations can be found here; may vary yearly.
Cost/Stipend: Varies, typically free or low fee; check the relevant location for details
Dates: Multiple 5-day sessions running from early June to mid-August
Application Deadline: Varies by location
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7-12
The AFA CyberCamp is a nationwide program training both middle and high school students in cybersecurity skills. Hosted at locations including the National Museum of the United States Air Force and the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, the AFA CyberCamp provides both Standard and Advanced levels of education based on students’ prior knowledge of coding and cybersecurity.
In the Standard course, you will learn introductory terminology and foundational topics in the field with a focus on personal online safety and digital citizenship. You’ll also learn key coding skills for cybersecurity work, completing activities to keep both Windows and Linux operating systems secure. The Advanced camp focuses on more challenging security issues, where you’ll study topics like system hardening, cyber ethics, secure configurations, and user permissions. You’ll also learn coding skills in more advanced Linux systems like Ubuntu 18.
Location: Gallatin College, Bozeman, MT
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open registration; small group cohort
Dates: June 16-20
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Montana students in grades 6-10
Gallatin College’s Cybersecurity Summer Initiative Camp is a free, weeklong day camp for middle and high school students in Montana. You’ll learn how to stay safe online and protect your devices through hands-on activities and games. You’ll study cyber hygiene, network functionality, and how Linux and Windows systems work, and also learn file management and how to prevent cyber attacks. Even if you’ve never worked with computers before, the camp is designed to help you build new skills in a fun and supportive environment. At the end of the week, you’ll take part in a friendly competition to test what you’ve learned.
Location: Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC
Cost: $375
Dates: July 28 - August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8 (including rising 9th graders) | Students do not need to attend GDS to enroll
Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C., offers a cybersecurity summer camp as part of its broader summer programming. The camp is open to both GDS students and non-students and is designed for middle and high schoolers interested in coding, hacking, and online safety. You’ll learn how security threats work and how to defend against them. The camp includes coding games and hands-on activities where you’ll practice hacking a fake website built for the program. You’ll also learn how to protect systems from the same kinds of attacks you’ve studied. Faculty members lead the camp, and the curriculum is designed to be interactive and fun.
Location: University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Cost: Free
Dates: July 21 - 25
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Middle school students aged 11-14 | Students must live in Montana and be able to commute daily to the campus
The Griz GenCyber Summer Institute is a free cybersecurity camp for middle school students in Montana. It’s held at Missoula College and is open to students ages 11 to 14. You’ll spend a week learning how cybersecurity works through hands-on exercises and technology lessons. You’ll study both offensive and defensive cybersecurity skills, including how to protect systems and how attacks happen. You’ll work with Linux command-line tools, learn about encryption, and explore how coding and technology can keep people safe online. The camp also introduces you to engineering and computer science as future study options.
Location: Merritt College, Oakland, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: July 31 - August 4
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Middle and high school students able to commute to campus daily
Merritt College’s CyberCamp is a free, weeklong cybersecurity camp for middle and high school students. It’s based on the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot curriculum and is designed to help you explore cybersecurity and STEM careers. You’ll learn core cybersecurity concepts and how to apply them through hands-on activities. Faculty from Merritt’s computer science department lead the camp, and you’ll study topics like hacking prevention, cyber ethics, and network security. You’ll also learn about college and career paths in cybersecurity and tour the Merritt campus to get a feel for future opportunities.
Location: University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Cost: $276
Dates: August 4-8
Application Deadline: Rolling; Enrollment opens on March 3
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
The University of Montana offers a summer camp for middle school students that combines engineering and cybersecurity. You’ll spend the week working on hands-on projects that teach you how hardware and software work together to keep systems secure. You’ll start by wiring simple hardware like LEDs, buttons, and breadboards. Then you’ll learn how to program your projects using Raspberry Pi and Python. Once you’ve built your project, you’ll study how these skills apply to cybersecurity, including using command-line prompts and understanding how systems can be protected from threats.
Location: Roane State Community College, TN
Cost: $25
Dates: July 7-10
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Middle school students in the Harriman, TN area
Roane State Community College’s Middle School Cybersecurity Camp is a four-day summer program held in partnership with the Y-12 National Security Complex. You’ll study topics like network visualization, mapping, and simulation. You’ll also learn how to analyze network data to identify and neutralize threats through digital forensics and risk assessment activities. The camp helps you build foundational computer science skills while preparing you for more advanced cybersecurity work in the future.
Location: Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX
Cost: Free
Dates: June 9-13
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Middle school and high school students from San Angelo and the surrounding areas
The Angelo State University Cybersecurity Camp for middle school students teaches students core skills in online safety from the Air Force Association’s educational curriculum. You’ll spend the first half of each day learning technical skills and practice putting them into action through hands-on activities. In the afternoon, you’ll speak with cybersecurity professionals from local businesses to learn about the real-world applications of your work, potential future career paths, and more specialized cybersecurity topics. You’ll end the camp with a team competition, role-playing as IT specialists to identify and neutralize cyber threats.
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 in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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