15 Free Online Robotics Courses for Middle School Students
If you've been curious about robotics but don't want to spend money before deciding whether it's right for you, a free robotics course is worth serious consideration!
A robotics course introduces you to the basics of robotics through coding, electronics, sensors, and simple engineering projects. You'll write programs, solve design problems, and understand how hardware and software work together. You'll also learn that building something functional often takes testing, debugging, and improving your ideas.
Why should I participate in a free robotics course in middle school?
Middle school gives you enough time to explore robotics before high school classes become more focused. Learning robotics early helps you become comfortable with concepts like programming, automation, and engineering design, making future coursework and robotics competitions much easier to navigate.
These courses also give you tangible outcomes instead of just theoretical knowledge. By completing projects and coding challenges, you'll build skills you can continue developing through clubs, competitions, or independent projects. Even if you later decide to pursue another STEM field, the logical thinking and problem-solving abilities you gain through robotics remain valuable.
To help you get started, we've compiled a list of 15 free online robotics courses for middle school students!
15 Free Online Robotics Courses for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Application deadline: Varies based on cohort
Program dates: Eight weeks | Timing varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorers Program is a selective online research experience for middle school students, designed to build advanced academic writing and research skills. You begin by selecting a subject area, such as STEM, humanities, or social sciences, and are matched with a PhD-level mentor from a top university. Over the course of the program, you receive a structured introduction to your chosen field, then design and carry out an independent research project focused on a real-world question. To strengthen your writing and analytical abilities, you conclude the program by producing a formal research paper that presents your findings.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Full financial aid available.
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines. You can apply to the program here.
Program dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.
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 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: Online, by Griffiss Institute, Rome, NY
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students per group
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: January 20 – April 1
Eligibility: Students in grades 5–8
Engineering makes much more sense when you build and test ideas yourself. This online club introduces students to robotics, engineering design, simple mechanical systems, and basic technical concepts through live Zoom sessions held each week. You will complete guided activities that explain how different parts of a robotic system work together and why engineers follow a step-by-step design process. Free activity materials are provided for every participant, and each session builds on concepts introduced earlier. The program runs like an after-school engineering club with regular discussions and demonstrations throughout the term.
Location: ProtoSpark, Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Unspecified
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: August 3 – 7
Eligibility: Ages 6–13
Every robot follows instructions written in code, and this camp begins with those basics. You will learn Scratch programming, logic, sequencing, loops, and computational thinking through short coding lessons and guided projects delivered over Zoom. Each day introduces a new programming concept that you immediately use while building small interactive projects. The final activity combines everything you have learned into a larger coding project. No previous coding experience is expected, so the course works well for students who want to understand the programming side of robotics before moving on to more advanced topics.
Location: Online, by the Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free to audit
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Open to all learners
Every robot begins with a mathematical model that tells engineers how it can move. This course introduces robot modelling, kinematics, coordinate transformations, and robotic arm movement through short video lessons and guided examples. You will study how engineers describe the position and motion of robots using mathematical equations before moving on to more advanced robotics topics. The lessons focus on concepts commonly taught in university robotics courses and include quizzes to reinforce each module. Since the course is self-paced, you can revisit difficult topics and work through the material at your own speed.
Location: Online, by the Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free audit track available
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Open to all learners
Once a robot knows where it is, the next challenge is controlling how it moves. This course explains robot control, motion planning, robot manipulators, force control, trajectory planning, and mobile robot systems through structured technical lessons. You will examine how robots follow instructions, respond to changing conditions, and complete movement tasks with accuracy. The course also introduces visual control systems used in robotics engineering. Lessons are released as self-paced modules, so you can move through each topic gradually while building a stronger understanding of robot control.
Location: Online, by the Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Open to all learners
Most research robots run on ROS, one of the most widely used robotics software platforms. This course teaches you how the Robot Operating System (ROS) is used to write software, connect robotic components, and control robotic behaviour. You will work with simulations, programming exercises, and software integration tasks that explain how different parts of a robot communicate with each other. The lessons focus on robotics programming more than engineering theory, making the course a practical introduction to the software side of robotics. Everything is completed online using downloadable tools.
Location: Online, via the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free to audit
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Open to all learners; beginner-level Python recommended
Most research robots run on ROS, one of the most widely used robotics software platforms. This course teaches you how the Robot Operating System (ROS) is used to write software, connect robotic components, and control robotic behaviour. You will work with simulations, programming exercises, and software integration tasks that explain how different parts of a robot communicate with each other. The lessons focus on robotics programming more than engineering theory, making the course a practical introduction to the software side of robotics. Everything is completed online using downloadable tools.
Location: Robots Got Talents, Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Elementary and middle school students
LEGO robots make programming easier because you can see your code come to life almost immediately. This course combines LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, Scratch programming, robotics logic, and game design through a series of guided projects. You will create arcade-style robotics activities while learning how sensors, motors, and programming blocks work together inside a robotic system. The lessons are designed for younger students and use visual programming instead of complex coding languages. Extra practice activities are included if you want to spend more time experimenting with your programs.
Location: Online via the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free to audit
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Open to all learners
This online course introduces robotics concepts used in autonomous vehicles and self-driving systems. Students explore perception, motion planning, sensor systems, and decision-making processes used in robotic transportation technologies. The curriculum combines robotics theory with practical examples from autonomous vehicle engineering. You work through recorded lectures, quizzes, and simulation-based explanations covering robotics software and sensing systems. Lessons also introduce computer vision and control concepts connected to robotic navigation. While the course is designed for older learners, motivated middle school students interested in robotics and AI can explore foundational sections independently.
Location: Online, via Columbia University, New York, NY
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free audit track available
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Open to all learners; some algebra and programming familiarity recommended
A self-driving car is one of the most advanced examples of robotics in everyday life. This course explains how autonomous vehicles use computer vision, sensors, perception, motion planning, control systems, and decision making to move safely without human input. You will study recorded lectures, quizzes, and simulation-based examples that show how robotic vehicles detect roads, recognise objects, and choose their next action. The material focuses on the robotics and engineering behind autonomous driving instead of the mechanical design of cars.
Location: Online, via CS-STEM Network (CS2N)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Middle school students (grades 6–8); no prior coding or physical hardware required.
Developed by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy, this self-paced course uses a virtual LEGO SPIKE Prime robot embedded directly within the lesson platform. You will learn Scratch-based visual block programming, sensor integration, movement logic, and algorithmic thinking through step-by-step videos and interactive coding challenges. Each module builds toward solving complex navigation tasks, such as autonomous subterranean exploration, allowing you to practice authentic robotics software development without needing physical hardware.
Location: Online, by the University of Reading, UK
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free to audit
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: Self-paced (4-week course)
Eligibility: Open to all learners; ideal for middle school beginners.
Offered by the University of Reading, this introductory course explores the history, physical anatomy, and intelligence of robotic systems. Through short video lectures, interactive quizzes, and browser-based simulations, you will learn how sensors gather environmental data, how feedback loops control movement, and how engineers design autonomous behaviors. The material introduces core robotics theory at an accessible pace, making it an ideal starting point for students curious about artificial intelligence and mechanical control.
Location: Online, via CS-STEM Network (CS2N)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Middle school students; suitable for beginners.
The VEX IQ system is one of the most widely used robotics platforms in middle school education and competitive STEM leagues. Hosted on the CS-STEM Network, this free curriculum teaches behavior-based programming using VEXcode, a visual drag-and-drop language built on Scratch. You will work through guided tutorials that demonstrate how to control drivetrain movement, process feedback from touch and distance sensors, and structure loops for autonomous decision-making. The course emphasizes computational thinking and problem-solving patterns, providing a strong foundation for both virtual modeling and physical VEX robotics competitions.
Location: Online, via NASA STEM Engagement
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Unspecified
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Middle school students (grades 6–8).
Exploring extreme environments like Mars requires highly specialized autonomous rovers capable of navigating complex terrain without direct human assistance. NASA's dedicated middle school robotics resources introduce you to space-based engineering through interactive coding modules, design challenges, and simulation projects. You will investigate how space rovers use computer vision, power management, and robotic arms to collect geological samples and transmit scientific data back to Earth. The activities combine video guides from NASA engineers with hands-on computational tasks, offering a practical look at real-world aerospace robotics.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. 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.