12 Summer Bridge Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 13
- 8 min read
If you’re starting high school soon, the transition can feel overwhelming. There’s more homework, more challenging subjects, new teachers, and a faster pace at which your courses may move. One way to make things easier is by joining a summer bridge program.
These are short programs you can join during your summer break, and they’re built to help you get used to what high school will be like. In these programs, you’ll spend time touching up on subjects like math, reading, and science. This means you can review things you found tough in middle school or get a head start on topics you’ll see in high school.
They’re especially helpful if you don’t have access to private tutoring, admissions advice, or dedicated school counselors. These programs fill that gap with extra support. Some even offer early high school credit or introduce you to internships and work-study paths you might want to explore later.
With that, here are 12 summer bridge programs for middle school students moving into high school!
12 Summer Bridge Programs for Middle School Students
Cost: $75
Application Deadline: March 9
Program Dates: June 2 - June 26
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 6th - 8th
The Pinellas County Schools Summer Bridge Program helps you catch up or get ahead in subjects like math, science, social studies, and language arts. You’ll work on hands-on projects, take part in STEM challenges, and learn about real-life topics like money management. Some locations also offer electives, so you can explore new interests while strengthening your core skills.
Location: UMSL's campus
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 23
Program Dates: June 16 - July 11
Eligibility: Students enrolled in 6th- 8th grade in a St. Louis Metropolitan school with a 2.5 or higher cumulative grade point average.
The UMSL Bridge Program Middle School Academy helps you get better at math, science, and communication through hands-on workshops. You’ll work on problems that build your thinking skills for high school and tests.
You also get to explore careers by figuring out what you’re good at and what you enjoy. The program includes activities that help you feel more ready for high school and start planning for college early.
Location: CPS sites across Chicago.
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: June 30 - July 24
Eligibility: Students in grades 2, 5, and 8 who fail to meet promotion criteria during the school year.
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Summer Bridge Program is for students who need extra help moving to the next grade. If you didn’t meet promotion requirements, this program gives you focused support in reading and math.
You’ll use a custom online program with lessons that help you catch up and build stronger skills. It’s part of CPS’s summer learning plan to help you stay on track and get ready for the next school year.
Location: Programs are generally hosted at schools within AVID partner districts or designated sites.
Cost: Varies by district
Application Deadline: Deadlines depend on the district or site hosting the program.
Program Dates: Dates vary by location. Typically, programs run between June and August.
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 6–10, depending on the specific program
The AVID Math and Science Summer Bridge program helps you get better at thinking through problems, working in teams, and solving real challenges in math and science. You’ll do hands-on projects like Mission Possible and ProPhone, and learn skills for Algebra and other advanced classes. The program includes about 60 hours of lessons, with extra support to help you read, write, and understand academic content better.
Location: Ridgefield High School (RHS)
Cost: Depending on the course taken.
Application Deadline: Registration is currently open and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
Program Dates: 3 and 5-day sessions are offered the weeks of July 7th, July 14th, and July 21st.
Eligibility: Open to students entering grades 6 through 8 in the upcoming academic year.
The Forever Summer Bridge Program at RPS lets you learn in a hands-on way outside the regular classroom. Taught by RPS teachers, you’ll take part in projects that help you explore new interests while improving your skills in reading, math, and other core subjects. You’ll also get a chance to earn credit in required classes, so you can catch up or get ahead before school starts again.
Location: Online
Cost: $299
Application Deadline: Based on the course you take.
Program Dates: Multiple sessions from June through August. Check details here.
Eligibility: Open to students entering grades 1 through 8 in the upcoming school year.
The Auburn University Math Summer Bridge Program is an online program with live classes for students in grades 1 to 8. If you're in middle school, you’ll review important math topics like fractions, equations, geometry, and statistics.
The goal is to keep your skills sharp over the summer and help you get ready for the next grade. Teachers guide you through each topic in real time, so you can ask questions and stay on track.
Location: Moravian Academy Merle-Smith Campus
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Varies by school
Program Dates: June 16 - July 24
Eligibility: The program is open to low-income students from nine different middle schools in the Lehigh Valley.
The Lehigh Valley Summerbridge Program at Moravian Academy is a free summer program for middle school students. You’ll study math, science, literature, and writing, and also try electives like theater, forensic science, and Japanese culture.
The program includes college visits, field trips, spirit week, and even a small shop where you can get clothes and books. You get free meals and transportation, and you’ll be part of a supportive group working together to get ready for high school and beyond.
Location: Corona High School, Santiago High School & Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: NA
Program Dates: June 16 - July 15
Eligibility: The program is available only to select 8th-grade students within CNUSD who are scheduled to attend a CNUSD high school in the fall.
The Corona-Norco Unified School District Summer Bridge Program helps invited 8th-grade students get ready for 9th grade. If you’re joining, you’ll take part in focused courses like AVID, English language development, math, or special education support. You can improve your skills, earn elective credits, and feel more prepared and confident before high school begins.
Location: Online
Cost: $299
Application Deadline: Depending on the course
Program Dates: Various sessions between June and August
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 1-8
The University of Delaware Summer Bridge Program in Mathematics helps students in grades 1 to 8 keep up their math skills over the summer. You’ll cover topics like basic operations, fractions, geometry, and algebra in live online classes with experienced teachers. You can choose to join for three or six weeks, and recorded lessons let you review anytime to keep learning on your schedule.
Location: Programs are offered at various locations depending on the school district or organization implementing AVID or Virtual
Cost: Free for students, varying by district implementation
Application Deadline: Deadlines depend on the district or site hosting the program.
Program Dates: Dates vary by location. Typically, programs run between June and August.
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 6–12
The AVID English Language Development (ELD) Summer Bridge program helps middle and high school students who are learning English improve their academic language, study skills, and leadership. The program is for students at intermediate to advanced levels.
You’ll do team activities to build connections and speed up language learning. The program has two 10-day sessions called We Are Scholars! and We Are Leaders!, with clear lessons and digital tools. Teachers also get training to better support English learners.
Location: Maynard Jackson High School
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in April and close to the program's start date.
Program Dates: July 22 - July 24
Eligibility: 8th-grade graduates (Rising 9th graders)
Maynard Jackson High School’s Summer Bridge program is a free, in-person event that lasts three days. It helps students moving into 9th grade get ready for high school. You’ll attend short workshops on study habits and organization, get introduced to core subjects, and tour the school to get your way around. You’ll meet teachers and students from different middle schools to start building your network. Parents can also join sessions to learn how to support you.
Location: Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: No specific deadline is specified.
Program Dates: The program occurs in mid-July each year.
Eligibility: 8th-grade graduates (Rising 9th graders)
Cristo Rey Philadelphia’s Summer Bridge Program is a required two-week program for incoming 9th graders, usually held in July. You’ll work on math, reading, and leadership skills, focusing on study habits and staying organized.
The program also gets you ready for the year-long Work-Study experience, where you’ll work one day a week during high school. You’ll meet other students, teachers, and staff to build connections and learn about the school’s mission. The program includes picking up materials before it starts.
Bonus academic programs for middle school students - Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
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.
Location: Virtual
Fee: $1,990. Need-based financial aid is available.
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.
One more option—The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure! To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the upcoming cohorts + deadlines, you can refer to this page!
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.
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