15 Free Summer Science Programs for Middle School Students
Summer is a great time for middle school students to explore science without the pressure of grades or homework. Free science summer programs can offer you such opportunities to build technical skills, explore applications of science, and get early exposure to lab work, research, or even fieldwork. Many of these programs are hosted by leading universities, research institutions, and museums, giving you access to resources and expert mentorship.
The programs also offer a chance to connect with like-minded peers and professionals in STEM fields, which can open doors to future opportunities. The experience can also help prepare you for high school-level academics. In this blog, we have curated 15 free science summer programs for middle school students.
1. Columbia University’s State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP)
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 28 – August 8
Application deadline: April 15; applications open on February 5
Eligibility: Middle school students in 7th and 8th grade who maintain an 80% grade average, particularly in math and science
S-PREP is a free academic initiative for students in grades 7 through 12 who are considering careers in medicine or STEM disciplines. It aims to enhance college readiness and increase student participation in math, science, technology, health sciences, and licensed professions. As a participant, you will engage in advanced coursework in subjects such as anatomy, biochemistry, chemistry, organic chemistry, cognitive science, physics, psychology, algebra, calculus, and statistics. The program also includes PSAT preparation, college and career development workshops, academic advising, and organized field trips, including campus visits.
2. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Varies; full need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: 25 hours over two weeks (on weekdays)
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program is a virtual learning opportunity designed for middle school students to learn the basics of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over the course of 25 hours, you will learn basic Python programming and key concepts such as data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and ethical considerations in AI. Instruction is delivered through lectures and small-group sessions, maintaining a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. You will also work on group programs focusing on the applications of AI. Past student projects have included developing machine learning models for music genre classification and personalized educational resource recommendations.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s 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 (tentative)
Application deadline: February 10
Eligibility: Rising 6th–9th grade students
MIT’s dynaMIT is a free summer program designed for middle school students from low-income backgrounds who want to explore science and engineering through hands-on learning. Led by MIT undergraduate and graduate student mentors, the program combines daily icebreakers, concept presentations, and group-based experiments covering topics such as electricity, magnetism, materials science, and forensics. A key component of the week is the capstone project, which introduces you to basic coding and programming. With daily support from mentors, you will develop and complete your projects, culminating in a final showcase presented to peers and families.
4. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program: STEM Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; full need-based financial assistance available
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: 8 weeks; dates vary by cohort
Application deadline: May
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an eight-week academic mentorship opportunity for middle school students, offering one-on-one guidance from scholars affiliated with leading research institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Yale. In the initial four weeks, you will explore different topics within the STEM track. Topics include computer science, AI and data science, psychology, physics and astrophysics, biology, environmental studies, engineering, math, and more! Weeks five and six involve an in-depth study of one selected topic, followed by two weeks dedicated to developing and completing a project under the continued mentorship of your assigned scholar.
5. Stanford Middle School Scholars Program: Real-Life Applications to Mathematics
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 12 students
Dates: Summer Program: July 7 – 25 | Fall Semester Meetings (weekly commitment): August 27 – December 10
Application deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6 and 7
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program is a selective academic enrichment opportunity to engage in a three-week online summer course followed by weekly after-school virtual sessions during the fall semester. The summer course features daily live classes led by Stanford Online High School instructors, along with community-building activities. In the fall, you continue to engage in weekly cohort meetings, course discussions, and workshops focused on admissions, academic skills, and counseling support. You will enroll in one of four courses, such as Real-Life Applications to Mathematics, which connects mathematical concepts to practical uses like cryptography and financial literacy. The course introduces you to topics such as modular arithmetic, encryption methods, credit scores, and compound interest, with an emphasis on applying math to real-world situations.
6. Harvard University - Summer Explorations: Island Hopping: Evolutionary Game Design
Location: Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Open enrollment
Dates: August 4 – 8
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Allston-Brighton students entering grades 6–8 in the fall and who are members of the Harvard Ed Portal
This week-long program allows middle school students to explore the science of island formation and biodiversity. You will examine how various species, including birds, plants, spiders, and mammals, reach and adapt to newly formed islands. You will use microscopes to study survival adaptations, design your own ecosystems, and apply scientific principles to create a board game that models the ecological dynamics of island biogeography. The program blends scientific inquiry with elements of game design to foster a deeper understanding of how life colonizes and evolves on islands.
7. New York University’s Sounds of New York City (SONYC)
Location: Andries Hudde Junior High and STAR Early College School, Brooklyn, NY.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders who are NYC residents
Sounds of New York City is a STEM-focused program introducing middle school students to the study of noise pollution, a key urban issue, especially in New York City. You will examine the public health impacts of sound by collecting field samples, analyzing sound waves, and building monitoring devices. The program integrates engineering, electronics, and coding, giving you the opportunity to create functional smart city technologies showcased at a final expo. You will gain foundational skills in physical and computer sciences, explore the role of microcontrollers and sensors, and learn how STEM knowledge is applied to real-world challenges. In addition, you will engage in communication and improvisation workshops led by theater educators from Irondale.
8. Purdue University’s Physics Inside Out
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: June 9 – 13
Application deadline: March 21 - April 17.
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 7 and 8
Physics Inside Out is a summer program held at Purdue University for middle school students. Through hands-on, interactive lessons, you will explore fundamental physics concepts and their real-world applications across fields such as astrophysics, astronomy, and nanotechnology. Sessions are led by Purdue faculty and research staff, who also share personal insights into their scientific careers and academic journeys. You will also gain exposure to college life and may visit campus landmarks and research facilities, including the Birck Nanotechnology Center, the PRIME Lab particle accelerator, and the PUR1 nuclear reactor. The program offers a broad introduction to physics, spanning various topics from the nanoscale to astronomical phenomena.
9. New York University - Science of Smart Cities (SoSC)
Location: Andries Hudde Junior High and STAR Early College School, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders who are NYC residents
SoSC introduces middle school students to engineering, computer science, and urban technology through the lens of sustainability and innovation. You will work in a team to design and build projects that address real-world urban challenges, applying knowledge in electronics, circuitry, coding, microcontrollers, sensors, and hardware. The program covers key topics in environmental and urban science, energy systems, and physical sciences. Through interactive lessons and guided exploration, you will gain practical experience with technologies used in smart city development. You will present your final projects to demonstrate creative, solution-oriented thinking grounded in STEM principles.
10. Carnegie Mellon University - Summer Engineering Experience (SEE)
Location: Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: July 7 – 11
Application deadline: Early May
Eligibility: Rising 8th and 9th graders
The Summer Engineering Experience is a one-week summer program designed for middle school students with an interest in math and science. Centered on the theme of "Making & Engineering," the program introduces you to various engineering disciplines and foundational design principles. You will engage in two key projects: a group-based assignment completed collectively over the week, and a smaller, student-led project encouraging creativity and innovation using commonly available materials. Through these activities and supplemental educational sessions, you will develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and design skills.
11. The Ohio State University’s 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 the Autumn are eligible to apply.
The Translational Data Analytics Institute at The Ohio State University offers a free summer program for middle school students to explore the field of data science and analytics. The program introduces you to the scientific methods used to extract insights from data and demonstrates how these skills can be applied across diverse fields such as healthcare, education, business, and urban planning. Over five days, you will work in teams with mentors to build analytical and problem-solving skills, engage with researchers and professionals in data science, and gain hands-on experience in data analysis. The program also offers access to discussions on academic and career pathways, with opportunities to interact with current college students in related fields.
12. Kode With Klossy Summer Camps
Location: Virtual or in-person in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Washington, D.C.; London, England; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and St. Louis, MO
Cost: Free!
Cohort size: Not officially disclosed
Dates: Session I: June 2 – 13 | Session II: July 7 – 18 | Session III: July 21 – August 1 | Session IV: August 4 – 15
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Young women and gender expansive teens who are 13–18 years old
Kode With Klossy offers free, two-week coding camps for students of traditionally underrepresented genders in STEM. The program introduces you to one of four specialized topics: Web Development, Mobile App Development, Machine Learning, or Data Science. Co-taught by licensed educators and supported by instructional assistants, the camps provide a collaborative learning environment that combines technical instruction with community building. In addition to coding, you will engage in guest speaker sessions featuring women in technology.
13. Women’s Alliance in STEM and Humanities (WASH) Summer Research Institute
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Less than 5%
Dates: June 22 – July 27
Application deadline: May 21
Eligibility: Middle school students
The WASH Summer Research Institute is a six-week, virtual STEM program for students in grades 6–11. Held once a week from June to July, the program introduces you to advanced topics through guided instruction and research. Course offerings include Introduction to Number Theory, Computational Neuroscience, and Demystifying Deep Learning, covering subjects such as cryptography, brain modeling with Python, and neural networks. Members of the WASH team mentor you to help you complete a capstone research project by the end of the program.
14. Baruch College STEP Academy
Location: Baruch College, New York, NY
Cost: None
Acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: July 7 – 31
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: New York students in grades 7–12 who have maintained at least an 80% grade average, especially in science and math
The STEP (Science and Technology Entry Program) Academy is a New York education department-funded program for middle and high school students interested in pursuing STEM. The program offers courses in math and science, SAT prep, and college preparatory workshops. During the four-week program, you can enroll in one course based on your interests. Here, you will also get to explore career paths in STEM and interact with professionals and college faculty. At the end of the summer session, you will share your experience at the Baruch College Summer Showcase.
15. Northrop Grumman Summer Engineering Camp @ USC
Location: University of Southern California (USC) main campus, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 32 students each year
Dates: July 14 – 25
Application deadline: May 5
Eligibility: Rising 6th to 8th graders with at least a B grade average in science and math
The Summer Engineering Camp at USC allows middle school students to explore engineering fields and learn how to code. During the program, you will work with and learn from Northrop Grumman engineers and USC faculty while participating in projects involving environmental systems, circuitry, structural modeling, aircraft design, mechanical fabrication, and app development. In the process, you will get insights into mechanical, aerospace, electrical, civil, and environmental engineering. You will also engage in workshops covering coding and engineering basics, as well as tours of the university’s research facilities. At the end of the program, you will participate in a team-based design showcase and receive feedback from industry professionals.