10 Online Fall Engineering Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
Engineering programs can be an excellent choice for middle school students curious about how things work. These programs often go beyond traditional classroom learning by giving you exposure to advanced academic concepts and the chance to build practical skills. They also open the door to industry insights and connections with mentors or peers who share your interests.
For those ready to take their interest further, online fall engineering programs for middle school students can be valuable as well as accessible opportunities. They are rigorous, often guided by experts from respected organizations, and can shape your academic interests in high school and beyond. Here are 10 online fall engineering programs for middle school students!
Cost: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not selective
Dates: Self-paced program
Application Deadline: No deadline; check details for specific workshops to register
Eligibility: Students in K–12 grades
MIT’s RAISE Workshops introduce middle school students to artificial intelligence while also examining its impact on society. You’ll begin with accessible platforms like Scratch and App Inventor and can progress to tools like Jupyter Notebooks for more advanced coding and machine learning. The curriculum is organized around the “5 Big Ideas of AI,” which include machine learning, human-AI interaction, and responsible decision-making. Projects are central to the program, giving you opportunities to design AI-powered tools that address real-world challenges while considering fairness, bias, and transparency. Specialized sessions, such as the Creativity and AI Workshop, explore how machine learning can be used for art and music through technologies like GANs.
Cost: Varies depending on program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year; you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines, you can refer to this
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program allows middle school students to spend eight weeks exploring engineering and related subjects through guided research. During the first half, you’ll sample a variety of areas such as mechanics, electronics, or environmental engineering before narrowing down to one field of interest. Once you’ve chosen, the second half of the program is dedicated to developing a project under the mentorship of PhD scholars from universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. In this online fall engineering program for middle school students, projects can take different forms, including a research paper, case study, presentation, or prototype, depending on your focus.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not selective
Dates: Ongoing, self-paced
Application Deadline: N/A
Eligibility: Middle school students
Hour of Engineering, developed by Siemens, introduces middle school students to engineering careers and concepts through flexible online modules. Lessons can be completed in as little as one hour or expanded into longer projects, making it adaptable to different classroom or individual needs. The curriculum combines videos, challenges, and 3D simulations to help you explore topics like product design, engineering thinking, and problem-solving processes. Design challenges encourage both online and offline exploration, allowing you to apply concepts in practical ways. The program also covers various engineering disciplines and pathways, aiming to expand your awareness of STEM careers while aligning with academic standards.
Cost: Varies depending on program; Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective; small cohort size
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort (rolling)
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 projects done by students 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.
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not selective
Dates: Ongoing throughout the school year; clubs typically meet after school or on weekends
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Students in grades 3-12
Girls Who Code Clubs provide middle school students with a free and accessible way to explore coding and computer engineering concepts in a supportive environment. Clubs can be joined online or in person, with sessions often held after school or on weekends and guided by trained facilitators. Depending on your experience, you may start with beginner-friendly coding activities or progress into programming languages like Python while working on projects in areas such as web development, game design, or cybersecurity. Collaboration is a central part of the program, as you’ll build projects in small groups while also learning problem-solving and teamwork skills. Activities focus on using code to design solutions or creative applications, connecting engineering logic to real-world challenges.
Cost: Varies by course and course format
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Starting the week of September 8
Application Deadline: August 12
Eligibility: Students in grades 2 to 12
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) runs online programs for academically advanced middle school students to learn beyond their school curriculum and explore specialized subjects. Courses cover a wide range of subjects, each taught by experienced instructors who encourage interactive and critical learning. Within the science and engineering track, students can engage with topics such as crime scene investigation, space exploration, environmental design, or applied physics, often through project-based activities. You’ll have flexibility in pacing while working toward assignments and group discussions. Another highlight is the chance to connect with peers worldwide who share similar interests, making it a collaborative experience. Check out the selection of science and engineering courses here.
Cost: $575, financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: October 8 to November 19
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 3 to 8 who meet one of the academic criteria listed on the website
Northwestern University’s CTD offers Online Enrichment courses for middle school students interested in exploring advanced material at their own pace. Courses are designed to balance flexibility with structure, typically involving weekly live classes, assignments, and regular instructor feedback. Topics span multiple fields, with engineering-focused options such as building games with Python, robotics, and more, which give you exposure to applied science and problem-solving methods. At the end of this fall program, instructors provide personalized evaluations, allowing you to understand your progress and strengths.
Cost: 48 credits/week; check pricing here
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: 5 weeks, self-paced
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 10 to 15
The Cars and Trucks Engineering STEM (SP) Course is a five-week online program where middle school students explore physics and engineering concepts through toy vehicles, ramps, and tracks. Each prerecorded lesson is delivered with interactive slides, videos, and activities, introducing topics like energy, aerodynamics, momentum, resistance, and mass. This online fall engineering program will engage you in challenges to test principles of force and motion, such as designing ramps or analyzing crashes, and then record and share your findings. You’ll be assigned a practical challenge every lesson and will use toys and household materials to work on it. Activities align with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Mathematics.
Cost: $279.50/month for 10 months. Check out the fee page for more details on additional fees and discounts
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not selective
Dates: 18 weeks; course begins every Monday
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: 8th-grade students who have completed MAT0700. 7th graders should be comfortable solving one- and two-step equations
APP1300: Middle School Engineering is a semester-long course that teaches students the Creationeering process, which combines engineering design with entrepreneurial thinking. Using LEGO blocks and an at-home lab kit, you’ll learn fundamental physics concepts while exploring fields such as civil, mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering. The online fall engineering program for middle school students includes hands-on design and assembly, requiring you to analyze, create, and refine products or processes through varied activities. Alongside technical work, the curriculum integrates scriptural analysis, framing intelligent design as part of engineering and business practice. With its mix of theory, labs, and product development, the course provides middle school students with early exposure to engineering as both a scientific and applied discipline.
Cost: Starting at $179
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: November to December
Application Deadline: 3 days before the start date of each camp
Eligibility: Students ages 8–14
Black Rocket Eastern STEAM Camps deliver live online courses in creative technology fields such as coding, game design, eSports, and virtual reality. Small group sessions with teachers and coaches provide interactive instruction, while breakout rooms allow for collaboration on projects. Course options include Code Breakers, where you learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Minecraft Modders for customizing game mechanics, Redstone Engineers for exploring advanced Minecraft engineering, and ROBLOX Makers for 3D world creation. Each project is hosted on a password-protected platform so you can share your work with peers and family.
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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