10 Neuroscience Programs for Middle School Students

As a middle schooler, this is the right time for you to explore your academic interests through programs. If you are considering a career in neuroscience, there are various programs to choose from. They introduce you to the subject, help build field-specific skills, and clarify the appropriate career track for you. You will meet and interact with professionals from the field who become part of your network and provide guidance.

Neuroscience programs are a way to gain exposure to advanced academics. We have compiled a list of such programs based on how rigorous they are, their prestige, networking opportunities, and hands-on elements.  

10 Neuroscience Programs for Middle School Students

1. Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program

Location: Philadelphia, PA (Girls Inc. facilities and partner sites)

Cost/Stipend: Free | Includes paid internships in later years

Program Dates: Five-year program for participants entering 8th grade, including summer sessions and monthly workshops during the school year

Application Deadline: Varies annually | Check the Girls Inc. site for updates

Eligibility: Rising 8th-grade girls committed to the full five-year program

If you are an ambitious student looking for a rigorous program, you can opt for the Lumiere Junior Explorer Program. Through this program, you can conduct research and complete an independent project in a field of your choice. PhD mentors from top universities like Harvard, Columbia, and MIT will guide you through the research project, enabling you to gain specialized knowledge. You can develop a research question related to neuroscience and start learning about the field. Thus, over 8 weeks, you will build research skills and complete research to boost your profile.

2. State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP)

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive

Dates: July (summer session) and October–May (academic year session)

Application Deadline: April 15 (summer) and November 1 (academic year)

Eligibility: Students in Grades 7–12 with at least an 80% average, especially in math and science, and an interest in medicine or related STEM fields

S-PREP is a free preparatory program for students interested in STEM subjects, including neuroscience. You can opt for the summer or academic year session. Courses are offered in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Brain & Cognitive Science, and more. You will also benefit from standardized test preparation and college counseling. In addition to academics, the program schedule includes college preparation and career development workshops, field trips, and college tours. Completing this program makes you eligible to apply for other prestigious programs.

3. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers

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 an intensive virtual program for middle schoolers. You can cultivate your interest in neuroscience by blending it with the latest advancements in AI and machine learning. In this program, you will learn Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. The hands-on component involves applying your learnings to a project. Similar to past students who built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications, you can complete a project related to neuroscience.

4. Middle School Psychology & Neuroscience in Berkeley

Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Cost: $2,998 (residential) or $1,498 (commuter)

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified

Dates:

• Session 1: July 5–10

• Session 2: July 12–17

• Session 3: July 19–24

• Session 4: July 26–31

Application Deadline: May 15

Eligibility: Students completing Grades 6–8 with a minimum 3.0 GPA

The Middle School Psychology & Neuroscience Program is designed for you to learn about the mind–body connection through classes, labs, and activities. You will analyze human behavior, emotions, and personality, alongside examining mental health treatment strategies. You will hear from professionals in the field to help you chart your career trajectory while building a network. Visits to specialized labs provide a closer look at the psychology and neuroscience fields. You will also develop lab skills through the program. A dedicated mentor will support you throughout the program.

5. UCI Brain Camp

Location: UC Irvine, Irvine, CA

Cost: $2,995; need-based scholarships available

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified

Dates: July 20–31

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: Middle and high school students

UCI Brain Camp is an immersion program for you to explore the field of neuroscience. This is a 2-week camp where lectures and seminars cover topics like brain and spinal cord anatomy, sensation and perception, learning and memory, brain-machine interface, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, and comparative neuroanatomy. You will also attend workshops and complete dissections and other practical experiments. The lab work introduces you to techniques and technologies like Electrophysiology, Brain Imaging, Animal models, Optogenetics, and DREADDs. In the second week, you will design experiments, analyze data, and present your work to family and faculty. You will have the opportunity to interact with neuroscience professors, PhD students, as well as undergraduates to discover careers and education options in the field. 

6. Johns Hopkins CTY’s The Sensory Brain

Location: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA or Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA

Cost:

• Loyola Marymount University: $7,501 (residential) or $6,701 (commuter)

• Ursinus College: $7,259 (residential) or $6,459 (commuter) + $180 lab fee

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 14–16 students per class

Dates:

• Loyola Marymount University: June 22–July 11 (Session 1) or July 13–August 1 (Session 2)

• Ursinus College: June 22–July 11

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: Students in Grades 5–6 with CTY-level math

The Sensory Brain is a middle-school level course that delves into intriguing questions regarding how the brain functions. In this course, you will learn about the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system. The curriculum also explores how different organisms’ brains process sensory information to make sense of their environment. Lab work involves dissecting a sheep’s brain and a cow’s eye to examine the role of senses in functionality. After learning about healthy systems, the course looks at disorders and deficiencies. Thus, through this program, you will develop scientific skills, critical thinking, and data analysis.

7. Backyard Brains Foundation’s Explore the Wonders of the Brains

Location: To be announced

Cost: To be announced

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: To be announced

Dates: To be announced

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: Middle and high school students

Backyards Brain Foundation’s summer program invites you to examine the human brain. The program, designed to make neuroscience an accessible field of study, involves experiments, workshops, and real-world applications. You will learn the fundamentals of the brain’s anatomy and the latest advancements in neuroscience research. Working on group projects allows you to not only make friends but also develop collaboration skills. You will use lab equipment and participate in discussions to reinforce your learning.

8. The Brain Observatory Jr.

Location: The Brain Observatory, CA

Cost: To be announced

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified

Dates: 30 sessions

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: Students in Grades 4–8

The Brain Observatory offers various programs for students who want to pursue neuroscience and related subjects. The Brain Observatory Jr. program for middle schoolers is held over 30 sessions. Here, you will delve into neuroscience, mental health, and socio-emotional learning. Some topics covered by the program include brain anatomy, focus and stress, and emotional regulation. Interactive activities like games, projects, and tools like EEG headsets make the learning process fun. You will work on an individual project that will be presented at a showcase at the end of the year.

9. Lawrence Hall of Science’s Body Systems and Biomedical Innovations

Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Cost: $1,465; financial aid available

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Limited spots

Dates:

• Session 1: June 23–27

• Session 2: July 7–11

• Session 4: July 21–25

Application Deadline:

• June 15 (Session 1)

• June 29 (Sessions 2, 3, and 4)

Eligibility: Rising 7th–9th graders

This program provides an overview of body systems. You will learn how they function, why they break down, and how doctors and engineers work to fix them. You will understand diagnostic techniques for fictitious patients, dissect a sheep heart, and examine blood cells. The neuroscience component involves conducting brain science investigations. You will also experiment with DNA extraction and build models of human organs. Interacting with practicing doctors provides insights into a medical career. You will work on a project that you will present at the end of the program.

10. EXPLO 360°

Location: Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA

Cost: $6,295 (overnight) or $4,045 (day); financial aid may be available

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified

Dates:

• Session 1: June 28 – July 11 (overnight) or June 29 – July 10 (day)

• Session 2: July 12 – July 25 (overnight) or July 13 – July 24 (day)

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: Rising 7th–9th graders

EXPLO 360° is an opportunity to design a program based on your interests. You will learn different topics and develop specific skills. If you’re interested in neuroscience, you can opt for the Brain Hackers: Decoding the Mind track. In this track, you will dissect a brain, perform neurological exams, and analyze brain scans and cases. By conducting experiments, you will learn how neurologists diagnose and treat diseases. The course introduces you to the latest advancements in treatment options. This is a collaborative and hands-on workshop. You can choose two workshops and two electives in this program.

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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