16 Free Summer Programs for Middle School Students
If you are a middle school student looking for summer programs, participating in these opportunities is a good decision to make during your early academic years. Whether you’re interested in science, coding, writing, or leadership, enrolling in a free summer program gives you the chance to explore your interests, learn new skills, and build connections. These programs are designed to nurture curiosity, spark creativity, and help you gain confidence before entering high school. From mentorship with professionals to projects and even opportunities to present your work, free summer programs for middle school students offer experiences that extend far beyond the classroom.
Below, you’ll find a list of 16 summer opportunities for middle schoolers that are completely free or fully funded.
16 Free Summer Programs for Middle School Students
1. Harvard Ed Portal Mentoring Program
Location: Harvard Ed Portal, Harvard University, Allston, MA.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: The program runs for a week in July.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the session.
Eligibility: Middle school students from Allston-Brighton and surrounding communities are eligible to apply.
The Harvard Ed Portal Mentoring Program is a free academic enrichment initiative that pairs middle school students with Harvard undergraduate mentors for one-on-one or small-group learning experiences. You will explore subjects across STEM, the arts, and humanities while developing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The program features hands-on projects, structured activities, and collaborative discussions designed to build academic confidence and spark curiosity. In addition to academic subjects, mentors support you in digital literacy, health and wellness, and early college and career preparedness.
2. Veritas AI - AI Trailblazers
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Full need-based financial aid is available.
Cohort size: Small cohorts with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio.
Dates: Weekend Cohort: June 8 - August 10 (Sundays) | Weekday 1: June 9 - June 20 | Weekday 2: July 14 - July 25.
Application Deadline: June 22.
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6–8 are eligible to apply.
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a fully virtual learning experience designed to introduce middle school students to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over 25 hours of instruction, you will gain a solid foundation in Python programming and explore key topics such as data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and the ethics of AI. You’ll learn through a mix of lectures and interactive group sessions, supported by a tight-knit 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio that ensures plenty of personalized guidance. Past participants have built projects like a music genre classifier and a custom machine-learning tool to recommend educational resources.
3. Cornell University - NYS 4-H Animal Science Programs
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: Varies depending on the program.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Current middle school students are eligible to apply.
The NYS 4-H Animal Science Program, offered by Cornell University’s Department of Animal Science, introduces middle school students to the fundamentals of biology and veterinary studies through immersive, hands-on learning. Throughout the program, you’ll explore topics such as veterinary medicine, animal physiology, agriculture, and nutrition. You’ll also gain valuable experience working directly with animals, from livestock like dairy cows, horses, and goats to companion animals like dogs, cats, and rabbits.
4. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
Location: Fully Virtual
Dates: Multiple cohorts available each year, deadlines vary accordingly
Cost: Full financial aid available
Age requirements: Grade 6 - 8
Deadline: Rolling deadlines for each cohort. If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines, you can refer to this page!
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an 8-week 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. During this program, spanning weeks 1 to 4, participants will delve into four distinct topics within their selected track. In weeks 5 to 6, the focus intensifies as participants embark on a deep dive into one specific topic area and finally, weeks 7 to 8 are dedicated to project implementation, with participants receiving guidance and support from their mentors as they bring their projects to life. You can find the application form here.
5. The Ohio State University - Data Science Summer Camp
Location: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: July 7 – 11.
Application Deadline: March 30.
Eligibility: Students who attend schools within the State of Ohio and will be entering grades 7 - 9 in Fall are eligible to apply.
The Data Science Summer Camp is a free five-day program that introduces middle school students to data science and analytics. You’ll work in teams alongside mentors to develop analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, tackling hands-on projects that illustrate how data shapes decisions across fields like healthcare, business, biology, and city planning. Throughout the week, you’ll learn directly from scientists and university students working in data-focused disciplines, gaining valuable insights into educational and career pathways. The program also features interactive presentations, including sessions on cutting-edge topics like Imageomics.
6. New York University - College and Career Lab
Location: New York University, New York, NY.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: July 8 – August 2.
Application Deadline: March 31.
Eligibility: Current 7th or 8th-grade students enrolled in a New York City public school are eligible to apply.
The NYU College and Career Lab introduces you to college life and career exploration through a four-week summer experience tailored for middle school students. You'll participate in engaging workshops across disciplines such as arts, sciences, business, and technology, all taught by NYU faculty and staff. The program also includes field trips to NYC institutions that directly connect to the weekly themes, offering hands-on insight into professions such as law, medicine, and physical therapy.
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - dynaMIT
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: Rising 6th and 7th graders: August 11 - 15 | Rising 8th and 9th graders: August 18 - 22.
Application Deadline: February 10.
Eligibility: Rising 6th-9th grade students are eligible to apply.
dynaMIT is a free, week-long summer program run by MIT students that aims to ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in middle school students. Throughout the week, you will engage in hands-on activities, team-based challenges, and interactive projects that tie STEM concepts to real-world problems. You’ll also have the chance to visit MIT’s state-of-the-art research labs and work alongside mentors and instructors on creative problem-solving tasks. By the end of the program, you’ll present your projects to peers and mentors, developing valuable skills in scientific communication and teamwork.
8. New York University - Sounds of New York City
Location: New York University, New York, NY.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: July 8 – August 4.
Application Deadline: April 14.
Eligibility: Students residing in New York City who are 12-14 years old at the start of the program are eligible to apply.
The NYU Sounds of New York City (SONYC) program gives you the chance to explore the city’s vibrant soundscape through science, technology, and environmental studies. You’ll learn to use advanced audio technology to record, map, and analyze urban noise and its effects on city life. Field trips and “sound walks” across NYC neighborhoods are a core part of the experience. Through hands-on projects, you’ll develop technical skills in data collection and sound analysis while gaining a new perspective on how cities function. SONYC offers the opportunity to blend STEM, urban studies, and social awareness.
9. Kode With Klossy - Summer Camp
Location: Virtual and in-person. In-person camps are held in Chicago, Dallas, Washington D.C., London, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and St. Louis
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: June 2 – 13 | July 7 – 18 | July 21 – August 1 | August 4 – 15.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive youth aged 13 years are eligible to apply.
Kode With Klossy is a free, two-week coding boot camp to empower young women and gender-expansive youth through hands-on technology education. The program offers four specialized coding tracks where you can dive into web development, mobile app creation, data science, or machine learning and AI. You’ll build practical skills like creating websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, analyzing real-world datasets, or training machine learning models. The camp also hosts guest lectures from accomplished women in tech, giving you valuable mentorship and industry insights.
10. Carnegie Mellon University - Summer Engineering Experience
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: July 7 - 11.
Application Deadline: April 10.
Eligibility: Rising 8th and 9th-grade students are eligible to apply.
The Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) at Carnegie Mellon offers you a hands-on introduction to the world of engineering, guided by CMU faculty and industry professionals. Over the course of five days, you’ll explore mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering through collaborative design challenges and problem-solving activities. You’ll also tour CMU’s cutting-edge research labs, attend guest lectures, and gain first-hand exposure to engineering innovation.
11. North Carolina State University - Step Up to STEM
Location: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, UNC Charlotte, and UNC Wilmington, NC.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: Program dates for each campus vary.
Application Deadline: October 15 - January 5.
Eligibility: Current 8th-grade students residing in North Carolina are eligible to apply.
Step Up to STEM is a fully funded, week-long summer program. Hosted by NC State University, this experience offers a curriculum that integrates mathematics, science, and biomedical engineering with a strong emphasis on writing. You'll explore cellular biology and complex systems through hands-on experiments, group projects, and guided workshops. Beyond the classroom, the program offers fun and enriching activities, including campus tours, STEM career panels, hip-hop writing sessions, and field trips.
12. Women’s Alliance in STEM and Humanities - Summer Research Institute
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: June 22 – July 27.
Application Deadline: May 21.
Eligibility: Female-identifying students in grades 6–8 are eligible to apply.
The Summer Research Institute is a free, research-centered program that empowers female-identifying students to explore advanced topics in STEM and the humanities. Over six weeks, you’ll engage in rigorous academic research guided by university faculty and graduate mentors, building skills that extend well beyond the classroom. The program offers three specialized research tracks: Introduction to Number Theory, where you’ll uncover mathematical patterns; Computational Neuroscience, which explores brain function through data analysis; and Demystifying Deep Learning, focused on neural networks and AI. Each week, you’ll participate in 2–3 hour workshops and receive valuable mentorship on publication opportunities and future research paths.
13. Coursera - Google AI Essentials
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free.
Acceptance rate: Open enrollment.
Dates: Self-paced.
Application Deadline: Open enrollment.
Eligibility: Middle school students aged 13 years and interested in AI applications are eligible to apply.
Google AI Essentials is a self-paced online course designed to introduce you to practical uses of artificial intelligence. This program focuses on how AI can enhance everyday tasks, making it approachable for learners at all levels. You’ll explore how to leverage AI tools for brainstorming ideas, organizing information, and boosting productivity. The course also covers important topics like AI ethics, responsible technology use, and effective prompt engineering. By the end of the program, you’ll have a foundational understanding of how to apply AI in real-world scenarios and earn a certificate from Google.
14. Purdue University - Physics Inside Out
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: June 9 – 13.
Application Deadline: April 17.
Eligibility: Current 7th and 8th-grade students are eligible to apply.
Physics Inside Out at Purdue University invites you to explore the fascinating principles of physics through hands-on experiments, interactive demonstrations, and engaging team challenges. Over four days, you'll dive into scientific inquiry by exploring how physics applies to everyday phenomena, from motion and energy to sound and light. You'll also gain rare access to Purdue’s cutting-edge physics laboratories, where you can observe real-world research and interact with faculty and scientists.
15. Stanford University - Stanford Middle School Scholars Program
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 12 students per instructor.
Dates: Summer Program: July 7 – 25 | Fall Semester Meetings: August 27 – December 10.
Application Deadline: March 20.
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6 and 7 from families with household incomes typically under $90,000 are eligible to apply.
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program offers a rigorous and supportive academic experience for middle school students from low-income backgrounds. You will participate in a three-week online summer course, followed by weekly virtual sessions throughout the fall semester. Classes are conducted live and in real-time, enabling direct engagement with peers and instructors, 65% of whom hold Ph.D.s. You’ll explore academic writing, math enrichment, high school pathways, and personal growth topics in a small cohort of 12 students.
16. New York University - Science of Smart Cities
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: July 7 – August 1.
Application Deadline: May 15.
Eligibility: NYC residents aged 12–14 years by program start date are eligible to apply.
The Science of Smart Cities is a four-week, full-day summer program that explores how engineering, coding, and technology can make cities more sustainable and efficient. Guided by NYU faculty and graduate students, you’ll participate in hands-on workshops in circuitry, microcontrollers, sensors, and environmental science. You’ll design and present a final group project that addresses real-world urban challenges using innovative STEM solutions. Alongside technical training, you’ll also participate in Irondale, a unique improv-based communication course to build your public speaking and presentation skills.
Exploring these free summer programs for middle school students is a great way to build skills, discover new interests, and connect with mentors and peers who share your passions. Start your journey now and make the most of your summer learning opportunities!
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