15 STEM Summer Programs in South Carolina for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 4 hours ago
- 9 min read
Middle school is often when your interest in science or technology starts to grow. Summer programs can help you explore that interest in a more focused way and understand what these subjects actually involve.
In South Carolina, many institutions offer STEM programs designed for middle school students. These programs include hands-on learning, group activities, and guided sessions that help you try different areas like robotics, coding, and basic science research.
Why should I do a STEM summer program in middle school?
By participating in a STEM program, you develop early skills such as critical thinking, basic analysis, and teamwork. You also gain confidence in handling new topics and working through problems. Local programs are more practical since you do not have to worry about travel or accommodation. These experiences can help you make better academic choices later in high school.
With that, here are 15 STEM summer programs in South Carolina for middle school students!
15 STEM Summer Programs in South Carolina for Middle School Students
Location: GSSM campus, Hartsville, SC.
Cost: $860-$1300; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Week 1: June 14–19, Week 2: June 21–26, Week 3: July 5–10
Application Deadline: May 15; Financial aid deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Rising 8th, 9th, or 10th grader, demonstrating strength in science and math with a B+ average or higher
GoSciTech’s residential camp runs as a multi-day, on-campus experience where you spend most of your time working through lab-based projects with a group. The program involves a cycle of establishing experiments, evaluating concepts, and refining your methods as you encounter unexpected data. The work is hands-on, so you are constantly dealing with materials, measurements, and data. Instructors guide the process, but a lot of the thinking comes from figuring out why something worked or didn’t. You also present your results at the end, which means organizing your observations clearly and explaining your approach.
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: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Cost: $1400 and a $200 deposit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: June 7 - July 24 (divided into sessions and courses; check specific dates here.)
Application Deadline: check specific dates here
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12 aged 17 or younger with a 3.3 GPA are eligible; those with a weighted GPA below 3.3 must also submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, counselor, tutor, or similar mentor.
Clemson’s Summer Scholars program is built around short courses where you pick a subject and spend a few days working through it in detail. The sessions combine lectures with assignments that require you to apply what you have just learned. You are usually working on a project alongside others, which means discussing ideas and comparing approaches. Instructors expect you to think through problems rather than follow steps. By the end of the course, you will have completed a piece of work that reflects how well you understood the topic.
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: The Citadel STEM Center, Charleston, SC
Cost: $300 / week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: June 1-5
Application Deadline: registration closes when the camp reaches capacity
Eligibility: Rising 5th – 8th grade students
The Citadel STEM Center Summer Camps offers you structured workshops that introduce core concepts in engineering, coding, and robotics through guided, practical activities. You will build and test simple systems or prototypes, practicing design thinking and iterative improvement. Sessions pair demonstrations with supervised hands-on labs, so you gain familiarity with tools, basic programming logic, and mechanical reasoning. Educators provide step-by-step coaching and facilitate teamwork on small group challenges. The program emphasizes foundational technical skills and collaborative problem solving.
Location: Technical Colleges Across SC. Check on exact locations here.
Cost: $260 (Includes: instruction, supplies, a camp t-shirt, and snacks), and a non-refundable $25 deposit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Week 1: JUNE 8-11, Week 2: JUNE 15-18, Week 3: JUNE 22-25, Week 4: JULY 6-9,
Application Deadline: May 15- June 12
Eligibility: Rising 6th, 7th, or 8th graders, demonstrating strength in science and math with a B+ average or higher
The GoSciTech Day Camp offers you a concentrated daytime STEM curriculum that blends demonstrations, hands-on experiments, and short group projects. You will practice core scientific skills such as hypothesis formation, controlled testing, and basic data analysis through guided activities. Instruction includes frequent, instructor-led checkpoints so you iteratively refine designs and learn to document procedures and results. Collaborative tasks require communication and role-sharing, giving you experience working in small technical teams. The format focuses on active learning and practical application rather than passive lectures.
Location: University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Cost: Application fee: $25 - commuting participants and $50 - residential participants; Residential - $1,150 - $1250; Commuter - $675 - $750 (depends on date of registration)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 scholars per adventure
Dates: June 14-19
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Open to academically gifted rising 6th–12th graders enrolled in an accredited school or homeschool, maintaining at least a 3.25 GPA and scoring in the top 93rd percentile on a reasoning aptitude test, the 94th percentile on an achievement test, or qualifying as gifted based on a standardized intelligence test.
The Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series offers you an intensive, themed academic module that foregrounds inquiry, discussion, and applied activities within a small cohort. You will investigate a specific topic through instructor-led seminars, lab demonstrations, and group projects that require critical analysis. Faculty and instructional staff provide mentorship while guiding you through research techniques, evidence evaluation, and project planning. You’ll present findings to peers and instructors, practicing both written summaries and oral explanations. The format prioritizes deep engagement with subject matter and active intellectual exchange.
Location: Charleston Learning Center, Charleston, SC
Cost: $249; Scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 persons
Dates: July 13 - 17
Application Deadline: NA
Eligibility: Middle School students aged 11-14
The Charleston Learning Center's Everyday STEM Camp offers you interactive STEM workshops that use short experiments and design challenges to teach core principles. You will work on guided projects that emphasize iterative problem solving, creativity, and applying math and science to everyday contexts. Instructors lead hands-on activities and facilitate small-group collaboration so you experience both independent thinking and teamwork. Regular check-ins and reflection activities help you document learning steps and outcomes. The program centers on accessible, practical STEM experiences that build foundational skills.
Location: Greenville Tech Center for Manufacturing Innovation and Greenville Tech McKinney Regional Automotive Technology Center, Greenville, SC
Cost: $309
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: June 22 -July 16
Application Deadline: NA
Eligibility: Middle and high school students in South Carolina
The Adventure TECH offers you exposure to applied technology fields through project-driven sessions and equipment demonstrations. You will engage with tasks that introduce manufacturing workflows, basic automation concepts, or automotive technology principles and practice using technical tools or simulation exercises. Technical instructors guide hands-on exercises and provide feedback as you prototype, troubleshoot, and refine solutions. Collaborative projects ask you to integrate safety procedures, process thinking, and basic diagnostic skills.
Location: Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg, SC
Cost: $50
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15 campers per camp
Dates: Session 1: June 9-12; Session 2: June 16-19
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: rising 6th–8th graders
The Spartanburg Community College STEM Summer Camps offer you short, focused workshops designed to teach experimental thinking and basic engineering concepts through hands-on activities. You will work through guided experiments and small construction projects that require observation, measurement, and iterative refinement. Instructors emphasize how to record results, draw conclusions from data, and present findings succinctly. Team-based tasks build communication and collaboration skills while reinforcing scientific reasoning. The camp structure supports active practice of core STEM methods in compact learning cycles.
Location: Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC
Cost: $425
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: June 22 - 26
Application Deadline: NA
Eligibility: Rising 6th, 7th and 8th graders
The South Carolina Aquarium Career Week offers you an introduction to marine-related careers through interactive demonstrations and behind-the-scenes learning experiences. You will participate in hands-on activities that illustrate animal care practices, ecological monitoring techniques, and basic field research methods. Aquarium educators and staff lead sessions where you practice observational skills, sample handling protocols, and interpretive communication about ecosystems. Collaborative exercises and career-focused discussions highlight pathways into science, conservation, and animal care professions.
Location: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Cost: Varies by session
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Varies by session
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students aged 5-18
The Clemson University 4‑H STEM offers you ongoing, community-based STEM learning through clubs, project series, and event-based workshops. You will plan and execute experiential projects that emphasize leadership, scientific investigation, and applied problem solving, often with a community or agricultural context. Adult mentors and extension educators guide project work, provide feedback, and connect you to local resources or competitions. Regular activities encourage skill development over time, including documentation of processes and presentation of results. The structure supports long-term learning, peer mentorship, and civic engagement through STEM.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Virtual: $210$; Day camp: $260, and a $25 deposit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Week 1: June 15-19 and Week 2: June 22-26
Application Deadline: Week 1: May 22 and Week 2: May 29
Eligibility: Rising 6th–10th graders who have demonstrated scholarship in science and math and desire an academically challenging experience in science, math, computer science, technology, or engineering are strong candidates
The GoSciTech Virtual Camp offers you live online instruction that mirrors in-person STEM coursework through demonstrations, guided exercises, and collaborative virtual projects. You will join synchronous classes where instructors present concepts, lead step-by-step experiments or simulations, and assign short team tasks for remote collaboration. Digital breakout activities encourage you to practice problem solving, document methods, and communicate findings in written or recorded formats. Mentorship is provided through real-time feedback and virtual office-hours, helping you refine techniques and reasoning.
Location: Roper Mountain Science Center
Cost: $215–$260, depending on the camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Multiple week-long camps offered June–July
Application Deadline: Registration closes when camps reach capacity
Eligibility: Rising K–8 students, depending on the specific camp
The Roper Mountain Science Center Summer Camps allow you to explore a variety of STEM topics through week-long hands-on learning experiences. The camps are designed around themes such as astronomy, robotics, environmental science, and engineering, with activities conducted in laboratories, outdoor classrooms, and specialized science facilities. You will participate in experiments, collaborative problem-solving exercises, and interactive demonstrations that build foundational STEM skills. The program often incorporates the center’s planetarium, living history farm, and environmental science areas to create applied learning opportunities.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $495
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Week 1: June 8-19 and Week 2: July 6-17
Application Deadline: Varies by course
Eligibility: Rising grades 7–9
NCSSM Summer Accelerator Online Courses provide you with an opportunity to study advanced STEM topics through short virtual courses led by instructors from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. The program focuses on subjects such as data science, artificial intelligence, biomedical science, and coding, combining lectures with interactive assignments and applied exercises. You will work through guided projects that emphasize analytical thinking, computational skills, and real-world applications of STEM concepts. Courses often include collaborative discussions and instructor feedback to help students refine their understanding of complex 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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