15 Fall Innovation Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 40 minutes ago
- 12 min read
If you’re a middle schooler who likes building things, solving problems, or trying out new ideas, fall innovation programs can give you a good place to explore this interest of yours. These programs introduce you to simple tools and methods used in fields like engineering, design, technology, and entrepreneurship.
What are fall innovation programs for high school students? What will I do as a high school innovator?
Fall programs are shorter and more structured than summer programs. They often run after school, on weekends, or online. You might create a small invention, plan a basic product idea, experiment with simple coding, or work on challenges that need creative thinking. The focus stays tight so you can grow in one area without taking on too much during the school year.
Choosing a fall program also helps you build early experience that can support you in high school. It shows you can work on projects outside the classroom and adds something concrete to your future applications.
With that, here are 15 fall innovation programs for middle school students!
15 Fall Innovation 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 for middle school students to build research and innovation skills through one-on-one academic mentorship. You’ll choose an academic focus area from options spanning economics, neuroscience, environmental science, engineering, and more, after which you’ll be paired with a Ph.D.-level mentor matching your research interests. After completing a deep dive into a series of specialized sub-topics, you’ll design and execute a research project of your choosing. You’ll develop innovation skills through learning to identify gaps in existing research and build an answer or solution to a question in the field. You’ll engage with real-world data and academic literature, culminating in a final research paper.
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
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a virtual technology education and innovation program for middle school students focused on 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. Learn through lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. Previous student projects 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.
Location: Students register for the competition in their Congressional District; the competition is offered in most Districts
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: One team prize is awarded per participating District
Dates: Winners announced in December
Submission Deadline: October 30
Eligibility: Middle school students who are U.S. residents | Students may compete in teams of 1-4; at least half of the team must reside and/or attend school in the Congressional District of submission
The Congressional App Challenge is a federal competition that invites middle school students to design and build their own original app. You’re free to use any programming language and create any type of tool or game you want, as long as it works and shows solid coding skills. Judges look at creativity, functionality, and how well you’ve approached the problem you’re trying to solve. Past winners have built everything from market-simulation tools to spelling bee practice apps to history-themed games. If your app wins your district, it gets featured on the House of Representatives website, displayed at the U.S. Capitol, and you’re invited to a reception on Capitol Hill to showcase your work.
Location: New York University, New York, New York
Cost: $200; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: N/A
Dates: October 18 - May 2 (School year session)
Application Deadline: Fall/Spring: Typically in June
Eligibility: Grades 7-12; 7th grade students must apply to the Academic year cycle | Students must have a B average or above in Math, Science, and English, and meet state-determined income criteria
Focused on research and academic enrichment, STEP is an innovation program for middle school students emphasizing STEM skill development and leadership. Working under NYU professors and students, you’ll attend workshops in STEM fields in mathematics, health and medicine, science, and engineering, supplementing your work with training in academic writing. As the program extends throughout high school, you’ll move into progressively challenging research assignments and coursework, alongside college counseling support for application essays and test prep. You’ll learn to design innovative projects through research activities in each STEM field covered, with mentorship on how to apply your skills to future careers and college success.
Location: Online
Cost: $700
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; see Eligibility
Dates: October 1 - December 3
Application Deadline: Rolling; early discount 10 days before session start
Eligibility: Grades 7-10 | Students must meet the Emerald tier level of above-grade-level academic skills; qualifications include scoring at least 90% on a national grade-level exam
Northwestern’s Civic Education Project offers fall innovation programs for middle schoolers and high schoolers through its Leadership Intensive, a nine-week experience focused on leadership, social responsibility, and teamwork skills. You’ll have weekly class sessions on topics including academic research, engaging with diverse viewpoints, and effective communication, combined with a series of independent assignments exploring current events and analytical models to apply your skills to real-world topics. You’ll also engage with classmates and instructors through live class discussions, problem-solving activities, and more. You’ll also attend a lecture series with guest speakers, including government officials, business professionals, and nonprofit leaders, learning about how innovative leadership skills can be applied to future careers. A one-week in-person version of the program is also offered over the summer.
Location: University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Cost: $125
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 50 students
Dates: Fall: 4–5 Saturday in-person sessions + 2 virtual Thursday sessions, September – November
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; typically begins 3 months before program start date
Eligibility: Grades 6-8 | Students must have a GPA of at least 2.5 with a minimum grade of C in STEM courses
The Engineering Math Academy at UNC Charlotte provides fall innovation programming for middle schoolers looking to build creative design skills in STEM. You’ll hone in on two new STEM topics at each program session, exploring specialized fields from structural engineering to formal logic. Each session includes hands-on project work, so you’ll learn to apply your skills to real-world problems from water filtration to rocket design. You’ll supplement your work with virtual guest lectures, learning from innovators across STEM fields about future career paths. You’ll also prepare for extracurricular achievements by connecting the program curriculum to challenges at Science Olympiads, which you’ll practice through in-class competitions.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: Fall session begins September 8 and runs for 6 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Grades 7-10 | Requires above-grade-level performance determined by CTY assessment criteria
Johns Hopkins’ CTY course in Game Theory and Strategy holds a fall innovation program for middle school and high school students focused on strategic problem-solving through mathematical analysis and research. You’ll learn about the science of decision-making and how quantitative and statistical reasoning can be used to gain successful outcomes. You’ll learn the framework of game theory, a discipline that analyzes interaction-based outcomes, and apply it to theoretical dilemmas, economic questions, and more. You’ll complete project-based work ranging from independent research to friendly competitions, developing skills applicable to topics across business and entrepreneurship, politics, and computer science.
Location: Initial rounds are based locally; finals are held in Washington, D.C.
Cost: Free participation with monetary awards of up to $25,000 for top competitors
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive
Dates: Finals take place October 24-29
Application Deadline: June 11
Eligibility: Grades 6-8 | Students must be in the top 10% of middle school science projects at affiliated science fairs
Sponsored by Thermo Fisher, the Junior Innovators Challenge recognizes top middle school science research projects in a nationwide competition. After competing in a program-affiliated science fair, you’ll be eligible to enter the Challenge if you score in the top 10% of competitors. You’ll have your work evaluated by professional scientists, after which the top 300 students receive recognition, and the top 30 are chosen as finalists. If you reach the finalist round, you’ll attend a fully-funded trip to Washington, D.C. in the fall. During the competition Finals, you’ll present your work to judges, connect with other talented young scientists, and visit industry sites in the D.C. area. While all Finalists receive monetary prizes, you’ll be considered for special awards ranging up to $25,000.
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: School Year: Monthly sessions in fall and spring semesters; Summer: July 7 – August 1; the full program runs for six years
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Current 7th and 8th-grade students at NYC public schools | Students attending home school, parochial schools, or independent schools under unique circumstances or with scholarships are eligible
NYU’s College and Career Lab provides six years of programming beginning in middle school for NYC students looking to explore diverse academic fields and prepare for high school, college, and professional life. You’ll start in the Exploratory Stage, where you’ll learn leadership-focused innovation skills like self-advocacy, networking, and identifying your personal strengths and goals. Alongside personal development, you’ll also complete summer coursework under the mentorship of NYU faculty and students across law, arts, business, and STEM. During the fall and spring, you’ll attend Practice Labs to further hone your abilities and design a future trajectory to meet your goals. You’ll continue with the program throughout high school, completing the Immersive Stage, which integrates advanced academic research, specialized educational programming, and college preparation workshops.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: Fall session begins September 8 and runs for 6 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Grades 7-10 | Requires above-grade-level performance determined by CTY assessment criteria
JHU’s Dream It, Code It, Build It program offers middle and high school students the opportunity to develop invention and design skills focused on app development. You’ll learn to use the MIT App Inventor programming tool, engaging in hands-on activities to develop core coding skills. You’ll then move into the innovation process of designing and developing a mobile app of your own, with the ability to pursue advanced extensions from polished UI features to complex functions. The course will also support leadership skill development, encouraging you to build confidence in developing original apps and online tools for real-world uses.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 students/cohort
Dates: Fall: August 26 - December 9
Application deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Low-income students in grades 6 and 7 in the U.S.; typically, accepted students’ family income is below $90,000/year (on average, ~$55,000/year)
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program gives economically disadvantaged middle schoolers a fully funded path into advanced academics and future planning. It’s built for students who don’t usually get access to enrichment programs, opening doors to classes and career paths they may not have imagined. In the summer, you take one advanced course, something like Real-Life Applications to Mathematics, Democracy & Dissent, or History through Graphic Novels. You move through close reading, discussions, research work, and group projects that push you past the standard school routine. When the school year begins, the focus shifts to writing, career exploration, and figuring out which academic tracks make sense for you. You also get support applying to high schools, including Stanford Online High School, with steady guidance throughout the year.
Location: Johns Hopkins University South Campus, Laurel, MD
Cost: $39/course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact numbers not provided
Dates: Fall Session A: September 15 to October 20; Fall Session B: October 27 to December 8
Application Deadline: August 25 | Returning students receive priority admissions from August 13-16
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6-8 | Students from Maryland prioritized, but all students able to attend in-person are eligible
STEM Academy Unite brings middle school students to JHU’s Maryland campus for 6-week classes focused on advanced academic training and innovative problem-solving skills through project-based learning. You’ll choose from an array of hands-on courses: current options include activities like programming a game or animation in Scratch, developing hardware like motors and sensors, and investigating a mock crime scene through forensic science techniques. You’ll learn to merge specialized STEM concepts with developing real-world designs, and pursue development activities in exploration, perseverance, and adaptability with a focus on teamwork. Courses are also offered in the spring, and a more advanced high school program is available for older students.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Not specified (only on Saturdays)
Application deadline: Summer: April 15; Academic Year: November 1
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12 who are New York State residents or U.S. permanent residents living in NY; eligible students are economically disadvantaged and/or Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Alaskan Native, or American Indian
The S-PREP program supports middle school and high school students looking to advance their academic abilities, prepare for college, and study innovation through hands-on STEM coursework. You’ll attend sessions at Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in both the summer and fall, where you’ll complete comprehensive STEM study across biochemistry, psychology, anatomy, and more. You’ll learn to connect your interests and abilities to future careers and college majors through academic and professional planning seminars. As a high school student, you’ll pursue research and coursework at a more advanced level, additionally receiving SAT and ACT tutoring, college tours, and college application support.
Location: Remote
Cost: Free plus no-cost invention Maker’s Kit | Prizes include gift cards, STEM equipment, and a 3D printer for your school
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No limits on competition registration;
Dates: Year-round with progressive registration/submission deadlines from December - May | Timeline depends on advancement through competition rounds
Application Deadline: January 16
Eligibility: Grades 4-12
The Thomas Edison Pitch Contest is an invention-focused innovation program for middle school students running from fall to spring. You’ll build a team of up to 5 students (though you can also compete independently) to design an invention or prototype pitch in categories including Environment, Health, Community Development, Technology, and more. You’ll get started on your project design in the fall before submitting a video assignment including your preliminary invention idea, research approach, and initial design plans.
After receiving feedback from judges, you’ll get a Maker’s Kit with supplies to create your prototype. As you work on your prototype, you’ll complete a series of Engineering Design Notebooks and a final video pitch for competition review. After submitting your work in April, judges will determine a select list of finalists. Finalists will attend an in-person pitch event to deliver a 5-minute presentation to the judging panel, after which prizes are awarded (remote participation is also available for students unable to travel). Previous winning prototypes include water filtration systems activated by shaking, inflatable athletic braces, and street lamps powered by speed bumps.
Location: 250-300 locations nationwide; students will compete in their local region
Cost: Registration fee of $50-$100, varying by location, and higher for Championships | Teams must pay for their drone equipment
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Qualifying events run from November - March; Regional Championships take place in April - June
Application Deadline: December 19
Eligibility: Students aged 10-18 competing in teams of 3-5 | U.S. and Canadian students are eligible
The Aerial Drone Competition challenges middle and high school students with designing an innovative and functional drone. Working in a team, you’ll attend a local competition focused on four “missions”: teamwork, autonomous flight, piloting skills, and communication. You’ll complete activities including flying your drone through an obstacle course, compete in a point-scoring task against another team, and be interviewed by judges on your programming and design process. Based on your performance, you may qualify for one of 5 Regional Championships across the U.S. and Canada, competing in either the All-Around category or specifically within Teamwork, Skills, Communications, Coding, or Airmanship. You’ll be eligible to win a mission-specific or All-Around award.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
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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