10 Summer Psychology Programs for Middle School Students in Los Angeles
- Stephen Turban
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Middle schoolers interested in psychology can consider participating in summer programs. If you’re based in Los Angeles, there are several such programs that expand your knowledge of the field while imparting relevant skills. You also network with faculty and professionals in the field who provide insights into various career pathways.
Many programs involve hands-on projects and activities that enable you to build skills and prepare for a career in psychology. You can meet and collaborate with like-minded peers from diverse backgrounds. So, here are a few summer psychology programs for you to choose from.
10 Summer Psychology Programs for Middle School Students in Los Angeles
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 8 weeks; varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Students who want to conduct research can opt for Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program. You are paired with PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts in their respective fields. You can expect to gain specialized knowledge in a field of your choice by conducting research under their mentorship. During the program, you learn how to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study, which enables you to build crucial skills. You also develop scientific communication skills through feedback and writing coaching sessions. You can opt for the Junior Research and Publication Program, where you can publish your research in academic journals.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
Cost: $8,999 (residential) or $4,699 (commuter)
Dates: June 28–July 17
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 11–14
This program at UCLA helps you gain a basic understanding of psychology. You learn about the intricacies of the human mind and explore the mind–body connection from childhood to adulthood. The program teaches you about various psychological disorders and mental health issues. You learn to apply your learnings to real-world scenarios. The course equips you with critical thinking and research skills in psychology. At the end of the program, you receive a course completion certificate and a letter of recognition.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks on weekends (spring cohort) and 25 hours over 2 weeks on weekdays (summer cohort)
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Students looking for an interdisciplinary program that blends psychology with technology can consider Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program. Here, you gain foundational knowledge of AI and machine learning. You delve into and learn about a variety of topics like Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. The theoretical component is followed by a practical project that requires you to apply your learnings. For this project, you devise a technological solution for a real-world challenge in the field of psychology. In the past, students have built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 16–18
Location: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $7,801 (residential) or $6,969 (commuter)
Dates: June 28–July 17 (Summer A) or July 19–August 7 (Summer B)
Application Deadline: May 11 (Summer A) or June 8 (Summer B)
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–11 with CTY-level verbal scores
John Hopkins CTY’s course on psychology foundations teaches you the main concepts in psychology, whether biological or behavioral. You learn about various topics, such as sensation and perception, social psychology, learning, memory, personality, and abnormal psychology. You also explore research design while engaging with primitive and modern theories in psychology. This is an interdisciplinary course that encourages you to question and analyze theories. You learn to apply theory to real-life settings, thus developing critical thinking skills.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and older
This program by Rice University helps you explore the various specialties and professional pathways in psychology. You discover how research methods and statistics are used to analyze human behavior. You learn the interplay between mind and body. The program covers the human and organizational dimensions of psychology along with the interrelation between cognitive and health psychology. The course delves into contemporary developments in the field, especially in terms of AI, mental health, and social media. For the capstone project, you create a ‘news’ video that addresses problem identification, solution approach, and information presentation based on your learnings throughout the course.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895 (enrichment course fees) or $3,995 (college credit course fees)
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older
In this program on psychology, you explore the various factors affecting the human brain and behavior. You encounter a spectrum of psychology topics like brain injuries, learning disabilities, the psychology of product and web design, and how we process our media environment. The course provides a basic understanding of neuroscience in the context of treatment of disorders and the effects of social media. You also delve into the research on sleep and memory. Through the program, you discover professional paths in the field. The capstone project requires you to create a multimedia presentation on the topic of “My Psychological Life".
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Location: Online
Cost: $860
Dates: June 3–August 14
Application Deadline: One week before the start date
Eligibility: Students entering grades 6–12 who meet the Indigo-tier criteria
You can opt from a range of programs offered by Northwestern’s CTD, including the Psychology track. The program teaches you about human behavior and mental processes. You learn to think like a psychologist during your analyses. You also learn to generate hypotheses from various perspectives, examine research methods, and discover significant psychological findings. You can expect to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills while examining psychological evidence.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,595
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older
Students interested in understanding human nature can opt for this program by Wake Forest University. This course teaches you how our brains form perceptions and how they can be tricked. Accordingly, you learn to distinguish common sense from psychological insights. You also explore various psychological disorders and identify abnormal behaviors and emotions. Stepping into the shoes of a researcher, you design and execute a psychological survey. For the final project, you research a psychological concept and present your findings using any media format of your preference.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older
If you are curious about psychology and mental health, this course by Dartmouth may meet your requirements. You delve into the central themes of clinical psychology as well as the therapy methods used to treat mental health concerns. Thus, you learn the intricacies and foundations of mental health care. Professionals from the field also provide insights into the latest developments in psychology. You learn to read and analyze cases and develop treatment plans for them. You apply your learnings to the background of a fictional character for the final project.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older
This course by the University of Notre Dame investigates the self and the various social factors that influence it, such as compliance, obedience, and persuasion. With a specific focus on social psychology, you learn about the theories of personality, cultural and social influences, and common assessment methods. You examine how we make sense of ourselves and the world around us as well as how to mitigate the negative effects of social media. You explore careers related to the field such as psychologist, human resources professional, political strategist, PR specialist, and so on. The capstone project invites you to reflect on social media use and its influence on our sense of wellbeing.
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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