10 Summer Artificial Intelligence Programs for Middle School Students in Chicago
- Stephen Turban
- 14 minutes ago
- 9 min read
A summer AI program can give you a structured way to test an academic interest before committing to a longer course or an expensive pre-college experience. Through lessons, labs, and projects, you can encounter college-level ideas while building practical skills in Python, data analysis, machine learning, and responsible AI. You may also work with mentors, instructors, and peers who can show you how AI is used in research and industry. Because many programs are online, short-term, or supported by financial aid, you can explore the field without automatically paying the cost of a residential university program.
Chicago gives you access to major universities and a large technology community, while virtual options let you study with instructors and classmates beyond the city. If you are specifically looking for an online experience, summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago can let you learn from home while still completing collaborative work. We narrowed down these summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago by considering academic rigor, mentorship and networking, funding, selectivity, and whether a respected university or education organization hosts the program. The list begins with selective research and pre-college options, then includes accessible project-based programs for different grade levels and budgets.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies, financial aid available.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective
Program Dates: Eight weeks; timing varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Among summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago, Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program is a selective virtual research option that you can complete from home. You begin by choosing a subject area, which can include a STEM field connected to AI, and you are matched with a PhD-level mentor from a leading university. Your mentor introduces you to core ideas and helps you narrow a real-world question into an independent project that is manageable at the middle school level. You will practice locating evidence, evaluating sources, organizing an argument, and explaining technical material in clear academic language. The program concludes with a formal research paper that presents your question, process, and findings. The one-to-one format is its most distinctive feature, although your final topic and project scope depend on the mentor match and the subject area you select.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Not specified for the next summer cycle; application fee and financial aid availability should be confirmed
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; acceptance rate and class size are not publicly specified
Program Dates: Two-week online session; exact dates for the next cycle are not specified
Application Deadline: Application window and deadline for the next cycle are not specified
Eligibility: Students currently in grades 8–11; this list is relevant only to eligible eighth graders
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes periodically offers online courses focused on artificial intelligence and related questions in computer science, ethics, and society. You study one subject intensively in a seminar-style class rather than dividing your time among several camp activities. Depending on the course offered, your work may include algorithmic reasoning, discussions of how models make decisions, short programming tasks, or analysis of AI’s social effects. You will collaborate with academically motivated peers and receive feedback from an instructor through live online sessions. Because admission requires an application and the program is associated with Stanford, it is one of the more selective summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago that an eligible eighth grader can access remotely. Course titles and prerequisites can change each summer, so you should confirm that an AI course is listed before applying.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies, financial aid available.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Acceptance rate not published; instruction uses a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio
Program Dates: 25 hours over 10 weekends in spring or two weekdays-based weeks in summer
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines; exact summer cutoff varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
AI Trailblazers is a virtual program that introduces you to artificial intelligence and machine learning through lectures, small-group instruction, and applied projects. Across 25 hours, you learn introductory Python along with data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. You will work in groups supported by mentors, with a stated 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. Past projects have included classifying music genres with machine learning and recommending educational resources based on user-selected criteria. The curriculum gives you a broad survey of the model-building process, from preparing data to considering whether an AI system is fair and appropriate. If you want guided technical work and a defined final project, this is one of the summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago that is designed specifically for grades 6–8.
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, or virtual, depending on the course
Cost: Varies by course and format; application fee not specified; need-based financial aid may be available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective eligibility requirements; acceptance rate and class size are not publicly specified
Program Dates: Summer sessions vary by course; exact AI course dates are not specified for the next cycle
Application Deadline: Varies by session; courses may close when full
Eligibility: Grade band and advanced-learning evidence vary by course; confirm the AI course accepts grades 6–8
Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development offers accelerated summer courses for academically advanced learners, with subject offerings that can include artificial intelligence, computer science, and technology. In an AI-focused course, you can expect a faster pace than a general coding camp and assignments that require you to explain how computational systems solve problems. You may analyze data, test algorithms, discuss ethical questions, and collaborate on a technical project, depending on the specific syllabus. The Evanston location gives Chicago-area families a university-based option, while CTD’s online formats can remove the commute. Eligibility is a meaningful part of the application because CTD courses are organized by grade and demonstrated academic readiness. When comparing summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago, check the live catalog carefully because course names, formats, prerequisites, and campus availability change by session.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Not specified for the next summer enrollment period; application fee not specified; financial aid may be available to eligible families
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Qualification-based admission; acceptance rate and cohort size are not publicly specified
Program Dates: Online session length and start dates vary
Application Deadline: Varies by online session and seat availability
Eligibility: CTY qualification and course prerequisites apply; confirm the current grade range before enrolling
Johns Hopkins CTY’s online Artificial Intelligence course gives qualified learners a structured introduction to how intelligent systems represent knowledge and make decisions. You work through instructor-supported lessons and problems that can cover search, logic, probability, machine learning, or the social consequences of automated systems. Because this is an academic course, you should expect regular assignments and sustained independent work rather than a short series of demonstrations. You can communicate with an instructor online and apply concepts through programming or analytical exercises specified in the current syllabus. CTY requires students to establish eligibility for many advanced courses, making readiness an important part of enrollment. This qualification-based structure distinguishes the course from open-enrollment camps, but you should verify the current grade minimum and prerequisites.
Location: Virtual or selected in-person locations; Chicago availability varies
Cost: Free; no application fee is listed
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Application required; acceptance rate and cohort size are not publicly specified
Program Dates: Two weeks during the summer; exact session dates vary
Application Deadline: Typically announced during the spring application cycle; next deadline not specified
Eligibility: Young people ages 13–18; middle school eligibility is generally limited to students who are already 13
Kode With Klossy’s AI/ML camp is a free, application-based option for eligible learners who meet the program’s age requirement. You learn foundational coding and machine learning concepts while building a project with a small team during an intensive two-week session. The curriculum emphasizes creating with technology, so you move from guided instruction to a final product rather than only watching lectures. You will receive support from instructors and camp leaders and practice presenting your project to peers at the end of the session. Its zero-cost model makes it one of the few fully funded summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago, although an in-person Chicago cohort is not guaranteed each year. Because the minimum age is 13, you should verify that you will meet the age rule by the program’s stated cutoff before applying.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Current summer tuition, application fee, and financial aid details are not specified
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Acceptance rate not published; small-group format
Program Dates: Multiple live online cohorts; exact summer dates vary
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort and seat availability
Eligibility: Students in grades 5–8
AI Creators is a live online program developed for middle school learners who want an introduction to AI through projects and discussion. You explore how machines use data to recognize patterns and make predictions, then connect those ideas to areas such as health, transportation, or media. Guided coding activities let you test a model and see how changes in data affect its output. You will also discuss bias, privacy, and other ethical questions that arise when an AI tool affects people. Instructors and teaching assistants support the small-group work, and the course culminates in an applied project or presentation. The middle-school-specific curriculum makes it a practical remote choice among summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago, especially if you have limited prior coding experience.
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, or other listed campuses
Cost: Varies by campus, week, and format; application fee not specified; scholarships or payment options may be available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment; small classes are advertised, but exact cohort size varies
Program Dates: One-week summer sessions; exact dates vary by location
Application Deadline: Rolling registration while spaces remain
Eligibility: Course age range varies; many AI courses begin at age 13
iD Tech offers one-week AI and machine learning courses at university campuses, including sessions that may be scheduled at Northwestern in Evanston. You use coding tools such as Python and work with datasets to understand how a model is trained, evaluated, and improved. Course projects can involve image recognition, neural networks, or other introductory machine learning applications, depending on the selected syllabus. You will receive instructor feedback, collaborate with a small group, and finish with project work you can continue after camp. The campus setting can provide a brief look at university facilities without the cost or commitment of a residential pre-college term. Among local summer artificial intelligence programs for middle school students in Chicago, this option is most relevant to older middle schoolers because many AI course sections start at age 13.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Current summer tuition, application fee, and financial aid details are not specified
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly specified
Program Dates: Summer cohort dates and duration vary by track
Application Deadline: Not specified for the next summer cycle
Eligibility: Middle school age or grade requirements vary by track; confirm before applying
AI Camp runs online programs in which you learn introductory AI concepts by working toward a product or technical demonstration. Depending on the middle school track, you may practice Python, prepare data, use an existing model, or build a simple web interface around an AI feature. The project-centered format helps you connect individual coding lessons to a complete workflow and a defined use case. You will work with instructors and peers, revise your project, and explain the result in a presentation or showcase. This is an online option rather than a Chicago campus experience, so its main advantage is access from home. Before enrolling, confirm that the specific summer track is designed for your grade and that it teaches substantive AI rather than general introductory coding.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by class package; application fee and financial aid details are not specified
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment; small live online classes
Program Dates: Short live online sessions offered on multiple schedules
Application Deadline: Rolling registration while seats remain
Eligibility: Generally intended for upper-elementary and middle school grades; verify the current grade range
Create & Learn’s AI Explorers course introduces younger learners to the ideas behind modern AI through live, teacher-led online sessions. You examine how computers recognize images, understand language, and generate outputs, using visual demonstrations and age-appropriate activities. The course also asks you to consider where training data comes from and why an AI system can produce inaccurate or biased results. You will complete guided projects rather than a long independent research paper, making the format manageable if you are new to coding. Small-group instruction gives you opportunities to ask questions and compare your results with classmates. As an open-enrollment option, it offers a lower-barrier starting point, but you should verify the exact grade band and summer schedule before registering.
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 where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.