10 Educational Activities for Middle Schoolers
- Stephen Turban
- Oct 3, 2025
- 6 min read
Middle school students can benefit from educational activities that introduce you to college-level academics. Educational activities typically blend theory and practice to provide a holistic experience. Thus, you will be equipped with enhanced knowledge and practical skills.
Many educational activities include a networking component that allows you to learn from experienced professionals in the field of your choice. If you want to take your education to the next level, consider participating in a structured activity. We have compiled a list of options for you to choose from.
10 Educational Activities for Middle Schoolers
Location: Virtual
Cost: 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 an intensive and highly selective research program providing middle school students the chance to undertake advanced research. The program provides 1-on-1 guidance from PhD mentors from top universities like Harvard, Columbia, and MIT. You are encouraged to pick your subject of interest, which can range anywhere from artificial intelligence to history. Over 8 weeks, this virtual program lets you dive deep into your chosen subject, build high-standard research skills, and complete your own project by the end. Beyond gaining specialized knowledge, you also build the confidence to think critically, innovate, and approach both theoretical and practical academic endeavors with independence.
Location: New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th-graders living in NYC
Middle school students interested in environmental and urban science can opt for NYU’s Science of Smart Cities program. You will learn about engineering, computer science, and technology, and how these concepts are applied to make cities sustainable. The course teaches you electronics and circuitry, coding, microcontrollers, sensors, and other hardware. You will work in teams to design a practical solution for a real-world issue. Your team will present this solution at the end of the program.
Location: Virtual
Cost: 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
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers is a virtual program for middle school students. The course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning in 25 hours of programming. You will learn diverse topics such as Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. The program involves a practical component where you will apply what you have learned to create a project. 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.
4. 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) (tentative)
Application Deadline: February 10 (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising 6th–9th grade students
dynaMIT is a free program for middle school students to explore science and engineering. In this educational program, you will be taught and mentored by MIT students. You will participate in hands-on activities under the guidance of these students. You will also complete scientific experiments. The program aims to make STEM education accessible and inclusive.
5. Penn GEMS
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $650 (tentative)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders who have at least a B average
Penn GEMS is an experience-based camp for you to explore engineering, science, and math. The camp covers subjects like bioengineering, robotics, AI, materials science, and so on. The classes are taught by Penn students, researchers, and faculty. You will complete STEM projects that help solve real-world challenges. As a result, you will develop skills in teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. You can network with Penn mentors and your peers. By the end of the program, you will be prepared for advanced studies and a career in STEM.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer Course: July 7 – 25 | Fall Semester Meetings: August 27 – December 10
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Low-income students in grades 6 or 7 who reside in and attend school in the United States
SMSSP is a rigorous program for ambitious middle school students. You will complete a 3-week summer course and attend weekly meetings during the fall semester. The program helps you explore options for high school and academic enrichment programs, learn academic writing, and develop your math skills. The classes are live, providing an opportunity to interact with Stanford faculty. You can choose one of the following topics Democracy & Dissent, History through Graphic Novels, and Real-Life Applications to Mathematics. Thus, this program prepares you for advanced high school academics.
Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost: $170; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 14 – 18
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising 6th – 8th graders
Oregon State University hosts STEM summer camps for middle school students. If you want to learn about physical computing, you can opt for the Making with Microcontrollers track. You will learn to build and program physical devices. The first part of the camp includes programming the micro:bit using the MakeCode programming platform. In the second part, you will build a device of your choice. Thus, in this activity-based camp, you will get hands-on engineering experience.
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 9 – 13
Application Deadline: April 17
Eligibility: Students in grades 7 and 8
This on-campus program at Purdue University introduces you to the fundamentals of physics and their real-world applications. Led by staff and faculty, you will discover the current topics and innovations in physics, astronomy, and astrophysics. Furthermore, you will perform hands-on activities and learn about conducting research in a lab setting. The faculty also walk you through their career to provide insights into professional paths you can consider. You will tour the campus and research facilities.
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost/Stipend: $75; full scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 7 – 14 students per class
Dates: June 23 – July 30
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Middle school students who are enrolled in public and parochial schools in New Haven, CT
This 6-week program is for motivated middle school students. Taught by Yale undergraduate teachers, you will delve into humanities subjects (art, writing, poetry, and philosophy) and an investigations class (biology, chemistry, finance, and architecture). The classes you take depend on the grade you are in. In the afternoons, you will choose from a range of electives, such as How to Write a Pop Song, Letter Series, and Inventing a Language. The program equips you with skills needed to succeed in college. Group activities build your team work skills.
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) who demonstrate strong academic performance and an interest in pursuing a college education.
The Center for Leader Development in STEM runs STEM workshops for middle and high school students. The workshops are designed to increase your interest in and knowledge of STEM subjects. You will partake in hands-on activities and projects. Some activities held in the past include soldiering circuits, robotics, egg drop competition, fuel cell cars, mechanical circuits, fish biodiversity, water chemistry, data analytics, and bridge building. During the week-long program, you will enhance your knowledge of math and science. The workshops also develop your problem-solving skills, which are crucial for higher academics.
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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