15 STEM Summer Programs in Delaware for Middle School Students
Middle school is one of the best times to try different STEM subjects before deciding what you enjoy most. If you've ever wondered whether you'd enjoy coding, engineering, robotics, or scientific research, a STEM summer program allows you to find out.
As a participant, you could be building something, experimenting with new technology, solving engineering challenges, or exploring topics that don't usually fit into a regular school timetable. Sometimes a single project is enough to discover an interest you didn't know you had.
What STEM summer programs are available for middle schoolers in Delaware?
Across Delaware, you can find STEM programs in everything from computer science and robotics to environmental science, biology, and engineering. Some programs introduce students to one subject, while others let them explore several different areas over the course of a week or two.
As you look through your options, think less about which program sounds the most impressive and more about which subject you'd actually enjoy spending your summer learning. The right program can give you a head start before high school and make future STEM classes feel much more familiar.
To help you explore your options, we've put together a list of 15 STEM summer programs in Delaware for middle school students!
15 STEM Summer Programs in Delaware for Middle School Students
Location: Delaware State University, Dover, DE (also at other participating colleges across the U.S.)
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 180
Program Dates: July 7 – 25 (based on an earlier cohort)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Middle school students entering grades 6 – 8
Delaware State University is one of the participating colleges of the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program, which provides opportunities for middle school students from under-resourced communities to explore STEM fields. You will gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies through a project-based curriculum led by DSU staff, middle school teachers,s and student mentors. You will have hands-on experiences in augmented and virtual reality, drones, robotics,s and entrepreneurship. You will build self-esteem and teamwork skills. You will also build new skill sets in social innovation and design thinking, such as 3D design and printing, engineering software, coding, and more. You can gain from year-round mentorship opportunities after the summer session with STEM workshops in the fall and spring, with a tour of the campus labs and classrooms.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies | Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Application deadline: Varies based on cohort
Program dates: Eight weeks | Timing varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorers Program is a selective online research experience for middle school students, designed to build advanced academic writing and research skills. You begin by selecting a subject area, such as STEM, humanities, or social sciences, and are matched with a PhD-level mentor from a top university. Over the course of the program, you receive a structured introduction to your chosen field, then design and carry out an independent research project focused on a real-world question. To strengthen your writing and analytical abilities, you conclude the program by producing a formal research paper that presents your findings.
Location: Christiana Mall, Newark, DE (find your nearest store's location here)
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: Vary, based on the host venue
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Ages 8 – 12; must be accompanied by a parent/guardian (pre-registration required)
Tech company Apple Inc.'s free camps at its branches across the world offer creative programs for children up to 12 years, including coding, creative art, movie-making, and more. You will be provided with an iPad during the session. In the Code your first App program (ages 10 and above), you will tinker with code to design an app and incorporate colours, fonts, and more. The Make Your Own Emoji program (ages 8 – 12) teaches you how to draw colorful faces and objects, make an emoji, and take it home! Based on the store, other programs may include creating a digital comic book or a theme song for a game. Check upcoming sessions at the Apple Newark store here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by the program
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines. You can apply to the program here.
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.
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 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.
Location: Delaware Discovery Center/University of Delaware, DE, with location based on the type of program
Cost: $400 (full-day); $800 (overnight); need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Small groups
Program Dates: June – July (5 days) with dates varying based on day/overnight camp and grades
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Grades 2 – 10
Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation (DASEF)'s Aerospace Academy combines STEM learning with a focus on Earth and Space education with hands-on projects based on grades. Middle schoolers in grades 6 – 8 can learn the principles of flight while building their own rocket and launching it at the end of the program. If you are in grades 7 and 8, you can enjoy activities related to lunar studies and advanced rocketry. As a grade 8 middle schooler, you can participate in Mars-related experiments and take part in an astronaut training simulation. You will work in a small team to solve a STEM challenge and develop problem-solving and leadership abilities, as well as build scientific and technical skills. You will undertake field trips or attend guest presentations from industry experts as applicable to the academic grade.
Location: Multiple locations across DE
Cost: Varies, based on camp; financial assistance up to max.$400/child is available on a first-come-first-serve basis
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: Varies based on location and type of camp (June – August)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Based on age band; middle schoolers can enroll for camps in the age group of 11 – 13
Delaware Tech offers dozens of week-long camps, so you can pick one based on what genuinely interests you instead of following a fixed schedule. If you're into engineering, the Engineering Explorers camp lets you design, build, and test solutions to hands-on challenges. Other options include CSI, Java programming, game design, YouTube content creation, aviation, chemistry, physics, and coding. Every camp is built around projects, experiments, and practical activities instead of long classroom sessions. Many STEM camps are also supported through Delaware's NSF EPSCoR initiative, making selected programs free while introducing you to fields you might not encounter in school.
Location: Newark/Lewes, DE (location based on camp)
Cost: $425 (Newark camp); $1,275 (Lewes camp)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: July 6 – 10 (Newark); July 27 – 31 (Lewes)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7 – 12
Delaware middle school students keen to explore environmental and marine science could consider the University of Delaware's Environment, Climate, and Ocean (ECO) Camps. You will attend classroom lessons, work alongside scientists, collect environmental data, head outdoors for field trips, and visit environmental and oceanographic research labs. In the week at Newark, you will learn environmental monitoring and resource mapping techniques, build and fly drones, design an underwater remote-controlled robot, and more. At the Lewes camp,p you will explore marine ecosystems, learn seining and net trawling, undertake a kayaking trip at sunset, and more.
Location: The College School, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Cost: Varies based on type of camp (starts at $200)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Small groups
Program Dates: Vary (4 – 5 days in June/August)
Application Deadline: Till spots fill (registrations typically open on February 2)
Eligibility: Varies based on the type of camp (check grades eligibility here)
The College School offers several STEM camps, each built around a different subject instead of one general programme. In Escape STEAM, you'll solve puzzles and design your own escape room while exploring science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. If you're interested in chemistry and physics, the Physistry camp lets you perform experiments and build projects you can even take home. Students preparing for Algebra I can also strengthen their math skills through games, modeling activities, and problem-solving exercises. The camps keep class sizes small, so you'll spend most of your time building, experimenting, and working through challenges instead of listening to lectures.
Location: Hagley Museum, Wilmington, DE
Cost: $50 (child between 6 – 14); $16 (student); $20 (adult); free for members
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: Throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: All ages
Science Saturdays turn the Hagley Museum into a hands-on science lab every weekend. Each session focuses on a different topic, so one week you might build a wind turbine to learn about renewable energy, while another week you could have you designing electrical circuits or creating musical instruments to understand sound. Nature lovers can also join programs like Counting Caterpillars, where you'll carry out field surveys and study pollinators in the museum's gardens. Every activity is designed around making scientific ideas easier to understand through experiments and building projects. Since the topics change throughout the year, you can return for different experiences instead of repeating the same activities.
Location: Newark, DE
Cost: $315/week (4-day week); $375/week (5-day week)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: June 15 – August 14 (specific dates vary based on camp)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 3 – grade 8
The Independent School offers several STEM camps that let you explore technology through creative projects. In the AI Coding and Machine Learning camp, you'll learn how artificial intelligence works by building simple coding and robotics projects instead of only reading about the technology. If you're more interested in content creation, the YouTube AI Production Studio teaches you how to plan, edit, and publish videos using AI-powered tools. You'll spend most of your time creating projects and experimenting with new ideas in small groups. You can bring your own laptop or use one provided by the school, making it easy to jump straight into the activities.
Location: Pike Creek Shopping Center, Wilmington, DE
Cost: Starts at $249 (check costs of each camp here)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: June – August (check dates here)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Ages 5 to 14
Code Ninjas lets you choose from several week-long camps based on what you want to build. You can create your own mobile app, design and code video games, learn the basics of 3D modeling and 3D printing, or explore coding through Scratch and other beginner-friendly platforms. Every camp revolves around a project, so you'll spend most of the week building, testing, and improving your work. Instructors guide you through each step, but you'll have plenty of freedom to experiment with your own ideas. By the end of the camp, you'll leave with projects you can continue developing at home.
Location: Dover AFB, DE
Cost: $300/week
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: June 15 – 19; June 22 – 26; July 6 – 10; July 20 – 24; August 3 – 7; August 17 – 21
Application Deadline: Till spots fill (enrolment on a first-come, first-served basis)
Eligibility: Ages 9 – 15
Delaware middle school students keen to explore aeronautics could consider the Air Mobility Command (AMC) Museum's Summer Camp. You will attend half-day classes, with groups split into age groups of 9 to 11 years and 12 to 15 years. You will gain insight into the history of aviation, learn about the U.S. Air Force, and gain an understanding of the science of aviation while applying STEM principles. You will train to fly in a simulator and pre-flight an actual aircraft. If weather permits, you will also gain an opportunity to board a Cessna 172 from the Dover AFB Aero Club with a certified Flight Instructor!
Location: Wilmington Friends School, Wilmington, DE
Cost: $288/$360 based on the week selected (check camps in each week here)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: Across 10 weeks, June 15 – August 17 (check dates of each camp here)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 5 – 8
Wilmington Friends School's Summer Programs are theme-based 4/5-day camps in a wide range of fields, such as science, creative arts, and more. You will have immersive learning experiences through hands-on educational activities, interactive experiments, and outdoor explorations based on the camp theme. You will build skills in team collaboration and problem-solving. Middle schoolers interested in STEM-focused camps can make sketches and build hands-on prototypes, and then test their designs in the Design Thinking camp. In the Backyard Science Experiments Camp, you will participate in hands-on experiments and undertake field trips to explore local ecosystems.
Location: YMCA Dover branch location, DE (check location here)
Cost: $275/week for members; $350/week for non-members; financial assistance
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: Varies based on program, June – August
Application Deadline: Closes on Wednesdays at noon, a week before the start of the camp
Eligibility: Based on grade
Accredited by the American Camp Association, Dover YMCA's Camp Voyager hosts specialty camps, including STEM-focused camps, in addition to sports and traditional outdoor camps. You will gain self-confidence while building creative skills and solving challenges in hands-on activities. In STEM Wizards Week (K – grade 8), you will participate in experiments, solve simple problems, and more. In Maker’s Wonderland (K – grade 8), you will design and build a project or invention of your own choice. In Thinkers & Tinkers, you will explore the designing process, building, and refining projects. Check other DE camp locations and activities here.
Location: DE
Cost: $500/student; $250 for each additional sibling in the same household
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: The information is not available
Program Dates: June 22 – July 30
Application Deadline: Rolling (registrations typically open on June 1)
Eligibility: Grades 1 – 12 (new students require a teacher's recommendation); girls and other underrepresented minorities are encouraged to apply
Delaware middle school students keen to participate in STEM activities alongside strengthening academic skills could consider FAME Inc.'s Summer Program. You will gain exposure to STEM careers and related pathways in this six-week enrichment program. You will receive academic instructions to build skills in science, computer technology, math, and communication/English. During the latter half of the day, you will participate in group-based engineering and STEM projects. The program wraps up with a closing ceremony on the final day. You will also gain opportunities to meet and interact with experts during industrial tours and undertake cultural trips.
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.