15 Robotics Summer Programs for Middle School Students
If you are a middle school student interested in robotics, a summer program can be a great way to spend your break learning more about your interest! These summer programs allow you to design, build, and program robots while picking up skills in coding, problem-solving, and teamwork. Instead of just learning theory, you get to experiment, test ideas, and see your creations come to life.
From tackling engineering challenges to competing in robotics games, these programs show how fun and exciting STEM can be at an early age. They also allow you to make valuable connections, whether that’s meeting professional engineers, collaborating with peers who share the same interests, or gaining an early insight into what future careers in technology might look like for you. Many programs even introduce you to broader areas such as artificial intelligence, automation, and electronics, giving you a preview of the various applications of robotics.
To make the search easier, we’ve rounded up a solid list of 15 robotics summer programs for middle school students!
15 Robotics Summer Programs for Middle School Students
1. DynaMIT Program
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Dates: August 11 – 15 (Rising 6th and 7th graders) | August 18 – 22 (Rising 8th and 9th graders)
Application deadline: April 19
Eligibility: Middle school students entering grades 6–9
At DynaMIT, you’ll spend part of your summer at MIT working directly with undergraduate and graduate students who guide you through hands-on projects in robotics and engineering. You’ll start with simple experiments and gradually build up to more advanced engineering challenges that test your creativity and problem-solving skills. Along the way, you’ll explore mechanical design, electronics, and programming, all while working in small groups mentored by MIT students. Because the robotics summer program for middle school students is student-run, the activities are created and taught by people passionate about STEM. The experience concludes with a showcase, where you and your peers present the projects you’ve been working on.
2. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program type
Dates: 25 hours over two weeks (weekdays) during the summer cohort.
Application deadline: Varies according to cohort | The upcoming summer cohort’s applications close on June 22
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
AI Trailblazers gives you a structured yet creative way to learn how artificial intelligence works, all from your own home. Over the course of 25 hours, you’ll cover coding in Python, explore how computers classify data and images, and learn how algorithms make decisions. The program is run in small groups, with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio, so you’ll get plenty of attention while working through projects. Alongside building technical skills, you’ll also discuss AI ethics and the responsibilities that come with creating technology. If you’re especially interested in robotics, you can choose it as your area of focus and explore how AI powers the way robots sense, move, and respond to their environment. By the end, you’ll have your own robotics project! You can apply to the program here.
3. FAMU-FSU College of Engineering – TallyRobotics Summer Camps
Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, FL
Cost: $250 per camp
Dates: Weekly sessions available between June 16 and August 1
Application deadline: Varies by camp
Eligibility: All middle school students (6-8 grades)
TallyRobotics offers several weeklong robotics camps where you can choose a focus that fits your skill level and interests. Beginners can explore LEGO Spike Prime robots, learning to program sensors and build designs that can tackle tasks similar to those in robotics competitions. More advanced participants tackle tougher coding and design challenges, while older students are introduced to FIRST Tech Challenge robots and Java programming. Each camp mixes robot building, coding, and problem-solving with outdoor play and teamwork activities. You’ll also get to tour the College of Engineering and hear from professors about careers in STEM fields.
4. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Deadline: Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year. You can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines, you can refer to this
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an online opportunity where you get to design your own research project under the guidance of a PhD mentor. Over eight weeks, you’ll explore various fields like robotics, technology, or AI, then narrow your focus to the area that interests you most. Your mentor, often from universities like Harvard or MIT, will help you frame your research question, organize your work, and shape your final project. The final phase of the program is dedicated to completing and presenting your chosen project, whether as a research paper, a presentation, or a case study. Weekly check-ins ensure that you’re supported throughout the process while still working independently.
5. The CCNY STEM Institute – The City College of New York
Location: CCNY, New York, NY
Cost: No cost
Dates: July 7 – August 7 (tentative)
Application deadline: May 25 (tentative); Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-12 who reside or attend school within the five boroughs of New York City
At the STEM Institute at CCNY, you’ll choose from a wide selection of courses that combine science, math, technology, and the arts while focusing on inquiry and research. If you're interested in robotics, you can explore building and programming, and also have opportunities to try fields like game design, chemistry, or financial literacy. Each class is supported by both an instructor and a teaching assistant, making sure you have the guidance you need to keep up with challenging material. Every course includes hands-on projects and ends with a research symposium where you present your work.
6. University of Michigan Thinkabit Lab Summer Camp
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI and Michigan Engineering Zone, Detroit, MI
Cost: None
Dates: U-M Ann Arbor Campus: June 23 – 27 | Michigan Engineering Zone: August 4 – 8
Application deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6-8 who are Michigan residents
At the Thinkabit Lab Summer Camp in Detroit, you’ll spend a week experimenting with how technology and engineering come together to solve problems. The camp introduces you to robotics, coding, and design through projects such as building robotic crafts, while learning the steps of the engineering design process. You’ll meet engineers who work in the field, giving you a sense of how these skills apply to real careers. Activities are centered around teamwork, so you’ll be creating alongside other students while strengthening your science and math knowledge. The robotics summer program for middle school students also encourages you to think about how engineering can be used to make a positive impact on society.
7. Science of Smart Cities (SoSC) by NYU’s School of Engineering
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th-8th graders from NYC
At SoSC, you’ll work on projects that connect robotics and technology to real-world issues faced by modern cities. The program introduces you to electronics, microcontrollers, coding, and sensors, all while showing how these tools can make urban spaces more sustainable, efficient, and safe. Working in teams, you’ll design and build a project that uses smart technology to address a city challenge, like saving energy or improving safety. The learning is hands-on and project-based, so you’ll be applying what you study directly to your designs instead of just reading about it. Guest lectures and collaborative sessions give you the chance to see how robotics and engineering are used outside the classroom. The program ends with a presentation where you showcase your team’s solution to peers and instructors.
8. Rice University's Computer Engineering Design Academy
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost: $499 + $3 registration fee; a limited number of scholarships are available
Dates: July 14 – 18
Application deadline: April 18
Eligibility: All middle school students (grades 6-8)
Spending a week at Rice University’s Computer Engineering Design Academy means diving into design and engineering tools that professionals actually use. You’ll explore Computer-Aided Design (CAD), microelectronics, and Arduino boards while experimenting with how coding connects to physical creations. With 3D printers and prototyping labs available, you’ll bring your ideas from a computer screen into something you can hold in your hands. Projects are designed to push you to combine creativity with technical skills, and you’ll get to take home what you build.
9. NYU’s Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP)
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost: $200
Dates: July 5 – August 4 (tentative, based on previous year)
Application deadline: Summer applications open March 1; rolling admissions
Eligibility: Middle or high school students in the 7th - 12th grades who are New York State residents, have an 80 average in Math, Science, and English, meet criteria required by New York State and the state-determined economic criteria listed on the eligibility section of the website are eligible.
At NYU’s Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), you’ll strengthen your academic skills while exploring robotics and other STEM areas in both classroom and project settings. Mornings are dedicated to enrichment classes in math and English, such as Algebra, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus, to build your problem-solving and critical thinking skills essential for robotics. In the afternoons, you’ll select electives where you apply these concepts in fields like robotics, engineering, or medicine. These electives are designed to be hands-on, so you might find yourself building models, coding programs, or working through engineering challenges. STEP also includes preparation for standardized tests, college admissions support, and career exploration activities.
10. Science Club for Girls Summer Rocketry Program
Location: Graham & Parks School, Cambridge, MA
Cost: None
Dates: 2-week sessions in the summer; dates vary by year
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 6th–8th-grade girls and gender expansive students from the Greater Boston area; priority will be given to those who are the most underrepresented in STEM
The Science Club for Girls Summer Rocketry Program brings you into the world of aerospace engineering through a mix of robotics, physics, and hands-on experiments. Over the course of two weeks, you’ll design and build projects such as model space stations, robotic rovers, and rockets that you’ll actually launch. Each activity teaches you concepts from engineering and physics while letting you experiment with how these ideas work in real life. You’ll also take part in discussions with women working in aerospace engineering, giving you a closer look at the kinds of careers connected to this field. A highlight of this robotics summer program for middle school students is the field trip to the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, where you’ll see real research in action.
11. University of Central Florida GLAMPing Camp
Location: University of Central Florida, Orange County, FL
Cost: $200 + $75 non-refundable deposit; scholarships are available
Dates: June 2 – 6
Application deadline: Not specified, but applications open on March 1, and the first round of invitations is sent on March 24
Eligibility: Rising 6th and 7th-grade students
The GLAMPing Camp at UCF centers on the “Grand Challenges” of engineering — major issues such as sustainability, energy, and healthcare that scientists are actively working to solve. During the week, you’ll be in a makerspace learning hands-on skills like coding, circuit building, and basic robotics, while applying them to real-world inspired projects. Faculty and student mentors guide you as you design and test ideas, but you’re encouraged to take the lead and get creative. Beyond the technical aspects, the camp also includes sessions on leadership and confidence, helping you connect your engineering work with teamwork and communication.
12. Boston University U-Design
Location: Boston University College of Engineering, Boston, MA
Cost: $650
Dates: Session I: July 7–11 | Session II: July 14–18
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 6th – 7th graders
U-Design at Boston University gives you the chance to learn engineering by actually designing and building things yourself. Workshops are kept small, with only about 20 students, so you have plenty of time to work with BU student mentors. If you choose the robotics workshop, you’ll use LEGO Spike Prime kits to assemble robots, program them with Scratch, and tackle challenges ranging from obstacle courses to robot soccer. Each day mixes designing, coding, and testing, building toward a final project you’ll present at the end. You’ll leave with your projects and a good sense of what the engineering design process looks like in action by the end of this robotics summer program for middle school students.
13. EXPLO 360°
Location: Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Cost: Varies by camp
Dates: Session 1: Overnight: June 29 – July 12; Day: June 30 – July 11 | Session 2: Overnight: July 13 – 26; Day: July 14 – 25
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Students who are entering grades 7–9 and are 12–14 years old
EXPLO 360° gives you the chance to shape your own two-week summer schedule by picking workshops and electives that match your interests. If you’re curious about robotics, engineering, or technology, you can focus on building robots, creating games, or even experimenting with aeronautical engineering. But you're not limited to a single subject, there are also courses in psychology, law, arts, and veterinary science, allowing you to blend various interests into a single program. You can decide whether to stay on campus for the complete residential experience or attend as a day student. Experienced instructors lead classes and include hands-on projects, field trips, and group activities that keep the days varied.
14. Education Unlimited Robotics Summer Camp
Location: UC Berkeley, CA and Stanford University, CA
Cost: Day Camp: $2,180 | Extended Day Camp: $2,570 | Overnight Camp: $2,985
Dates: UC Berkeley: June 29 – July 4 | Stanford University: July 27 – August 1, August 3 – 8
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Rising 6th-8th graders
At the Education Unlimited Robotics Summer Camp, you’ll spend the week learning how robots are built and programmed from the ground up. Using the VEX5 robotics platform, you’ll begin by designing a chassis, which acts as the skeleton of your robot, before adding motors, gears, and wheels to create movement. Along the way, you’ll learn about essential engineering concepts like speed, torque, circuits, and power systems, while also experimenting with sensors and robotic arms. Activities range from navigating terrain and transportation challenges to programming your robot to compete in sports-style competitions. Outside of class time, the robotics summer program for middle school students includes enrichment activities like guest speakers, science-related excursions, and group workshops.
15. Sally Ride Science Academy at the University of California, San Diego
Location: Virtual
Cost: $275 – $320, based on the course you choose
Dates: July 7 – 25
Application deadline: May 24
Eligibility: Middle school students
At the Sally Ride Science Academy at UC San Diego, you can choose week-long workshops that focus on different STEAM fields, including robotics. Each workshop is designed around hands-on projects, so instead of just learning concepts, you’ll build, code, and experiment to see how things actually work. Topics range from robotics and coding to marine biology, geology, and creative subjects like virtual reality or digital media. Instructors with expertise in these areas guide you through the process, while also sharing stories about real scientists, especially women, working in the fields you’re studying. You’ll get the chance to step into roles like robotics engineer, space scientist, or programmer as you complete projects alongside your peers.
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