10 STEM Summer Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jan 3
- 6 min read
STEM is an interesting field of study that sparks the curiosity of many young learners. Middle schoolers wishing to study or pursue a career in STEM can consider a summer program to explore their interests. These programs typically provide an introductory experience for you to familiarize yourself with the topic and gain field-specific skills.
You also interact with STEM faculty and professionals, thereby building a network early on. Another benefit of summer programs is that they do not interfere with your regular school schedule and are available in various formats. So, if you want to participate in a STEM summer program, here are a few options for you.
10 STEM Summer Programs for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 8 weeks. Varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
If you are looking for a program that enables you to conduct research, Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program may meet your requirements. Here, you will be paired with PhD mentors from renowned universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts in their fields. The pairing is done based on the subject you wish to study. Throughout the program, you will learn to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study. You receive regular feedback and participate in writing-coaching sessions to work on your scientific communication skills. You can also opt for the Junior Research and Publication Program to publish your research in academic journals in 16 weeks.
Location: New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6 to July 31
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders who are NYC residents
NYU’s SoSC blends environmental and urban science with engineering. In this program, you will learn coding, microcontroller programming, electronics, and circuitry. It also delves into the sustainability dimension of urban design. You work in teams to create projects that make cities more sustainable and safer. In the final presentation, you demonstrate how your project solves a real-world urban challenge.
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. 25 hours over 2 weeks on weekdays during the summer cohort
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
If technology is your area of interest, you can consider Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program. It teaches you the foundation of AI and machine learning over 25 hours of programming. The course covers a range of technology-related topics like Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. After completing the theoretical portion, you will apply your learnings to develop a practical project. This project solves a real-world challenge in any field of your choice. This project can range from a machine-learning model to classify music genres to a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited spots
Dates: To be announced
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Students in grades 7 and 8
Middle schoolers interested in physics can apply for this free program by Purdue University. The program uses hands-on lessons and activities to teach you fundamental physics principles and their application. It covers all aspects from the nano to the astro. You will complete experiments and develop projects as part of this course. Furthermore, faculty and researchers walk you through their career trajectory, providing insights for your professional future. You also tour the campus labs and facilities to get a taste of college life while in middle school.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
Dates: July 6 to July 24 for summer. August 26 to December 9 for fall
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Low income students in grades 6 or 7 who live and attend school in the U.S. with family income under $90,000
This online program is held over the summer and fall. In the summer, you will attend virtual interactive classes as well as social activities. Students interested in STEM can opt for the Discovering Geometry: From Flatland to the Fourth Dimension or Real-Life Applications to Mathematics tracks. While the first track deals with math and technology to develop your geometry skills, the second track explores how math can be applied in real-life scenarios through modular arithmetic, financial mathematics, and more. In the fall term, you attend weekly meetings with your cohort. You engage in debates and discussions alongside focused workshops to improve your writing skills. You also receive guidance for applying to other prestigious programs.
Location: United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 1 to June 5 for grades 6 and 7. June 8 to June 12 for grades 8 and 9
Application Deadline: February 13
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 9 who are U.S. citizens with strong academic performance
Academically advanced students can participate in this week-long STEM program. Through hands-on projects, you develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The activities you participate in may change, but some previous activities include soldiering circuits, robotics, egg drop competition, fuel cell cars, mechanical circuits, fish biodiversity, water chemistry, data analytics, and bridge building. Thus, you are introduced to a variety of STEM disciplines. Tuition, housing, and food is covered by the program, making it accessible to students from under-resourced locations.
7. dynaMIT
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: To be announced
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising students in grades 6 to 9
dynaMIT is a free summer program held at MIT. The program is designed and delivered by MIT undergraduate and graduate students, so the program is student-run. They also act as mentors and guide you through various STEM activities and experiments. The program aims to foster a passion for science and engineering for middle schoolers by ensuring there is no barrier to participation. Studying at MIT also introduces you to college life.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: $675
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 24 students per grade level
Dates: June 30 to July 10. Tentative
Application Deadline: First come, first served
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7 and 8
The Science Exploration Program is, as the name suggests, a way for you to delve into science subjects and develop relevant skills. Divided into cohorts based on your grade, the curriculum varies. However, you will be involved with lab-work, including reading, computer searching, writing and group work. Rising 7th graders are taught lab skills and taught topics in physics, chemistry, microbiology and ecology. Similarly, rising 8th graders explore biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and environmental chemistry in the context of case studies of Cholera, Bioremediation, Genetics, and daily interactive demonstrations. These sessions prepare you for a rigorous high school curriculum.
Location: Online
Cost: From $2,699
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Cohorts of 6 students
Dates: July 14 to August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students ages 12 to 18 with basic Python knowledge
This program covers data science and AI. Over the course of the program, you can expect to create visualizations, build machine learning models, and develop relevant AI applications. The interactive classes teach new concepts and coding. Thereafter, in small cohorts, you develop a project and conduct research. You also receive personalized feedback that helps you meet your objectives. By the end of the program, you will have a portfolio of work and receive a Data Science Scholar Certificate.
Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Cost: $1,550. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 to June 26 for session 2. July 6 to July 10 for session 3. July 20 to July 24 for session 5. July 27 to July 31 for session 6
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Rising students in grades 7 to 9
This engineering program is offered by The Lawrence Hall of Science. You discover how designers and engineers devise creative solutions for real-world challenges. You are introduced to the engineering design process that involves a cycle of testing and improving ideas. You will complete engineering challenges that involve building projects and applying your learnings, thereby developing problem-solving skills. Engineers and professionals speak to you about their career journeys and the projects they are working on. At the end of the program, you present your project and receive The Lawrence Hall of Science UC Berkeley certificate.
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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