10 STEM Summer Programs in Idaho for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
If you’re in middle school and interested in STEM, summer programs can be a great way to explore new topics outside your regular classes. These programs can introduce you to areas like robotics, coding, engineering, and science while helping you build skills like problem-solving and teamwork. You also get the chance to try new activities and learn alongside other students who share your interests.
In Idaho, STEM programs are offered through universities, research labs, and community organizations. These programs include short-term camps, workshops, and multi-day sessions that focus on different areas of science and technology while providing structured learning experiences.
Why should I attend a STEM program in Idaho?
Idaho offers a range of STEM programs that allow you to explore different subjects in engaging and structured settings. You might build and program robots, work on coding and cybersecurity activities, explore engineering concepts, or take part in science experiments while learning from instructors and mentors. Whether you’re from Idaho or visiting from another state, these programs give you a chance to build new skills, explore your interests, and learn in a new environment.
To help with your search, we’ve narrowed down a list of 10 STEM summer programs in Idaho for middle school students.
If you’re looking for online programs, check out our blog here.
Location: Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Lottery selection; unspecified
Dates: Multiple sessions throughout summer (June–July; varies by camp)
Application Deadline: Registration open April 6–April 10
Eligibility: Entering grades 6–8
The Idaho National Laboratory STEM Summer Camps offer middle school students the opportunity to explore science and engineering through hands-on activities in robotics, energy systems, coding, and environmental science. Students work on interactive projects that introduce core STEM concepts, often using real-world applications tied to INL’s energy and technology research. Through guided activities and collaboration, participants develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills while learning how STEM fields connect to real careers. The camps are designed to provide early exposure to technical topics in a structured and engaging environment.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines for each cohort. You can apply here
Eligibility: Grades 6–8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program introduces you to STEM research through a guided format designed specifically for middle school students. Over an eight-week period, you work individually with a mentor connected to a university while developing a research project in areas such as physics or astrophysics, AI and data science, biology, medicine and public health, or environmental studies. The program begins with foundational instruction in your chosen subject to help you understand key concepts and terminology. As you continue, you narrow your focus to a specific research question and learn how to explore it using standard research approaches. Regular meetings with your mentor help you organize your work, analyze data, and draw evidence-based conclusions. The program ends with a presentation component in which you explain your research process and results, and financial assistance is available to help cover program costs.
Location: Six locations across Idaho (Boise State University, College of Southern Idaho, College of Eastern Idaho, others), ID
Cost/Stipend: Registration fee (amount unspecified)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Based on location and availability; unspecified
Dates: June 8–June 19 (varies by location)
Application Deadline: Register and rank choices before March 30 for confirmation
Eligibility: Middle and high school students (grades 6–12)
You explore the Chip, Chip, Hooray! course developed with Idaho Digital Learning Alliance and Boise State University. You’ll gain an understanding of semiconductor principles and their importance in modern society. You learn instructional practices to connect students with emerging career opportunities in microelectronics. You receive a curriculum adaptable for individual classrooms or ready for immediate implementation. You will work with a full classroom kit of Arduinos for hands-on experiments and activities. You develop strategies that make semiconductor science accessible to middle school learners. You focus on effective teaching methods through formal and informal learning environments.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Full financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Small cohorts; 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio
Dates: 25 hours over 2 weeks (weekdays during the summer) or 25 hours over 10 weeks (weekends)
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: 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 developing a machine-learning algorithm to generate a custom list of educational resources based on specified criteria.
Location: Idaho State University ESTEC, Pocatello, ID
Cost/Stipend: $125
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Registrations open early May
Dates: Session 1: June 15–June 19 | Session 2: July 13–July 17
Eligibility: Entering grades 5–8
You will work in teams to design, build, and program LEGO Spike robots. You’ll learn construction techniques for robot structures and develop coding skills to control robot movements and functions. You will then test your creations in a competition format against other teams and practice teamwork during collaborative design phases. You’ll apply sportsmanship principles in competitive settings and balance cooperation with individual contributions to robot performance.
Location: Micron Center for Materials Research, Boise State University & Micron campus, Boise, ID
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Registration opens April 1
Dates: Session 1: June 2–June 4 | Session 2: June 16–June 18
Eligibility: Incoming grades 7–8
You will tour Micron facilities to observe memory chip manufacturing processes. You’ll engage in circuitry challenges that build foundational skills as well as participate in coding activities related to semiconductor applications. You’ll explore engineering principles through interactive exercises and also study physics and chemistry concepts tied to chip production. You will receive mentoring from Micron engineers and Boise State students while working in specialized spaces such as the MakerLab and the IML Cleanroom.
Location: Sawtooth Business Center, Hailey, ID
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Registration opens in May; deadline unspecified
Dates: Mondays and Wednesdays from July 7–August 15
Eligibility: Rising grades 6–9
You’ll explore art and science projects each week. You will engage with activities covering archery, circuits and power, archeology, gravity, physics, chemistry, and rocketry. Staff provide materials, instructions, and assistance for these explorations. You’ll expand skills through hands-on participation. You will make requests for additional activities to influence content. You’ll contribute to designing middle school STEM offerings for the coming year.
Location: 100+ U.S. locations, including Idaho; see here for current options (may vary yearly
Cost/Stipend: Free at select locations; some locations charge low fees
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open registration; cohort size varies by location
Application Deadline: Varies by location
Dates: Multiple 5-day sessions from early June to mid-August
Eligibility: Middle and high school students recommended
The Air Force Association offers free STEM summer camps for middle school students at locations across the United States. In these camps, you will focus on computer science and cybersecurity topics, including how computer systems function, how digital information is protected, and responsible technology use. Your lessons are paired with hands-on activities that let you work in both Windows and Linux environments while building basic coding and security skills. Camp sessions are grouped by experience level, so you can choose a program that fits your current knowledge. In some locations, you may have the option to attend more than one level during the same summer, depending on space and scheduling. The program ends with a collaborative activity where you use what you’ve learned to address simulated cybersecurity scenarios as part of a team.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Tuition-free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; cohorts of 12 students
Application Deadline: March 25
Dates: Summer course: July 6–July 24 | Fall meetings: August 26–December 9
Eligibility: Current grades 6–7; U.S. residents attending U.S. schools; low-income households (typically under $90,000)
SMSSP is designed to support you, as a middle school student from a low-income background, as you prepare for more challenging high school coursework. You will begin with a three-week online summer program, followed by weekly fall classes that emphasize academic writing, math, study habits, and planning for different high school options. The instruction is provided by teachers affiliated with Stanford Online High School, many of whom have experience teaching advanced coursework. Live classes include discussions with students from around the country and activities that integrate multiple subject areas. In addition to student instruction, the program offers support for families through advising sessions and informational meetings. These resources are intended to help you and your caregivers better understand high school choices and application timelines.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Unspecified
Application Deadline: No deadline
Dates: Self-paced; available year-round
Eligibility: Female middle school students
Girls Who Code Python activities introduce you to programming through Python, a commonly used text-based language. You will work through guided exercises that demonstrate how to apply code to tasks such as creating a basic chatbot, analyzing datasets, and producing visual outputs. Along the way, you’ll learn to generate and interpret different types of charts, including line, bar, pie, histogram, and scatter plots. One set of activities uses public Kickstarter data to demonstrate how real-world data can be cleaned, organized, and analyzed. As you continue, you will practice foundational data science skills such as preparing data for analysis, identifying trends, and using evidence to support conclusions. You will also focus on explaining your results clearly and adjusting your explanations for different audiences, such as peers or instructors.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. 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.
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