15 Summer Camps for 8th Grade Middle School Girls
If you're in 8th grade, summer is one of the best times to explore interests that don't always fit into your school timetable. Whether you've been curious about coding, engineering, creative writing, medicine, business, or art, a summer camp gives you the chance to spend a week or two learning more about the subjects that genuinely interest you.
Summer camps also introduce you to new ways of learning through projects, workshops, and group activities. You'll meet students with similar interests, learn from experienced instructors, and get a better idea of which subjects you'd like to keep exploring in high school.
Why should an 8th grade girl attend a summer camp?
Camps like this tend to bring out a version of you that holds back less. You end up raising your hand sooner, taking charge of a group project, and pushing through a hard problem instead of quietly handing it off to someone else. You also get real exposure to mentors and instructors who are women actually working in these fields.
Watching a woman lead a coding workshop or run a science lab shows you something no textbook can, that this is already happening, and that you can be the one doing it too. By the end, you walk away with more than a new skill. You leave with real confidence in yourself, and usually, a much clearer sense of what you want to keep chasing once high school starts.
To help you find the right fit, we've compiled a list of 15 summer camps for 8th grade middle school girls.
15 Summer Camps for 8th Grade Middle School Girls
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: 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. You will 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 College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio, USA (residential, on-campus program in dorms)
Cost: $660. Financial aid is available
Dates: June 15–20
Application Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: Open to girls currently completing grades 7–8 (rising 8th–9th graders), and students must have completed 7th grade to attend; participants can only attend the middle school program once.
If you enjoy science and want to spend a week doing experiments in real university labs, the B-WISER Summer Science Camp at The College of Wooster is worth considering. Designed for middle school girls, the camp covers subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and engineering through laboratory sessions, demonstrations, and collaborative projects. You'll live in college residence halls, work in campus science facilities, and spend time with faculty, college students, and women working in STEM fields. Evening activities include science demonstrations, workshops, and discussions about different STEM careers. The week ends with a deeper understanding of several scientific disciplines and a firsthand experience of life on a college campus.
Location: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Cost: $225 for the first week-long camp ($125 for a second camp); a non-refundable $75 deposit
Dates: Across June and July
Application Deadline: June 1
Eligibility: Open to rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students interested in hands-on science learning
The Middle School Summer Science Camps at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) introduce students to different areas of science through week-long, lab-based courses. Depending on the camp you choose, you'll explore subjects such as biology, chemistry, genetics, environmental science, and physics by conducting experiments and solving scientific challenges. Classes are led by scientists and educators who encourage students to ask questions, test ideas, and interpret their results. Many activities are designed around real scientific investigations, helping you see how classroom concepts connect to everyday life. By the end of the week, you'll have completed a series of experiments while gaining experience working in a university science environment.
Location: Athena Camps operates in multiple California locations, including campuses in Los Altos and San Jose, California, USA
Cost: $625–$700 per week
Dates: Multiple weekly sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to girls entering grades 6–8 (middle school students)
The Athena Camps Middle School Program combines leadership activities, sports, and wellness into a week designed specifically for middle school girls. Each day includes a mix of team sports, self-defense, yoga, leadership workshops, and small-group discussions that encourage students to build confidence and communicate effectively. The programme also offers Safe Sitter certification for eligible participants, allowing students to learn practical childcare and safety skills. Throughout the week, trained female coaches lead activities and mentor campers as they work together in teams.
Location: Multiple sites in the Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas area, including schools and university campuses such as Notre Dame de Sion High School and Johnson County Community College (USA)
Cost: $350 for the full-day camp
Dates: June 8–12 (multiple sessions)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to middle school girls ages 11–13 (rising 6th–8th graders)
Leadership takes many forms, and Madam President Camp introduces middle school girls to it through civic engagement, communication, and public speaking. Throughout the week, you'll participate in workshops and group activities covering leadership, advocacy, activism, and community problem-solving while learning from women leaders and mentors. The programme encourages students to discuss real issues, develop ideas for change, and practice expressing those ideas through presentations and collaborative projects. Activities are designed to help campers understand how leadership works in schools, local communities, and public life. By the end of the camp, you'll have completed team projects and gained experience speaking confidently about issues that matter to you.
Location: Offered in-person (schools, libraries, community centers) or online
Cost: Free
Dates: Flexible (around 1–2 hours per week), depending on the host organization.
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 3–12, including middle schoolers (grades 6–8)
Girls Who Code Clubs are free coding programs that introduce students to computer science through short weekly sessions held in schools, libraries, community centers, and online. You'll learn programming concepts such as variables, loops, conditionals, and functions by creating small projects and completing guided coding activities. The curriculum is designed for beginners, so no previous programming experience is required. Alongside coding, club members discuss how technology can be used to address real-world challenges and explore different areas of computer science through collaborative projects. Since clubs meet throughout the school year or summer, students can continue building their skills over time while working on increasingly challenging coding activities.
Location: Various Girl Scout council camps across the USA
Cost: Varies
Dates: June–August
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Generally open to girls in grades K–12, depending on the specific camp type
A Girl Scouts Camp is less about earning badges and more about spending time outdoors while learning practical skills with other girls your age. Depending on the camp you choose, your week may include hiking, canoeing, camping, archery, nature exploration, outdoor cooking, and team challenges. Many camps also include leadership activities, community service projects, and group discussions that encourage campers to take initiative and work together. Since every Girl Scout council offers its own mix of programs, you can find camps that focus on adventure, environmental education, STEM, or leadership. Whether it's your first overnight camp or you're already active in Girl Scouts, you'll leave with new outdoor skills, stronger friendships, and greater confidence.
Location: Girlstart STEM Center, Austin, Texas
Cost: $450 per week
Dates: June through July
Deadline: May 22
Eligibility: Open to girls entering grades 4–8 (including middle school students in grades 6–8)
At Girlstart Summer Camp, STEM is taught through week-long design challenges and engineering projects instead of traditional classroom lessons. Each camp follows a different theme, giving students the chance to experiment with science, engineering, technology, and mathematics while building prototypes and testing ideas. You'll investigate how things work, solve design problems, and complete hands-on activities that encourage creativity and experimentation. Camps are led by STEM educators and are designed specifically for girls entering grades 4–8. Alongside the technical activities, students work in teams to discuss ideas and improve their designs throughout the week. Every session ends with completed projects that reflect the STEM concepts explored during camp.
Location: University of California, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: June–August (One week with multiple dates)
Deadline: Varies; Rolling
Eligibility: Open to middle school students entering grades 7–8, primarily designed for girls
The C-STEM GIRL Camps at UC Davis introduce middle school girls to robotics, programming, and engineering through a week of hands-on activities. Using Linkbots and the RoboBlockly programming platform, you'll learn how to program robots, solve engineering challenges, and explore mathematical concepts through coding. You will work in small teams to complete robotics projects while receiving guidance from university students, teachers, and STEM mentors. The camp also includes conversations with women working in science and engineering, giving participants a closer look at different STEM careers.
Location: Online
Cost: $500
Dates: July 26–31
Deadline: July 6
Eligibility: Open to middle school students aged 11–14, especially those who identify as girls or gender non-conforming students with an interest in STEM
The Wolfram Middle School Summer Camp, offered by Wolfram Research, is a one-week online program where you explore computational thinking, coding, and problem-solving using Wolfram Language. You will work on interactive lessons, mini-projects, and creative challenges that help you build skills in programming, data exploration, and computational design. The camp includes guided instruction from Wolfram educators, collaborative activities with peers from around the world, and opportunities to learn how computational tools are used in science, math, and research. You will also engage with mentors and participate in discussions that strengthen analytical thinking, creativity, and early STEM skills in a supportive virtual learning environment.
Location: Online
Cost: Varies or low cost, depending on the timeline
Dates: Runs in summer (June–August)
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open mainly to middle and high school students (including girls in grades 6–8) who are interested in STEM fields such as engineering, coding, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and design; no prior experience is required.
The Design Connect Create STEM Camps give middle and high school girls the opportunity to explore different STEM fields through short, project-based workshops. Depending on the camp, you might work with Python, HTML, JavaScript, cybersecurity tools, biotechnology activities, or engineering design challenges. Every session is centered around building something, whether that's a simple website, a coding project, or a prototype that solves a practical problem. Throughout the programme, students also meet women working in STEM who share their academic and career experiences. Since no previous experience is required, the camps are suitable for beginners who want to try different areas of science and technology before choosing what interests them most.
Location: Miami-Dade County, Florida
Cost: Free
Dates: June 15 – July 24
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to middle school girls (grades 6–8 / ages approximately 11–14), especially those from underserved communities
The Girl Power Rocks Summer STEAM Workforce Training Camp combines STEAM activities with career-focused workshops for middle school girls in Miami-Dade County. Throughout the programme, you'll take part in projects related to coding, engineering, digital technology, and creative problem-solving while also learning workplace skills through mentoring sessions and guest speakers. The curriculum places equal emphasis on technical learning and professional development, introducing topics such as communication, teamwork, and leadership alongside STEAM activities. You will also meet women working across different industries and learn about career pathways in science and technology.
Location: Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
Cost: Approximately $200
Dates: July 13–16
Deadline: June
Eligibility: Open to middle school girls entering grades 6–8 during the 2025–2026 school year
The AWE (Attracting Women into Engineering) Program at Rowan University introduces middle school girls to engineering through four days of design challenges, experiments, and laboratory activities. You will explore different engineering fields, including civil, mechanical, electrical, and biomedical engineering, while working on projects designed by Rowan faculty and student mentors. The camp gives you a chance to experience several branches of engineering and understand how each solves different kinds of problems. Throughout the programme, you'll use engineering design principles to build, test, and improve your ideas while working with other participants. The experience concludes with completed engineering projects developed during the camp.
Location: Greater Indianapolis, USA
Cost: $75–$250 per week
Dates: June 1 – July 24
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to girls ages 5–18, with programs specifically designed for different age groups, including a dedicated middle school track for grades 7–9
The Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis Summer Camp is a supportive, all-girls program designed to help students build confidence, leadership, and life skills through engaging, hands-on activities. You will participate in a variety of structured workshops and experiences that focus on STEM exploration, financial literacy, wellness, creative expression, and college and career readiness, all tailored to different age groups, including middle school students. The program encourages you to develop independence, strong communication skills, and resilience through group activities, mentorship, and guided discussions led by trained staff.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD 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.