14 STEM Programs for Middle School Students in New York City
Participating in STEM programs while in middle school gives you the chance to experience structured projects, mentorship, and exposure to real-world applications. They help you build practical skills across STEM areas such as coding, data analysis, robotics, scientific research, and engineering design. Many are hosted by universities and organizations, making them strong additions to your academic journey. You’ll also get to meet and connect with peers and professionals who share your interests.
Why should you attend a program in New York City?
New York City is home to a range of universities and research institutions, including Columbia University, NYU, and the American Museum of Natural History, that offer STEM programs specifically designed for young learners. Depending on the program, you might find yourself coding robots, analyzing environmental data, working through engineering design challenges, or getting your first look at computational thinking and data science. Whether you live and study in the city and want to take advantage of nearby opportunities, or you're an out-of-state student looking for a summer experience in a dynamic academic environment, New York City has options worth exploring.
To help you navigate, we've narrowed down our list to 14 STEM programs for middle school students in New York City.
If you’re looking for online summer camps, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These 14 programs span AI and machine learning, robotics, urban science, mathematics, environmental data, engineering design, astrophysics, and biomedical science, so middle school students with a wide range of STEM interests can find a relevant option in New York City or online.
Several programs are free, including NYU Science of Smart Cities, NYU SONYC, BEAM, CCNY STEM Institute, STEM Matters NYC, and NYU CrEST, while others, such as AMNH Lang Science Program, offer tuition scaled to family income with free access for qualifying low-income families.
Many programs prioritize New York City residents or students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, including BEAM (low-income NYC students), Baruch College STEP Academy (state income eligibility), NYU STEP (first-generation and economically disadvantaged students), and STEM Matters NYC (NYC public and charter school students), so local students should take note of these targeted opportunities.
Programs vary significantly in length and commitment, from single-week museum intensives, such as AMNH Science Alliance, to six-year longitudinal programs, such as AMNH Lang Science Program, so students and families should choose based on availability and long-term interest.
Several programs, such as STEM Matters NYC and CCNY STEM Institute, use rolling admissions without fixed deadlines, so students should monitor program websites from early spring and apply as soon as registration opens.
1. NYU Science of Smart Cities (SoSC)
Location: Andries Hudde Magnet School of STEAM, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Program Dates: July 6 – 30
Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: NYC residents currently in 6th-7th grade
The NYU Science of Smart Cities program is a four-week summer program run by NYU's Tandon School of Engineering that puts middle school students to work on real urban challenges. You'll spend the month learning how electronics, circuitry, microcontrollers, and sensors function by actually using them to build things. The program is team-based throughout, so you'll collaborate with peers to design a project that proposes a tech-driven solution to a real-world city problem. By the end of the program, your team will present your project at a final expo, walking an audience through how it works and what problem it addresses.
2. Veritas AI Trailblazers
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; Financial aid offered
Program Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks on weekends, or 25 hours over 2 weeks on weekdays during the summer; Multiple cohorts available
Deadline: Varies by deadline. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6-8
Veritas AI's Trailblazers program offers a structured, online introduction to artificial intelligence and machine learning, specifically designed for middle school students. You'll build a foundation in Python, work through core AI concepts including data analysis, regression, classification, neural networks, and image recognition, and close out the program with a unit on AI ethics. The curriculum follows a three-track format each session: a theory lecture, an interactive coding session, and a small-group hands-on component where you’ll apply what you've learned to a real project. By the end of the program, you and a small team of three to five students will have built and presented a machine learning model together.
3. Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM)
Location: Multiple locations across NYC and LA
Cost: Free
Program Dates: 7th Grade: July 6 – August 7 | 8th Grade: 3 week in the summer
Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: 7th-grade program: NYC students from low-income backgrounds currently in 6th grade; 8th-grade program: Rising 8th graders who have completed the prior summer program
BEAM is one of the few programs in the country that offers low-income students a long-term pathway into advanced mathematics. For rising 7th graders, the program runs as a five-week day program across two NYC campuses, where you’ll take classes in logic, math fundamentals, creative problem-solving, and applied math. Rising 8th graders move into BEAM Summer Away, which is a three-week residential experience on a college campus where you’ll go deeper into proof-based math through student-chosen courses in topics like number theory, combinatorics, and graph theory. Faculty are professors and experienced teachers who work closely with students. Beyond the summers, BEAM supports you through 8th-grade high school applications, Algebra 1 coursework if your school doesn't offer it, and visits to places like Google and Jane Street's NYC offices, giving you a concrete picture of where math can take you.
4. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; Need-based financial aid available
Program Dates: 8 weeks; Multiple cohorts run throughout the year
Deadline: Rolling; Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8; Admissions based on application and interview
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a one-on-one online research program founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers and designed for middle school students who want to explore a subject they're genuinely curious about and build an independent project around it. You’ll work directly with a PhD mentor from universities like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, or Yale to shape your own research direction. The first four weeks are exploratory, meaning you and your mentor will cover different subtopics within your chosen field to help you figure out what actually interests you most. Weeks five and six narrow that focus down to a single topic and a defined research question. The final two weeks are dedicated to building your project, whether that's a research paper, a case study, a data analysis, or another format suited to your subject.
5. CCNY STEM Institute
Location: City College of New York (CCNY), New York, NY
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Summer: July 6 – August 7; Fall: September 13 – December 20
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-12 who reside or attend school within the five boroughs of NYC
The CCNY STEM Institute is a multi-track program hosted on the City College campus that lets middle school students explore a wide range of STEM and STEAM subjects without needing any prior background in the field. The summer program is five weeks long and runs daily, covering everything from general physics and chemistry to app design, game design, rocketry, and robotics. Each course includes a research project that wraps up in a poster presentation at an end-of-program symposium. For eligible students, some courses qualify for high school honors elective credit, and select courses are also eligible for college credit through CCNY's College Now partnership.
6. NYU Sounds of New York City (SONYC)
Location: Andries Hudde Magnet School of STEAM, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Program Dates: July 6 – 30
Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: NYC residents currently in 6th-7th grade
SONYC is a four-week summer program by NYU Tandon that takes a unique entry point into STEM: the science of sound and noise pollution in New York City. You'll study how sound waves travel and behave in urban environments, then build actual devices using microcontrollers, sensors, and electronics that can monitor and measure sound in your community. The program blends engineering, computer science, and public health, pushing you to think about how the data you collect connects to the people living with it. In addition to the technical work, you’ll participate in theater-based workshops led by Irondale, a performing arts organization, which focus on building communication and public speaking skills.
7. Baruch College STEP Academy
Location: Baruch College, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Program Dates: July 6 – 30
Deadline: May 1 (regular); May 15 (rolling)
Eligibility: Rising 7th-9th graders in New York State with a minimum GPA of 83 overall and an 83 or above in math, science, and English; Must meet state income eligibility criteria
The Baruch College STEP Academy is a state-funded pre-college program that gives you access to college-level STEM instruction on a college campus. During the summer, you’ll enroll in a single four-week course, which means you’ll go deep on one subject and work through lectures, labs, workshops, and enrichment activities in that area. Topics span math, science, SAT prep, and college preparation, and the summer wraps up with a showcase where you’ll present your work to college faculty, family, and program staff. Throughout the academic year, the program also offers ongoing SAT prep and college readiness workshops.
8. STEM Matters NYC
Location: Museums, zoos, gardens, and experiential learning sites across all five boroughs, NYC
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Spring break camps: April 6 – 10; Summer sessions run at various weeks throughout the summer
Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in NYC public and charter schools in grades 1-8; Selection is by lottery
STEM Matters NYC is an NYC Department of Education program that takes middle school students out of the classroom and into some of the city's best science and learning institutions. You’ll spend your week at places like museums, zoos, botanic gardens, and makerspaces, sites that are purpose-built for hands-on exploration. The program covers a wide range of STEM fields, including animal science, marine biology, ecology, aviation, mechanics, and engineering, among others.
9. AMNH Science Alliance
Location: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Cost: $1,000 per school-year session; $1,300 per summer session; Limited tuition aid offered
Program Dates: Varies by session (multiple cohorts in a year)
Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students currently in grades 6-8
The AMNH Science Alliance is a year-round enrichment program that gives middle schoolers direct access to the scientists and research collections at one of the world's leading natural history museums. They cover topics including astrophysics, Earth science, conservation science, evolutionary biology, and anthropology. As a participant, you’ll get to pick the subject that interests you most and spend either eight weekday evenings or four Saturdays going deep into it alongside a small group of peers. Summer offerings are structured as one-week intensives, with recent topics including geology, ecology, animal behavior, and human evolution. Courses are hands-on, so you might get to examine specimens, design animal prosthetics, or study microbes under a microscope. They’re also taught by museum educators and scientists.
10. NYU Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP)
Location: NYU, New York, NY
Cost: $350
Program Dates: October 18 – May 2
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: New York State residents in grades 7-12 with a B average in math, science, and English; must meet state income eligibility criteria
NYU STEP is a state-funded academic enrichment program designed to help first-generation and economically disadvantaged students build a strong foundation in STEM while also preparing for college admissions. As a middle school participant, you'll work through enrichment courses in math, science, and English, with NYU faculty leading instruction and NYU students co-teaching alongside them. The program covers everything from Algebra and Geometry to Regents prep, research projects, and college readiness workshops. There are also mentorship and career development sessions built in, giving you exposure to STEM career paths early.
11. AMNH Lang Science Program
Location: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Cost: $7,865 per year
Program Dates: Summer session: July 20 – August 7; Academic year sessions: 15-18 weeks
Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Current 6th graders who live and/or attend school in the five boroughs of NYC; Must be able to commit to the full six-year program
The Lang Science Program at the American Museum of Natural History is a six-year commitment that starts in 6th grade and takes you all the way through high school, making it one of the longest-term science programs available to NYC middle school students. In the foundational middle school years, you’ll spend three weeks each summer at AMNH, exploring major scientific disciplines like astrophysics, geology, genetics, anthropology, and conservation science. The museum itself becomes your classroom where you'll work in actual lab spaces, explore the collections and exhibition halls, and take field trips to nearby forests, zoos, and research centers. Classes are built to develop critical thinking, scientific communication, and collaboration alongside content knowledge, so you're practicing how scientists actually work, not just learning about it. Tuition is scaled to family income, with free access available for qualifying low-income families and reduced tuition for moderate-income households.
12. NYU CrEST (Creativity in Engineering, Science, and Technology)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Downtown Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Multiple sessions in the summer
Deadline: June 2
Eligibility: NYC residents currently enrolled in grades 4-7 with a strong academic record and demonstrated interest in STEM
NYU CrEST introduces you to the hands-on side of engineering, like circuitry, electronics, physical computing, robotics, and mechanical systems, entirely through building and making. Each session follows its own theme and takes you through a progression of 3D design tools, starting with basic 2D sketches and TinkerCAD and working up to Autodesk Fusion 360, the same software used by professional engineers. Classes are taught by NYU faculty and graduate students and are highly interactive throughout; you'll be working with actual materials, tools, and software rather than watching demonstrations.
13. Stanford Middle School Scholars Program (SMSSP)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Summer: July 6 – 24; Fall: August 26 – December 9
Deadline: Check the program website
Eligibility: Students currently in grades 6-7 who reside in and attend school in the U.S.; Household income typically under $90,000
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program has two components: a three-week live online summer course in July and weekly virtual after-school sessions running from late August through December. You’ll study in a small cohort of 12 students alongside instructors, many of whom hold PhDs in their fields, and work through topics including academic writing, math enrichment, and growth mindset. The fall semester goes deeper, with workshops run by Stanford OHS's admissions, academic advising, and writing centers, all geared toward preparing you to apply to and succeed at rigorous high schools. Families are also actively involved, with required conference check-ins throughout the year.
14. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by course
Program Dates: Year-round
Deadline: Rolling; Enroll by May 11 or June 8 for the summer
Eligibility: Students in grades 2-12; Most courses require qualifying assessment scores to establish eligibility; Select courses have no minimum score requirement
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth online program is an academic enrichment option available to advanced students, offering nearly 50 courses across STEM, humanities, and technology. For middle school students specifically, courses span a wide range of subjects, including competitive math, coding with Arduino, biomedical science, neurobiology, climate science, and forensic investigation. Most courses run across several weeks with a clear progression, and because the program runs year-round, you can enroll in the fall, spring, or summer depending on your availability.
Frequently asked questions
1. What STEM programs are available for middle school students in New York City?
Options include engineering and robotics programs, such as NYU Science of Smart Cities, NYU SONYC, and NYU CrEST; mathematics programs, such as BEAM, AI and data science programs, such as Veritas AI Trailblazers and Lumiere Junior Explorer; museum-based science programs, such as AMNH Science Alliance and AMNH Lang Science Program, and multi-subject enrichment programs, such as CCNY STEM Institute, Baruch College STEP, and NYU STEP.
2. Are there free STEM programs for middle school students in New York City?
Yes, several programs are free, including NYU Science of Smart Cities, NYU SONYC, NYU CrEST, BEAM, CCNY STEM Institute, STEM Matters NYC, and Stanford Middle School Scholars Program. AMNH Lang Science Program offers free access for qualifying low-income families, and Baruch College STEP and NYU STEP are state-funded programs free or low-cost for eligible students.
3. Which NYC STEM programs are best for students with no prior experience?
NYU CrEST, STEM Matters NYC, and CCNY STEM Institute are all designed for students without prior STEM backgrounds, emphasizing hands-on exploration over prerequisites. Veritas AI Trailblazers also builds AI concepts from the ground up, starting with Python fundamentals before progressing to machine learning projects.
4. Which programs are open to students outside New York City?
Veritas AI Trailblazers, Lumiere Junior Explorer Program, Stanford Middle School Scholars Program, and Johns Hopkins CTY are all fully virtual and open to students regardless of location, making them accessible options for out-of-state or international students.
5. When should I apply to STEM programs for middle school students in New York City?
BEAM has one of the earlier deadlines, closing March 30, followed by Baruch College STEP (May 1) and NYU Science of Smart Cities and SONYC (May 15). AMNH Lang Science Program closes January 20 for its six-year cohort. Programs, such as CCNY STEM Institute, NYU STEP, and Johns Hopkins CTY, accept rolling applications, so students should apply as soon as they are ready.