12 Science Summer Camps for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 13
- 7 min read
If you are a middle school student interested in science, a summer camp can be a solid way to spend part of your break. Unlike long programs that require a bigger time commitment, science camps are usually short and easygoing, making them easier to fit into your summer schedule.
These camps allow you to learn about different science topics through activities, experiments, and projects. They can help you understand subjects like biology, space science, technology, or environmental studies practically, outside of a regular classroom.
These science camps are also more affordable than year-round programs, which makes them a good option if you’re looking for academic exposure without a high price. They combine learning with activities, field visits, and projects that keep you engaged without taking up your whole summer.
To help you explore your options, we’ve narrowed down a list of 12 science summer camps for middle school students!
12 Science Summer Camps for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2400. Need-based financial aid is available
Program Dates: The program runs multiple cohorts throughout the year
Deadline: Deadlines vary for each cohort. February 9 for the upcoming spring cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an 8-week online research program for middle school students interested in exploring academic subjects with the help of expert mentors. You’ll be paired one-on-one with a mentor from top universities like Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Stanford, and work together to build a project based on what you’re most curious about.
The program is divided into three stages. For the first four weeks, you’ll get to explore four different topics within a subject area you choose. In weeks five and six, you’ll narrow your focus and take a deep dive into one topic that interests you the most. The last two weeks are spent creating a final project with your mentor—this could be a paper, presentation, or another type of original work.
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Dates: August 11–15 (for rising 6th–7th graders) | August 18–22 (for rising 8th–9th graders);
Eligibility: Open to students entering grades 6–9
DynaMIT is a free summer program from MIT that introduces middle school students to STEM through hands-on learning and problem-solving. During the week, you’ll work on real-world science and engineering challenges with guidance from MIT mentors and student leaders.
You’ll take part in experiments, group projects, and visits to labs on the MIT campus. The program ends with final presentations where you share your projects with mentors and peers..
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: April 17
Dates: June 9- June 13
Eligibility: Open to current 7th and 8th-grade students
Purdue University’s Physics Inside Out is a four-day summer program for middle school students focused on hands-on physics learning. You’ll engage in interactive experiments and explore real-world applications that explain how physics shapes everything from gravity to everyday motion.
Led by Purdue faculty and researchers, the program covers physics, astrophysics, and astronomy. You’ll get access to Purdue’s advanced physics labs and research spaces, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how physicists work. The program includes group projects, live demos, and time to ask questions.
Location: Community Education Center, Pasadena, CA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 31
Dates: June 23–August 1
Eligibility: Open to rising 7th and 8th-grade students
Pasadena City College’s Math Academy for Middle School Students is a free, five-week summer program focused on strengthening your foundational math skills. It prepares you for high school math by covering topics like pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and core concepts through lessons, homework, and class activities.
Classes have a maximum of 25 students, giving you personalized support. The program gives a letter grade at the end, and while it’s noncredit, some middle schools may offer credit through counseling. This program is a good way to build your math skills and confidence before high school.
Location: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: TBA
Dates: June 5- June 13 (TBA for this year’s dates)
Eligibility: Open to current 8th-grade students
UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Biology Camp is an in-person program for current 8th graders preparing for freshman Biology. The camp covers topics like the scientific method, basic chemistry, water properties, biomolecules, membranes, and cell transport.
You’ll also study energy flow, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, organelles, DNA structure, and protein synthesis. Afternoons include collaborative learning, mobility simulations, DNA and genetics activities, and anatomy labs.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: April 10, with decisions by early May
Dates: July 7-11
Eligibility: Rising 8th and 9th grade students
Carnegie Mellon’s Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) is a week-long program for rising 8th and 9th graders that introduces engineering through hands-on projects. You’ll explore different engineering fields while working with peers, mentors, and instructors. The program includes presentations and activities that apply scientific and engineering principles.
You’ll complete two main projects: one as a whole group solving a shared challenge, and another in smaller teams focused on creative designs. Most projects use common household items to demonstrate how engineering ideas come to life.
Location: University at Buffalo North Campus, NY
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 30
Dates: August 4–August 8
Eligibility: Open to students in Western New York entering grades 6–7. Students from minority and underrepresented backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply
The National Grid Young Innovators Engineering Camp at the University at Buffalo is a weeklong program for students entering 6th or 7th grade. It offers hands-on engineering activities and the chance to work with university faculty and students.
Over five days, you’ll engage in team challenges, problem-solving tasks, and projects that connect science to real-world problems. With just 20 students, you get personalized attention. Free transportation is available for Buffalo city residents once participants are selected.
Location: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: TBA
Dates: June 26-July 2
Eligibility: Open to current 7th-grade students
UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Middle School Camp is a four-day, in-person science program for current 6th and 7th-grade students. The camp offers hands-on labs and classroom lessons led by experienced middle school educators.
You’ll explore topics like microscopes, muscle fatigue, elements and compounds, and environmental science concepts such as seasonal changes and conservation of mass. Afternoon sessions include activities on cell theory, human body systems, chemical equations, and team challenges like scavenger hunts and science-themed escape rooms.
The program includes lab tours and talks by UT Southwestern staff and faculty.
Location: Georgia Tech campus, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $400–$650 per participant; needs-based scholarships covering up to 75% available
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Dates: Most programs run from June to July
Eligibility: Rising 6th–8th-grade students
Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) hosts Summer P.E.A.K.S. (Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEAM), a series of week- or two-week workshops for middle school students.
The program offers hands-on learning across science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Workshops are led by Georgia Tech faculty, staff, students, and local educators. Students apply individually through the CEISMC website.
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 15
Dates: July 7-August 1
Eligibility: Students must be NYC residents, age 12 by the start of the program, and no older than 14 on the first day
Science of Smart Cities (SoSC) is a three-week summer program at NYU Tandon School of Engineering for middle school students. The program focuses on how science, technology, and engineering intersect with urban sustainability and safety.
You’ll work on hands-on projects designing smart city models using microcontrollers, sensors, and coding tools. NYU students guide the work, helping you build practical STEM skills. The program ends with a showcase where you present your projects to professionals and community members, highlighting tech solutions for urban challenges.
Location: STEM Academy at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost: Fees range from $60 to $320, depending on the camp; needs-based scholarships available
Application Deadline: Registration currently open; no deadline announced
Dates: Camps run between June and August
Eligibility: Rising 6th–8th grade students are eligible to apply
Oregon State University’s STEM Academy offers summer programs for middle school students focused on science, technology, engineering, and math. The academy provides various camp themes such as Wild About Wildlife, Making Arcade Games, Flying Robots, Physics, Engineering, ActivityBots, and Microcontrollers.
Most camps run for a full week, Monday through Friday, combining classroom learning with hands-on projects, coding, and experiments. The Physics and Engineering camps are one-day intensives. Some camps include field trips to connect learning with real-world STEM applications.
Location: University of California, San Diego, CA
Cost: Course fees range from $175 to $450, depending on the class; scholarships are available
Application Deadline: June 16
Dates: July 7 – July 25
Eligibility: Open to middle and high school students
The Sally Ride Science Academy at UC San Diego offers summer workshops for middle school students in various STEM fields. Sessions cover topics such as meteorites, CAD and 3D printing, planetary cuisine, waves, Raspberry Pi, entrepreneurship, and patent creation.
Workshops run either in-person or live online, with morning and afternoon options. Classes last about three hours per day over four days. You can select multiple workshops if schedules do not conflict.
Bonus - Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
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.
Location: Virtual
Fee: $1,990. Need-based financial aid is available.
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.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. 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.
Image Source - Carnegie Mellon University logo