15 STEM Summer Programs in Alabama for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 49 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Summer programs can be a strong option for you if you are looking for early exposure to STEM subjects while in middle school. Through hands-on projects, mentorship, and collaborative environments, STEM programs offer academic and industry exposure and opportunities to form valuable academic and professional connections early on. This can also be your chance to build practical life skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.
What STEM summer programs are available for middle schoolers in Alabama?
Alabama offers various STEM summer opportunities for middle schoolers from universities, research centers, and educational organizations. Here, you get to engage in activities focused on design, coding, robotics, or experimentation alongside like-minded peers and under the guidance of STEM professionals, professors, or experts.
To help you find the right fit, we have put together a list of 15 STEM summer programs in Alabama for middle school students.
If you’re looking for online programs, check out our blog here.
Location: Virtual or in-person at various university campuses, including Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: May 1
Program dates: June 29 – July 17
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8.
The Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers Program is a free three-week program for middle schoolers conducted across the U.S. As a participant, you will explore STEM subjects on a university campus. You will engage in experiments, projects, and lab activities, and gain exposure to technologies like coding and app development, 3D printing, and augmented reality. Additionally, you will build design thinking skills and learn about social entrepreneurship. The program also offers insights into STEM career paths.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: Multiple deadlines for cohorts across the year; you can check details and apply here.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer sessions
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an eight-week virtual research-focused experience where you will work individually with a Ph.D. mentor. In the first part of the program, you will explore multiple subject areas to understand different academic approaches and research styles. Weekly meetings will help you build skills in formulating research questions, evaluating sources, and organizing findings. After choosing a focus area, which can be a STEM topic of choice, you will develop a structured research plan under the guidance of your mentor. You will finish by completing a research paper, case study, or presentation that reflects the full research process. analytical, and writing skills that support academic growth as you prepare for high school and future coursework.
Location: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham
Cost: $175 per week, including a non refundable $50 deposit. Scholarships available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: May 31, tentative
Program dates: Multiple week long camps between June and July
Eligibility: Rising 6th to 8th graders. Camps split by grade level.
University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Summer Science Camps allow you to choose from six themed week-long camps designed by the university’s scientists. You will explore a topic in STEM at each camp. For instance, in Camp 1, you will explore a forest to study plant and animal changes affecting health. Camp 2 allows you to act as an environmental engineer, whereas Camp 3 is focused on investigating DNA’s role in living creatures. Camp 4 is an opportunity to test your own body and brain while conducting experiments, and Camp 5 focuses on the exploration of molecules. Finally, Camp 6 is an opportunity to explore chemistry-focused solutions.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines; you can check details and apply to the program here.
Dates: 25 hours over two weeks (on weekdays)
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
AI Trailblazers is a 25-hour program that introduces you to artificial intelligence through structured instruction and hands-on coding exercises. The curriculum first focused on Python programming fundamentals before moving on to concepts like data analysis, regression, classification, and neural networks. Instruction takes place in small groups, allowing you to receive personalized feedback and ask questions during live sessions. You will work with real datasets to understand how machine learning models are trained and evaluated. Topics covering ethical considerations on the use of AI are integrated throughout the curriculum. The program ends with a guided project that demonstrates your understanding of AI and data science concepts.
Location: University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville
Cost: $450. Scholarships available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Rolling. Registration opens in February
Program dates: June 22 to 26, July 6 to 10, July 13 to 17
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 and 7.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville runs engineering summer day camps for middle and high school students. The Exploration camp allows you to explore how engineers work by solving problems and applying science and technology principles to projects.
You will also learn through classroom instruction, mentoring activities, and tours. You will get to connect with UAH faculty, staff, and current students to learn about paths in engineering.
Location: Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Accepts the first 70 students
Application deadline: Not specified
Dates: July 7 – 25 (tentative)
Eligibility: 7th – 12th grade students from select local schools
Auburn University runs a variety of STEM and arts camps for middle and high school students. The grant-supported STEAM Camp is an opportunity to boost your scientific inquiry and creativity. Over the course of three weeks, you will engage in STEM activities at Auburn University’s Montgomery campus. The program can help you explore the intersection of science and fine arts.
Location: University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville
Cost: $450. Scholarships available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Rolling. Registration opens in February
Program dates: June 22 to 26, July 13 to 17
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 and 9.
This engineering-focused camp is designed for incoming/lower-level high schoolers interested in learning beyond the classroom. Here, you will explore engineering fields through hands-on activities, classroom instruction, lab tours, mentoring opportunities, and a culminating design project. The camp also offers guidance on college preparation. Additionally, you will interact with the University of Alabama faculty and students to explore paths in STEM.
Location: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville
Cost: $200
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Rolling
Program dates: Multiple week long half day camps in the summer
Eligibility: Rising 6th to 8th graders.
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology runs various week-long camps for middle and high school students looking for a foundational introduction to biotechnology. The Code of Life camp, designed for middle schoolers, focuses on DNA. Here, you will extract DNA from organisms, study how information in DNA controls physical traits, and investigate how changes in DNA may lead to genetic disorder symptoms. You will also tour the HudsonAlpha facilities and connect with educators and researchers. You will use laboratory tools and gain experience with micropipetting and centrifugation. The culminating experiment allows you to create glow-in-the-dark bacteria, gaining exposure to genetic engineering.
Location: McWane Science Center, Birmingham
Cost: $380 per week for full day camps
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Not specified. Registration opens January 2 for members and February 2 for general registration
Program dates: Week long camps throughout the summer
Eligibility: Students ages 4 to 13.
McWane Science Center runs various summer camps for kids interested in diving into their interests. Here, you will participate in weeklong STEAM camps and engage in hands-on experiments, problem-solving, and exploration led by science center educators. Themes span deep oceans, outer space, robot building, and animal interactions. Certain camps also allow you to dive into local history and themes like robotics and time travel. Exact activities vary by camp.
Location: Shelton State Community College, Tuscaloosa
Cost: $130. Meals included
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Rolling
Program dates: July 7 to 10
Eligibility: Students in grades 3 to 12.
Shelton State’s STEAM Summer Camp is a four-day opportunity to explore topics in STEAM. At camp, you will join a group based on your grade level and engage in age-appropriate problem-solving and creative activities focused on STEM areas and the arts, including robotics. All sessions will be led by Tuscaloosa County School System teachers. The experience can help you explore the intersection of science, tech, and the arts and connect with like-minded peers.
Location: Cullman Parks, Recreation, & Sports Tourism, Cullman
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Not specified
Program dates: Week One, July 7 to 10. Week Two, July 14 to 17
Eligibility: Students in kindergarten to 8th grade.
Cullman Parks, Recreation, & Sports Tourism runs camps focused on STEM and the arts for children of all ages. Its STEM Camp allows you to explore science, math, tech, and engineering through projects, challenges, and experiments. The curriculum focuses on problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, and innovation. At camp, you will also get to connect with like-minded peers and STEM instructors.
Location: Alabama School of Math and Science, Mobile
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Not specified. Registration opens March 2
Program dates: June 1 to 5, June 8 to 12
Eligibility: Rising 6th to 9th graders.
Alabama School of Math and Science runs summer camps open to the community, allowing middle schoolers to get a taste of its STEM curriculum over a week. You can attend one or both week-long sessions at ASMS, and choose from over 40 STEM classes such as 3D printing, engineering, mini-medical, rocketry, marine biology, physics, and underwater robotics. The exact activities vary by track, but each camp is structured to offer activities that allow you to build technical and soft skills. Overnight and day options are available, with day campers attending sessions from 8:00 am to 4:45 pm on the ASMS school campus.
Location: Online and in person camps hosted by Girls Who Code at sites across the United States
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Application deadline: Not specified
Program dates: Multiple two week camps in the summer. Exact dates to be announced
Eligibility: Women and gender expansive teens ages 13 to 18.
Kode With Klossy’s Summer Camps are designed for middle and high school students interested in exploring coding over the course of two weeks. As a participant, you will learn through one of four tracks: web development, data science, mobile app development, or machine learning. The curriculum offers exposure to programming languages like Python, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and Swift, and covers track-specific core concepts. You will use what you learn to build projects focused on chatbot programming, website creation, app development, or data-driven assignments. At the end of camp, you will leave with a finished project that demonstrates your newly acquired coding skills.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,200. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Program specific numbers not specified. About 16 students per class
Application deadline: March 13
Program dates: July 6 to 17
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 to 11 who completed an Algebra course.
Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes offer middle and high school students access to a wide range of fully online college-level courses. Its Logic and Problem Solving course is a two-week opportunity to study topics like combinatorics, geometry, probability, number theory, inequalities, logic, algorithms, and puzzles through live classes. Here, you will practice techniques and learn problem-solving strategies to refine your creative and logical thinking skills. You will work on math problems and puzzles, solve problems with peers, and present your solutions. Assignments and projects are also part of the program.
Location: Online
Cost: $420 per camp
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Open to all
Application deadline: None
Program dates: Camps available on demand throughout the year
Eligibility: Middle and high school students. Grade level requirements vary by camp.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center runs year-round, on-demand virtual camps designed for middle and high school students. Each camp focuses on topics in genetics and biology. As a participant, you will have access to pre-recorded video sessions and receive a lab kit containing lab materials and workbooks. Depending on the camp you choose, you will learn through activities like extracting and studying DNA from animal and plant cells, observing fruit flies with genetic mutations, and using Punnett squares to explore the laws of heredity. You will also participate in video calls with instructors to discuss your assignments and class topics.
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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