15 STEM Summer Programs in Montana for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
Summer programs are a strong option for middle school students looking to explore their academic interests during their summer break. Summer programs give you advanced academic experience, exposure to new career paths, mentorship opportunities, and chances to bond with like-minded peers. STEM summer programs are a great way to explore subjects beyond the middle school curriculum and participate in hands-on learning experiences.
Why should I do a STEM summer program in middle school?
Participating in a STEM summer program during middle school is a strategic way to prepare for your next academic steps and explore new STEM fields in a project-based environment. You can build experience in disciplines like engineering and computer science that are rarely offered in middle school, or study familiar subjects at a more advanced level, preparing you for high school-level coursework. Middle school STEM summer programs are highly hands-on, emphasizing activities, experiments, and field trips, which makes it an interactive learning experience.
In this blog, we’ve reviewed 15 STEM summer programs in Montana for middle school students. We’ve featured programs with strong mentorship, unique STEM focus areas, challenging academics, and rigorous projects and activities. With options across Montana, these programs include opportunities like conducting academic research, studying on college campuses, and learning about subjects from astronomy to paleontology.
Location: Missoula College, Missoula; University of Montana, Missoula; Flathead Community College; Dawson Community College; Miles Community College, Miles City; Montana State University Billings, Billings; Gallatin College, Bozeman; Butte; Helena College, Helena; other sites may be offered
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; 6-82 students per site
Dates: One week over the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Middle school students aged 11-14 | Students must live in Montana and be able to commute daily to the campus
The NSA-sponsored CyberMontana Summer Institutes are fully-funded summer programs providing a week of training in computer science and cybersecurity. You’ll focus on interactive study, developing programming skills to learn offensive and defensive cybersecurity techniques, and how system attacks function. You’ll also cover topics such as the Linux command line, encryption, embedded systems, and personal cyber safety. You’ll study under computer science professionals from Montana colleges, and explore careers in engineering and computer science. Exact topics covered will vary by location, though all Institutes follow the same general curriculum from the NSA and NSF.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid offered
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 8 weeks; multiple cohorts yearly
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines for each cohort
Eligibility: Grades 6–8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorers program provides a research-focused experience class for middle schoolers interested in hands-on applications of complex STEM topics. You’ll be paired with a PhD-level mentor in a STEM discipline of your choice; options include chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics, and more! You’ll begin the program with one-on-one classes covering foundational concepts in the field. You will then design an independent research project, which you’ll complete under the guidance of your mentor, and finish the program with a formal research paper that you can submit for publication in student journals. You can find more details about the application here
.
Location: University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Cost/Stipend: Free; funding available during school year for strong academic performance and continued program involvement
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not provided
Dates: June 8–17 (Gatherings) | June 21–27 (Journeys)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Native American students in grades 6–12
MT AIMS offers fully-funded STEM programs for Native American middle schoolers in Montana with opportunities for long-term mentorship and involvement throughout high school. You’ll enroll in the two-week “Gatherings” program in your first summer, where you’ll study topics across chemistry, physics, math, biology, natural resources, and more. Your work will focus on hands-on learning, including experiments and projects such as building your own computer. In the following years, you can attend the “Journeys” AIMS program, which offers a more intensive experience centered around a single STEM field that rotates yearly. Montana AIMS is designed to broaden access to higher education and advanced opportunities in STEM for Native American students; if you participate in the program throughout middle school and high school, you’ll receive mentorship on college preparation, access to additional funded STEM programs, and a stipend each year for strong academic performance!
Location: Virtual
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: Locations include Fort Harrison, Malta, Great Falls, Rocky Boy, Hot Springs, and Wolf Point, MT
Cost/Stipend: No information available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open registration
Dates: Multiple 1–4 day programs in June, July, and August; exact dates TBA
Application Deadline: Open enrollment beginning March 1
Eligibility: Varies by program; options for 3rd–8th-grade students in Montana. Some programs limited to children of military members, tribal-affiliated youth, or homeschooled students.
STARBASE is a Department of Defense-funded initiative offering STEM and design-focused summer programs for middle schoolers in Montana through its Fort Harrison and Great Falls branches. In STARBASE’s programs, you’ll study topics including engineering design processes, computer-aided design, data analysis, multi-disciplinary science fundamentals, and more. You’ll also meet with STEM industry professionals and learn about STEM careers on military facilities. Programs are offered for all Montana students, in addition to the Military Kids, Helena Indian Alliance, and Homeschool Academy options. If you want to stay involved during the school year, the STARBASE Advanced Program offers semester-long opportunities with weekly meetings, including a STEAM Program and the Code Girls United Program. You can find more information here.
Location: Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
Cost/Stipend: $220
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not provided
Dates: 4 days in summer (June/July)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Montana middle and high school students (typically grades 6–10)
Montana State University’s Math Circle Summer Camp is a four-day program in which middle schoolers with strong math skills can study advanced mathematics alongside high school students. You’ll spend each day learning new concepts and problem-solving techniques in math through collaborative activities. You’ll also explore connections between math and other STEM fields through workshops and experiments. You’ll study on MSU’s campus, touring university labs and research facilities, and experiencing the college learning environment. You’ll learn strategies for prestigious math exams like the American Math Competition, where strong performance can lead to an impressive resume entry and aid you in the college admissions process.
Location: Montana State University, Gallatin College, Bozeman, MT
Cost/Stipend: $25
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open registration
Dates: 3 days in summer; exact dates TBA
Application Deadline: Open enrollment until June 1
Eligibility: Montana students in grades 8–11
Gallatin College’s Mystery MedQuest Camp is a hands-on summer program for middle schoolers in Montana interested in exploring careers in medicine and health care. You’ll learn practical skills like taking patient vitals, analyzing medical specimens, using medical equipment and technology, and also observe how blood samples are used to diagnose medical conditions. Additionally, you’ll learn about human anatomy and physiology, examining training mannequins and a digital cadaver. You’ll get to meet with practicing healthcare professionals to learn about their experiences in the field and discuss potential career paths for you. The program culminates in an escape room activity where you’ll be challenged to diagnose a mystery patient.
Location: Montana Learning Center and multiple sites in the Canyon Ferry Lake area in Helena, MT, and other Montana locations
Cost/Stipend: $650
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: Multiple 5-day sessions from late June to early August
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 7th–9th grade students
Montana Learning Center’s Camp Innovations offers a series of 5-day STEM programs focused on field work, experiments, and activities. In the Inferno Science camp, you’ll learn about the science of wildfires through testing smoke and air quality, studying animal adaptation and plant regeneration following a fire, analyzing burn patterns, and more while studying in burn zones around Canyon Ferry Lake. In Rock Raiders, you’ll learn about Montana’s geology, mineral identification, and rock formations while conducting outdoor fieldwork. In Advanced Kitchen Chemistry, you’ll cook dishes while learning about chemical reactions and concepts like heat transfer, pH, and emulsions. Other program topics include engineering and aerospace technology, rockets and computer programming, forensic science, and more.
Location: Crosscut Mountain Sports Center, Bozeman, MT
Cost/Stipend: $450–$470 plus $5.20 registration fee; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: Multiple one-week camps from mid-June to late August
Application Deadline: Rolling; early registration recommended
Eligibility: Grades 5–9; must live within commuting distance
Montana Outdoor Science School’s Summer Camps are one-week STEM programs for middle schoolers interested in natural and environmental sciences. In the Forces of Nature program, you’ll learn about natural disasters like flooding and wildfires while visiting locations in Montana that have experienced the phenomena. In the Jr. Naturalist program, you’ll earn certification as a junior naturalist and take part in outdoor field work and science lab visits. You’ll meet with industry professionals through guest speaker visits, who will share specialized topics in environmental sciences and their experience in the field.
Location: Montana Natural History Center, Missoula, MT
Cost/Stipend: $345 (members) or $365 (non-members)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: July 6–July 10 (Naturalist in Training) | August 2–August 7 (STEEM)
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment beginning February 9
Eligibility: Middle school students in the Missoula, MT area; STEEM camp limited to girls and nonbinary students
The Montana Natural History Center offers hands-on middle-school summer programs focused on multidisciplinary STEM study and natural sciences. In the Naturalist in Training program, you’ll learn about local plants and animals, exploring natural areas to identify species and practice scientific observation skills. You’ll learn about professional life as a Naturalist, taking on a modified version of the advanced Master Naturalist Program. In the STEEM program for girls and nonbinary students, you’ll explore topics across science, technology, environment, engineering, and math. You’ll complete interactive experiments, science projects, and data collection activities with a focus on Montana’s natural resources and human industry.
Location: University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Cost: $276
Dates: August 4-8 (Tentative, based on previous cycle)
Application Deadline: Rolling; Enrollment opens on March 3
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8. You can see more detailed information here.
The University of Montana’s Dreamhackerz Electronics Lab is a program that combines engineering and cybersecurity. You’ll learn skills in hardware and software engineering through projects focused on how these technologies contribute to system security. You’ll take on hardware wiring projects using LEDs, buttons, and breadboards, and programming activities using Raspberry Pi and Python, combining your knowledge to build an integrated project. You’ll study the roles of wiring and coding in cybersecurity, develop strategies to keep your personal systems secure, and more!
Location: Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
Cost/Stipend: $375/week; $337.50/week for ACRM Family-level members
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 15–19 | June 22–26 | June 29–July 3 | July 6–10
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 3rd–8th graders
Montana’s American Computer & Robotics Museum offers a series of four STEM summer programs for elementary and middle school students hosted at Montana State University. You’ll choose from Robotics & Automation, Engineering & Design, Digital Explorers & Creative Tech, and Space & Earth Science Discoveries. You’ll participate in hands-on activities tailored to the program’s focus. Your work might include programming small robots, engineering and testing model roller coasters, using digital art software and stop-motion animation, creating planetary models, and more. The programs do not overlap, and you may enroll in as many or as few options as you choose. ACRM also offers 90-minute educational sessions over the summer $25 - $40) on topics in computing and microcontrollers, and a 6-hour course ($150) providing an introductory-level training on Arduino.
Location: Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
Cost/Stipend: $559 (commuter), $659 (commuter with dinner provided), $859 (residential)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 15–June 19
Application Deadline: Rolling registration beginning February 2; waitlist available
Eligibility: Rising 5th–7th-grade students in the Bozeman, MT area
Peaks and Potentials is a STEM summer program for middle schoolers at Montana State University, taught by college professors, students, and local STEM professionals. You’ll participate in daily workshops focused on specialized topics across healthcare, physics, chemistry, wilderness skills, and more. You’ll receive personal guidance from your instructors and take on collaborative activities and hands-on projects like building Lego robots and practicing wilderness survival skills with your peers. Outside of STEM work, you’ll spend time exploring MSU campus facilities, hiking in the Bozeman area, launching rockets, and more.
Location: Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, MT
Cost/Stipend: $245–$465 (members) or $275–$465 (non-members)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 29–July 2 | July 6–July 10 | July 20–July 24
Application Deadline: Rolling registration beginning January 28 (members) or February 4 (non-members)
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6–8
The Museum of the Rockies offers STEAM summer camp programs for middle schoolers in Montana across diverse subject areas. In Fossil Fanatics, you’ll explore the science of paleontology through MOR’s fossil and dinosaur exhibits, learning from professional paleontologists, and touring a fossil site in the Bozeman area. In the Art and Science option, you’ll merge experiments, art projects, and STEM education. You’ll learn about the museum’s collections, then complete activities involving chemical reactions, paleo art, watercolor painting, and more to develop artworks inspired by MOR’s exhibits. In the Exploring Yellowstone program, you’ll learn about the flora and fauna, geographical features, and ecology of Yellowstone National Park, culminating in a day-long exploration of the park.
Location: ExplorationWorks and other local sites in Helena, MT
Cost/Stipend: $205 (members) or $240 (non-members)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: Multiple 4-day camps from mid-June to late August
Application Deadline: Rolling registration beginning February 2 (members) or February 9 (non-members)
Eligibility: Middle school camps open to students ages 8–13; some options have more limited age ranges
ExplorationWorks offers a range of summer STEM camps for middle school students across Earth Science, Space, Technology, Biology, and more. In space-focused camps, you’ll learn about astronomy, extraterrestrial life-support systems, and space rockets and rovers. If you’re interested in engineering, camp options include building and programming robots and operable arms, designing projects with CAD and 3D printers, and computer engineering. Other opportunities include hands-on ecology study through field trips to Montana parks, studying volcano and glacier geology, learning the chemistry of food through experiments, and more.
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.
Image Source - Veritas AI logo