15 STEM Summer Programs in Oregon for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 5 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you are in middle school and find yourself enjoying science or math classes more than others, that is usually a sign worth exploring. STEM summer programs give you a way to follow that interest and spend time learning through activities rather than routine lessons.
Oregon offers a range of STEM programs where middle school students can take part in hands-on sessions, small projects, and guided learning. These programs help you try different areas within STEM and see what you enjoy most before subjects start to become more serious in high school.
Why should I do a STEM summer program in middle school?
By participating in a STEM program, you develop early skills like logical thinking, basic analysis, and teamwork. You also learn how to approach simple problems and build ideas step by step. Local programs are also easier to attend since you do not have to worry about traveling or staying away from home. This early exposure can make a difference when you start making academic choices later on.
With that, here are 15 STEM summer programs in Oregon for middle school students!
15 STEM Summer Programs in Oregon for Middle School Students
Location: Portland State University, Portland, OR (with regional school-based chapters statewide)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective based on school chapter capacity
Dates: Weekly sessions throughout the school year; Schedule varies by chapter
Application Deadline: Varies by school chapter; typically aligned with school-year enrollment
Eligibility: Students in grades 5–12; Participants must attend a partnering MESA chapter school
The Oregon MESA Schools Program introduces middle school students to engineering and invention through structured, project-based learning sessions led by trained educators. Working in small teams, you learn how to identify real-world problems, brainstorm possible solutions, and build prototypes that address a specific need. The curriculum emphasizes iterative design, meaning you test, refine, and improve your ideas as part of the engineering process. Along the way, you also practice communication skills by presenting your work and explaining the reasoning behind your designs. Industry volunteers and STEM professionals often participate as mentors, offering insight into how engineers approach problem-solving in professional settings.
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: Nationwide (organised by local county extension offices)
Cost: Typically free or low-cost; some events or projects may have fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; club sizes vary by county
Dates: Available year-round
Application deadline: Rolling; Sign up through your local 4-H office or extension website
Eligibility: Youth aged 5-18 with some state-specific variations; full participation begins at age 8, with Cloverbud programs for ages 5–7
The 4-H Youth Development Program allows middle school students to explore science, leadership, and community engagement through hands-on project work. You choose an area of focus that matches your interests, which might include robotics, environmental science, agriculture, or engineering-based activities. Projects are designed around learning by doing, meaning you actively build, experiment, or investigate. Adult volunteers and extension educators provide mentorship while encouraging teamwork, creativity, and independent problem-solving. Many projects culminate in presentations, demonstrations, or competitions where you showcase your work and reflect on what you learned.
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: Franchise centres across the U.S., including Portland
Cost: Varies widely by location
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; class sizes usually range from 8 to 16 students
Dates: Available year-round during the academic calendar; summer camps and holiday workshops are also offered
Application deadline: Varies by location and program; early registration recommended
Eligibility: Students ages 4–14; grouped by age for appropriate curriculum
Engineering For Kids classes introduce middle school students to engineering and technology through practical design challenges. Each session focuses on a specific problem or concept, encouraging you to brainstorm ideas, build prototypes, and evaluate how well your solutions work. Activities may include constructing bridges, experimenting with simple robotics, or designing rockets that test basic physics principles. Technology-focused modules also introduce tools such as beginner programming platforms, 3D modeling software, and simple game development environments. Some themed sessions incorporate creative settings like virtual world building to explore sustainability or city planning concepts.
Location: Remote and in-person options available across the U.S. and internationally
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to all; no selection process
Dates: Ongoing during the school year; clubs typically meet 1–2 hours per week after school or on weekends
Application deadline: Rolling; students join through their local school or community club
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 3–12; no prior coding experience required
Girls Who Code Clubs create collaborative learning spaces where middle school students develop programming and computational thinking skills through guided projects. Meetings typically revolve around hands-on activities that introduce key computer science concepts such as algorithms, debugging, and logical problem-solving. Beginners may start with block-based programming environments before gradually transitioning to text-based languages used in real-world development. Projects often involve designing simple games, building websites, or experimenting with interactive applications. Working alongside peers allows you to share ideas, troubleshoot coding problems, and refine your technical approach.
Location: Multiple locations across Oregon (Corvallis, Grants Pass, Independence, St. Helens, Woodburn, Klamath Falls, Lebanon)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by camp location
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 6th–8th graders
Oregon State University’s iINVENT Summer Camp focuses on invention-based learning, guiding middle school students through the process of turning an idea into a working prototype. You begin by identifying a real-world problem that affects a specific user and then develop potential solutions through brainstorming and experimentation. With the support of college student mentors, you apply engineering principles while designing, building, and testing your invention. The program also introduces the basics of intellectual property through activities connected to the invention and patent process. By the end of the camp, you present your invention and explain how it addresses the needs of your chosen user.
Location: Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR (with partner middle schools across Oregon)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; participation limited to partner schools and available slots
Dates: Ongoing during the school year, with activities, mentoring, and events scheduled across fall–spring (timeline varies by school site)
Application Deadline: Varies by partner school; typically aligned with school enrollment and program outreach cycles
Eligibility: Middle school students at Harriet Tubman, Ockley Green, Faubion K-8, Vernon K-8, Parkrose, French Prairie, Valor, Warm Springs K-8, Brixner Jr. High, Chiloquin Jr. High, and Chiloquin Elementary
On Track OHSU introduces you to science and healthcare through workshops and guided sessions. You explore topics like human biology and how the body functions. Activities involve observing, discussing, and working through simple scientific ideas. You also interact with mentors who explain how these concepts are used in real settings. The program runs over time, so you build understanding gradually. The focus stays on exposure to science and research fields.
Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost: Varies by camp; Needs-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment with limited seats
Dates: June–August; varies by program
Application Deadline: Registration opens March 2; Rolling until full
Eligibility: Students entering grades 6–8
OSU STEM Academy camps focus on specific topics like coding, engineering, or environmental science. You work through activities where you build, test, and refine small projects. Some sessions include tools like microcontrollers or basic programming platforms. You also explore how these ideas connect to real-world systems. The work involves both indoor activities and outdoor exploration. The structure keeps you engaged through hands-on tasks.
Location: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville
Cost: $349–$399 (tiered pricing)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information on the exact cohort size is not available.
Dates: March 23–27
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Grades 6–8
This camp focuses on aerospace concepts through activities tied to aircraft and space systems. You work on design challenges where you test how different ideas perform. The sessions involve understanding how forces like lift and motion affect structures. You also explore exhibits to see how these ideas are used in real machines. Guided discussions connect what you see to the activities you do. The program stays centered on practical exploration.
Location: Nationwide; finalists travel to Washington, D.C. for finals
Cost: Free to enter via nomination from an affiliated science fair
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Top 300 projects selected nationally; 30 finalists attend finals week
Dates: Finals week held in fall; dates vary annually
Application deadline: Students must be nominated between February and June through an affiliated science fair
Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 6–8 who are nominated by a Society-affiliated science fair
The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge is a national science competition designed for middle school students who have completed original research projects. Participation begins with a project developed for a local or regional science fair, where strong entries may be nominated for the national competition. You will submit detailed explanations of your experiments or engineering solutions, highlighting their investigative process and scientific reasoning. Selected participants gain recognition for their work and may be invited to present their research in a national forum. Final rounds include collaborative challenges that test problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohorts (6 students per group)
Cost: Starts at $2,089
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Open to middle school students with an interest in coding and AI
Data Science: The AI Journey runs over three weeks and introduces you to coding and data work through Python. You spend time learning how to handle datasets, clean them, and turn them into simple visualizations. As the sessions progress, you work with basic machine learning models and see how they use data to make predictions. The program is structured around small groups, so you get regular support while working through tasks. By the end, you have a set of coding notebooks that show your work step by step.
Location: Fully virtual, open to scholars globally
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive teens, ages 13-18
Kode With Klossy runs as a short, intensive program where you learn coding through project-based work. You choose a track like data science, machine learning, or web development and spend your time building something within that area. The sessions involve writing code, testing it, and adjusting it when things don’t work as expected. You also work through structured lessons that explain how each concept connects to your project. By the end, you complete a project that shows how you applied what you learned.
Location: Virtual (Coursera)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced (start anytime)
Application Deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all; recommended for beginners
IBM’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) course, hosted on Coursera, offers a self-paced, beginner-friendly introduction to AI fundamentals. You will explore topics like machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks, with applications in natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and robotics. The course also covers generative AI models, AI governance, ethics, and industry applications, helping you understand AI’s role in innovation and career pathways.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Cost: $3,050
Dates: Session One: June 16 – 27; Session Two: July 7 – 18
Application deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 8-11
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes runs as a virtual program where you focus on one subject in a small class setting. You choose a course and spend the session working through that topic in detail, whether it is data science, programming, or logic-based problem solving. Classes are discussion-based, so you are expected to stay engaged and work through ideas as they come up. The material often goes beyond school-level content, especially in areas like computing and engineering. Check out the list of courses offered here.
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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