15 Enrichment Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Oct 12
- 10 min read
If you are looking for a way to build new skills and dive into a subject of interest while in middle school, an enrichment program is worth considering. Enrichment programs go beyond the traditional middle school curricula to help you gain exposure to advanced academics, industry insights, and career-specific skill-building opportunities. As a participant, you also get to connect with peers who share your interests and mentors who are professionals, university faculty, or experts in their field. Many options offer financial aid or free/low-cost participation, making them affordable opportunities for middle schoolers to explore.
In this blog, we have come up with 15 enrichment programs for middle school students, taking into account factors like rigor, selectivity, prestige, availability of networking opportunities, and aid-based or fully funded options. We’ve provided options across subject areas, locations, and timelines, helping you find the right fit for your academic path!
15 Enrichment Programs for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several eight-week sessions are scheduled each year
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines for each cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program is an eight-week opportunity to build subject-specific knowledge and research experience. You will work 1-on-1 with a mentor from a top university, attending instruction and building a project, in an academic field of your choosing. The program offers various tracks spanning areas like economics, history, anthropology, mathematics, engineering, and physics. You will start off by covering four core topics in your chosen field and preparing for specialized work. Then, you will select your favorite topic to develop a research plan. In the final two weeks of the program, you will execute your personal project, which can include analyzing real-world data, writing a research paper, and engaging with contemporary literature on the subject.
Location: United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
Cost: Free housing, meals, tuition, and activities
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – 6
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: 6th and 7th graders who are U.S. citizens
West Point’s Center for Leader Development in STEM offers fully funded enrichment programs for middle school students planning to pursue a college education in science and engineering. During the Summer STEM Program, you will live in West Point barracks, getting a glimpse into the military academy and university life and learning from US Military Academy professors and current West Point cadets. You will engage in activities like building fuel cell cars and mechanical circuits, designing and building bridges, and soldering circuits, while building skills in data analytics and robotics. The program offers exposure to higher-level coursework to help you prepare for high school.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: 10-week program; multiple cohorts each year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students
Veritas AI Trailblazers provides middle school students interested in computer science with a hands-on learning experience in artificial intelligence. This enrichment program for middle schoolers covers topics like machine learning, Python programming, data analysis, and image classification through lessons and coding exercises. After learning the essentials, you’ll explore more complex topics in image classification, ethical questions in AI research, and neural networks. As a participant, you will use what you learn to work on AI-focused projects, which you will present at the end of the program. Throughout the program, you will work within a small group of peers, completing collaborative exercises and attending virtual sessions.
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 7 – August 1; the full program runs for six years through summer sessions and school-year programming
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Current 7th and 8th-grade students at NYC public schools
NYU’s College and Career Lab (CCL) is a six-year enrichment program for middle school students at NYC public schools. You will begin your CCL experience in the summer with the Exploratory Stage—a three-week program offering an introduction to college-level subjects led by various NYU schools and colleges. You will explore disciplines like law, the arts, STEM, business, and health sciences. During the school year, you will continue to engage in academic enrichment programming in the form of Practice Labs, which offer guidance on networking, academics, and career paths based on your skills and academic interests. After completing the Exploratory Stage, you will move on to the more specialized Immersive Stage and get access to college-focused programming.
5. MIT dynaMIT
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 40 students per session
Dates: Mid–late August; one week for rising 6th–7th graders and one week for rising 8th–9th graders
Application Deadline: February 10
Eligibility: Massachusetts students entering grades 6–9; students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with limited access to STEM enrichment programs are encouraged to apply
MIT’s dynaMIT offers middle school students a week-long, interdisciplinary STEM summer enrichment program. Under the mentorship of current MIT students, you will explore unique topics in areas like electromagnetism, forensics, and polymers through hands-on activities. Each day will address a different subject area designed by MIT undergraduate and graduate students specializing in the field. You will also attend educational workshops, mentorship activities, and MIT campus tours. You will finish the program with a capstone project.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer: July 28 – August 8 | Academic Year: November 9 – May 17 (Saturdays only)
Application Deadline: April 15 (summer) | September 15 (academic year)
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12 who are New York State residents or U.S. permanent residents living in NY; must be economically disadvantaged and/or identify as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Alaskan Native, or American Indian
Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons hosts a select group of talented middle school students for its multi-year S-PREP enrichment program. While the program extends throughout high school, as a middle school S-PREP participant, you will engage in coursework in biochemistry, anatomy, advanced math, and psychology to prepare for high school and future careers in STEM. During the academic year, you will have access to Saturday classes covering PSAT and SAT preparation, as well as STEM careers. College tours and academic planning guidance are also part of the experience.
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $75; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified; each class typically has 7–14 students
Dates: June 23 – July 30
Application Deadline: February 26
Eligibility: Middle school students from public and parochial schools in New Haven
This summer enrichment program offers local New Haven students six weeks of educational activities. Here, you will study at Yale’s campus under the guidance of university professors, focusing on specialized topics in the humanities and investigative learning not typically covered in middle school curricula. You will attend three courses daily, in areas like economics, social sciences, literature, philosophy, natural sciences, and architecture. During the program, you will explore history, speech writing, poetry, and creative writing. You will also engage in projects in the natural and social sciences. Activities like field trips, sports, classes in music and the performing arts, debate and mock trial, and a book club are also part of the experience.
Location: Andries Hudde Junior High School, Brooklyn, NY, and STAR Early College School, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified; approximately 84 students in past years
Dates: July 7 – August 1; online orientation on June 28
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders living in NYC, ages 12–14
NYU’s SoSC is a free summer enrichment program for middle school students. This three-week program can help you apply engineering to real-world questions in urban and environmental studies. You will develop skills in engineering, computer science, internet of things, and environmental science while exploring sustainable infrastructure for smart cities, urban planning, civic and electrical engineering, and technology. You will engage in activities like designing circuits, programming microcontrollers, and developing climate-measuring drones and urban grid transportation. You will finish the program by completing a smart city infrastructure solution, which you will present at the SoSC expo, gaining experience in public speaking and presentation.
9. Penn GEMS
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $650
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders living within 60 miles of UPenn with a minimum B average
UPenn’s GEMS is a week-long enrichment program for middle school students in Philadelphia that offers exposure to the engineering field through coursework and activities. The program schedules camp activities based on a different science and engineering theme each day. For example, in the past, the program offered sessions covering Earthquake Engineering, covering concepts like structural engineering, and providing opportunities to use engineering concepts to build independent structures and test them using an earthquake simulator. Other activities you may engage in include extracting DNA from fruit, learning animation programming skills, and designing a catapult. You will also connect with current UPenn Engineering students to learn about careers in the field and prepare for high school and beyond.
10. SigmaCamp
Location: Silver Lake Camp and Conference Center, Sharon, CT
Cost: $1,850; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: August 2 – 9
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Middle and high school students, ages 12–16
SigmaCamp is a week-long STEM enrichment program for middle school students. Here, you will work under faculty and scientists from MIT, Princeton, Yale, and other top universities and explore subjects like math, computer science, chemistry, theoretical and experimental physics, biology, and engineering. In the mornings and afternoons, you will attend lectures and Semilabs, a combination of seminars and lab work. In the evenings, you will attend workshops to explore fun activities, from rocket building to glass blowing to chess. Additionally, you will participate in the team problem-solving Sigma Tournament, lead a workshop at the Junior Instructor Challenge, and propose and execute an Experiment of the Day.
Location: Duke University, Durham, NC
Cost:
One-week program: $1,830 (commuter) or $2,580 (residential)
Two-week program: $3,660 (commuter) or $5,640 (residential)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple one- and two-week sessions, June – July
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; applications typically open in December, courses usually fill by April
Eligibility: Current 6th–11th grade students; some courses may have specific prerequisites
Duke’s Pre-College Programs host students on campus for one- or two-week enrichment programs in specialized subjects not typically covered in middle school curricula. You can choose from a large number of courses across STEM, humanities, and/or social sciences. For instance, you can enroll in a course in aerospace engineering, animal cognition, mathematical logic, creative writing, politics, business management, or multimedia art. Each science course offers opportunities to engage in hands-on project work and instruction. You will also get to participate in campus tours, field trips in the Research Triangle area, lectures led by professionals in the field, and sports activities.
12. MathPath
Location: U.S. college campuses (varies each year)
Cost: $6,300; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 29 – July 27
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions, closes March 31
Eligibility: Middle school students, ages 11–14, with advanced math skills
Designed for middle schoolers interested in building advanced math skills, MathPath hosts students on a college campus for a month of intensive math instruction and activities. You will learn from university professors, exploring topics like number theory, spherical geometry, matrix algebra, and combinatorics. You will attend daily educational workshops, Plenary lectures led by professional mathematicians, and sessions covering applications of math in fields like physics and logic. You will also prepare for future math opportunities through sessions covering training for competition math, college exam structure, proof writing, and academic communication.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 12 students per cohort
Dates: Summer Program: July 7 – 25 | Fall Semester Meetings: August 27 – December 10 (weekly commitment)
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Low-income students in grades 6–7 in the U.S.; typically, family income below ~$90,000/year (average around $55,000/year)
The Stanford Middle School Scholars program provides students from low-income backgrounds with academically enriching coursework to prepare them for high school. During the summer, you will choose from one of three or four courses, which include tracks like Democracy and Dissent, History Through Graphic Novels, and Real-Life Applications to Mathematics. Depending on your chosen course, you will explore how to use philosophy to analyze historical events, gain experience in literary analysis and close reading, learn how to answer practical financial questions, or explore how historical mathematics informs modern-day economics and cryptography. During the fall, you will attend weekly virtual sessions that will cover academic planning, academic writing, workshops on applying to Stanford Online High School and other competitive high schools, and coursework discussions.
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by course and session length
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple sessions in June and July (exact dates vary by course)
Application Deadline: June 5
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–11
Johns Hopkins’ CTY provides middle school students the opportunity to explore advanced topics in STEM, social sciences, and humanities. Offered online throughout the year, the courses combine instruction and assignments to help you learn and apply various concepts. You can choose from courses in African history, law, cryptology, economics, and game theory. You can also enroll in courses that can help you build extracurricular skills in chess, competition math, and robotics. Many courses are graded and cover an entire year or semester’s worth of content within a condensed period.
Location: Online
Cost: $1,000
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 13 weeks during the spring
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–8 with basic algebra experience and strong arithmetic skills; students from underserved communities are particularly encouraged to apply.
NYU’s Math Program for Young Minds is a 13-week enrichment opportunity for middle school students with an interest in advanced math coursework. Here, you will explore college-level mathematics concepts in areas like number theory, topology, and geometry with a focus on their hands-on applications. You will attend weekly virtual sessions and learn from NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences faculty and graduate instructors. You will also engage in problem-solving activities, math games, and group projects with peers.
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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