10 Summer Programs for Middle School Students in Maryland

If you’re a middle school student in Maryland thinking about what you can do now to prepare for high school and later, summer programs in the state are a great place to start. These programs allow you to work on real projects in technology, the arts, or engineering, without having to travel to another city or state for the summer. 

You also get to learn by doing, which helps you understand your interests better and build skills that will come in handy in school and life. Joining a summer program also means you’ll gain experience that can help when applying for programs in high school or college. It can even give you an edge in competitions, auditions, and other opportunities.

To help you pick the right program, here’s a list of 10 summer programs for middle school students in Maryland!

10 Summer Programs for Middle School Students in Maryland

1. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program

Location: Virtual

Cost: $2400

Application Deadline: February 9 (early admission), March 9 (priority admission), April 13 (regular admission I), May 11 (regular admission II), or June 23 (Summer Cohort II)

Program Dates: 8 weeks starting June 2 (Summer Cohort I) or July 14 (Summer Cohort II)

Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8

The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an 8-week program for middle school students where you work one-on-one with a mentor from a top research university like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, or LSE. You choose a subject you’re interested in and build a project around it with your mentor’s help.

In weeks 1 to 4, you learn about four different topics in your chosen subject. In weeks 5 and 6, you pick one topic to focus on and study it in depth. In weeks 7 and 8, you build your final project. Your mentor helps you throughout the process, from understanding the topic to finishing the project. You can find the application form here.

2. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers

Cost: $1,790. Need-based financial aid is available

Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines for each cohort. If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts and deadlines, you can refer to this page.

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 an online course for middle school students where you spend around 25 hours learning how artificial intelligence works. You start by learning basic Python, like writing simple code, using variables, loops, and functions. 

Then you move on to skills like analyzing data using pandas, building graphs with matplotlib, training a model to recognize patterns, and understanding how neural networks work. You also learn how AI is used in real life and talk about the ethics of using it.

You’ll be in a small group with a mentor (5 students per mentor), and most of the learning happens through live sessions and hands-on projects. Some past students built a program that guesses the genre of a song using machine learning. Others made a tool that recommends study resources based on what the user selects.

3. Montgomery College Summer Youth Programs

Location: Montgomery College campuses (Rockville, Germantown, Takoma Park/Silver Spring, East County Education Center) and online

Dates: Varies; Roughly June to August

Deadline: Varies for every course

Cost/Stipend: Varies by camp (tuition + fees), limited scholarships for MCPS students, and scholarships are very limited.

Eligibility: Students in grades 1–12 (ages approx. 5–17)

Montgomery College runs a Summer Youth Programs lineup with over 300 camps and classes for students in grades 1 to 12. If you're between 5 and 17, you can join programs in coding, robotics, engineering, 3D design, game development, cooking, art, animation, music, or theater. 

Some classes are online, and others happen on different campuses. You’ll get to build hands-on projects, learn real skills like Python, Java, CAD, or even how to run a kitchen or create a stage performance. If your parent or guardian has questions, they can email the Youth Programs Director here.

4. Secure IT Summer Academy @ UMD

Cost: $400; Financial aid available

Location: University of Maryland

Program Dates: One-week program 

Application Deadline: April 26

Eligibility: Students in middle school 

In the SECURE IT summer program, you learn how to think like a cyber detective and protect the tech you use every day. You will work with Linux, understand how computer networks function, and use adversarial thinking by exploring how attackers break into systems and how to stop them. 

You solve real-world problems through hands-on projects. The program is run by the Secure Software Supply Chain Center at the University of Maryland and North Carolina State University. After the summer, you can keep learning through monthly workshops in the fall and spring.

5. Terrapin Music Camp @UMD

Location: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, College Park, MD

Cost: The day camp costs $435 if you register between February 1 and May 31, and $485 if you register between June 1 and 15.

Program Dates: Band Camp: July 13-18; Orchestra Camp: July 20-25; Choir Camp: July 20-25

Application Deadline: June 1

Eligibility: Middle and high school vocalists and instrumentalists with 1+ year of experience

At Terrapin Music Camp, you spend a week building your skills as a musician through hands-on practice and group learning. You take part in large ensemble rehearsals, small group lessons, and sectionals led by experienced K to 12 music teachers. You focus on improving your vocal or instrumental technique while learning how to work with others in a group.

You also join elective classes where you explore different ways to express music. Each day includes live performances by professional musicians and university faculty. At the end of the week, you perform in a final showcase at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. You also meet other student musicians from the Baltimore and Washington area and work together throughout the week.

6. On-Campus Summer Programs Courses - CTY Discovery Samplers @JHU

Location: Maryland, Baltimore

Cost: $3,149+ application fee 

Program Dates: Roughly between June and August 

Application Deadline: May 16

Eligibility: Students in grades 5 and 6 can apply

In CTY Discovery Samplers, you spend three weeks learning math, science, and writing through hands-on activities. In math, you work on inductive and deductive reasoning. In science, you practice looking at evidence to solve problems. In writing, you learn how to build a mystery story from the ground up.

One of the courses offered is called Summer Sleuths. It takes place at The Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland. It is ungraded and works well if you enjoy both science and math. You get to explore different subjects while building skills in all three areas at the same time.

7. Young Students Program @JHU

Location:  Maryland, different campuses 

Cost: $3,149 to $7,501  + application fee; financial aid available

Program Dates: Roughly between June and August 

Application Deadline: May 16

Eligibility: Grades 2 to 6

In the Young Students Program for grades 2 to 6, you learn with other students from around the world. Day programs are for grades 2 to 6, and residential programs are for grades 5 and 6. You explore topics like probability, statistics, and forensic science.

You do experiments, create graphs, and analyze evidence to solve problems. You learn how to calculate chances, spot when data is misleading, and use forensic tools like DNA analysis and fingerprinting to find clues and solve cases.

8. Intensive Studies @JHU

Location: Maryland, different campuses 

Cost: $3,149 to $7,501  + application fee; financial aid available 

Program Dates: Roughly between June and August 

Application Deadline: May 16

Eligibility: Grades 7 + 

In the Intensive Studies program for grades 7 and up, you take three-week summer courses that move fast and cover tough topics. You study high school subjects and college-level ideas like astrophysics, cognitive psychology, cryptology, data structures and algorithms, chemistry, and engineering.

The courses focus on deep understanding and involve discussions and projects. To join, you need to qualify with test scores. This program is for students ready to handle challenging material and think through complex problems.

9. WIE Empower Edited Copy of 10 Civil Engineering Summer Programs for High School Students

Location: University of Maryland 

Cost: $625

Program Dates: June 23 - June 27

Application Deadline: May 31

Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders can apply. 

In the WIE Empower summer program, you learn engineering by doing hands-on projects that challenge your problem-solving skills. You work closely with undergraduate engineering students, which helps you improve teamwork and communication. You practice explaining your ideas clearly and develop skills in design thinking, basic circuit building, and using engineering tools. 

The program helps you build confidence in your abilities while getting support from mentors. By the end, you will have stronger problem-solving, teamwork, communication, design, and technical skills, and a clearer idea of what a career in engineering looks like.

10. Academic Explorations @JHU

Location:  Different campuses across Maryland

Cost: $3,149 to $7,501  + application fee; financial aid available 

Program Dates: Roughly between June and August 

Application Deadline: May 16

Eligibility: Grades 7 + 

At Johns Hopkins University, the Academic Explorations summer program offers courses for students in grades 7 to 12 that go beyond regular school subjects. You can study topics like special relativity, epidemiology, global politics, engineering, human nature and technology, the global environment, and the mathematics of competitive behavior. These courses mix theory with real-world examples.

Other courses at the CTY level include crafting essays, fiction and poetry, whodunit mysteries, psychology basics, game theory, philosophy, zoology, programming, and more. These cover science, language, social studies, and math with hands-on, interdisciplinary learning. Courses happen in different locations, but many take place in Maryland.

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.

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