16 Summer Engineering Programs for Middle School Students

If you are a middle school student interested in engineering, summer programs are a useful option to learn more about your field of interest during your summer break. Summer engineering programs can be a great first step for you, offering STEM applications, insight into emerging technologies, and a strong foundation of skills. 

If you are eager to explore problem-solving, innovation, and design thinking at an early age, summer engineering programs offer more than just academic enrichment. You are exposed to industry insight, mentorship, and like-minded peers to help grow your interest in engineering fields and develop skills. Many of these programs are offered by reputable universities and organizations.

To help you navigate your options, we’ve compiled a list of 16 standout summer engineering programs for middle school students.

16 Summer Engineering Programs for Middle School Students

1. DynaMIT Program

Location: MIT campus, MA
Cost: None
Dates: Mid to late August (1 week for rising 6-7th graders, 1 week for rising 8-9th graders)
Application Deadline:  March 3
Eligibility: Rising 6th - 9th grade students in the Boston area

At DynaMIT, you’ll spend a week on MIT’s campus working with undergraduate mentors as you dive into STEM activities ranging from coding and design to exploring topics like forensics, magnetism, and polymers. Each day typically includes a mix of interactive lessons, team-based experiments, and time to develop a capstone project that practically applies engineering concepts. The curriculum is designed and led by MIT students themselves, making it a uniquely peer-driven experience. You’ll be encouraged to collaborate with your peers, solve challenges, and present your final project at the end of the week. The program is exploratory and aiming to make engineering accessible and engaging.

2. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers

Location: Virtual

Cost:  Varies based on program type
Dates: Multiple cohorts during the year; Summer cohort dates are between June 8 and July 25; 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays)

Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort; Summer II cohort: June 22

Eligibility: All middle school students (Grades 6-8)

Through Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program, you can dive into the foundations of AI and machine learning entirely online, with support from experienced mentors in small group settings. Over about 25 hours, you’ll learn how to code in Python and understand how algorithms process data, classify images, and make predictions. You’ll also engage with ethical questions surrounding AI while building your own projects that might include anything from educational resource recommenders to music genre classifiers. Each session is structured to combine live instruction with mentor-led project time in a 5:1 student-to-mentor format, allowing you to get individual feedback as you work.

3. University of Michigan Thinkabit Lab Summer Camp

Location: U-M Ann Arbor Campus and Michigan Engineering Zone, Detroit
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 University of Michigan’s Thinkabit Lab Summer Camp, you’ll spend a week participating in STEM projects that explore how technology can be used to solve real-world challenges. You will learn the basics of engineering, robotics, and computer science. You’ll work in teams to design and build projects such as robotic crafts, while getting an introduction to the engineering design process. The camp also offers opportunities to meet professional engineers and gain insight into what a career in technology might entail. Throughout the program, you’ll be encouraged to think about how technology can contribute to social good and gain confidence through problem-solving. 

4. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program

Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including in summer
Application deadline: Varies based on cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students (grades 6–8)

The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an eight-week virtual experience designed for middle school students interested in exploring research under the mentorship of experts from universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. Through its engineering track, you will explore four different topics during the first four weeks, then concentrate on a specialized subject in weeks five and six. The program offers personalized guidance throughout, with mentors helping you develop and complete a research project by week eight. This structured yet flexible approach allows you to refine deep learning, critical thinking, and research skills.

5. Baruch College STEP Academy

Location: Baruch College campus, NY
Cost: None
Dates: July 7–31
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: NYC residents in grades 7–12 with good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 80 overall, and an 80 or above in math, science, and English courses

STEP Academy at Baruch College is a four-week summer enrichment program that allows you to deep dive into STEM and college readiness through virtual classes, labs, and workshops. Each summer, you enroll in a specific course like chemistry, algebra, or biology and work through it with guidance from college-level instructors. In addition to academic content, the program includes career talks, test prep for standardized exams, and presentations on navigating college admissions and financial aid. You also get opportunities to conduct your own research and present findings in a virtual showcase. Cultural field trips and guest speakers from the STEM workforce add more context to what you’re learning.

6. Science of Smart Cities (SoSC) by NYU’s School of Engineering

Location: New York University campus, NY
Cost: None
Dates: July 7 – August 1
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7-8 grade students who are NYC residents

SoSC at NYU lets you explore how engineers and scientists use electronics, coding, and environmental science to address urban challenges. As part of the program, you’ll learn how to use microcontrollers and sensors to collect data and build devices that respond to real-world issues like traffic congestion, energy use, or pollution. You’ll work in teams to design and test your own project, using your understanding of circuits and programming to develop a working prototype. In past sessions, students have presented their solutions during a final showcase, practicing not just technical design but also communication and collaboration. You’ll also engage in public speaking and improvisation sessions to strengthen your ability to present your ideas clearly and confidently.

7. Rice University's Computer Engineering Design Academy 

Location: Rice University campus, 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)

At Rice University’s Computer Engineering Design Academy, you’ll spend a week on campus exploring how technology, design, and engineering intersect to solve real-world problems. The program centers on activities using tools like Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software, 3D printers, Arduino boards, and other microelectronics to bring your ideas to life. As you prototype designs and experiment with robotics, you’ll learn the basics of programming and how to apply engineering principles to build functional models. You’ll be encouraged to think critically and creatively while working on your own take-home projects that demonstrate what you've learned. Sessions are designed to help you understand prototyping and innovation. 

8. University of Houston Summer Camps: Mars Rover Explorers

Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX

Cost: $375; scholarships of up to $350 available

Dates: July 15 – 19

Application Deadline: July 5

Eligibility: Students entering grades 3–8

During the Mars Rover Explorers Camp at the University of Houston, you’ll work with other students to design and build a model Mars rover or a simulated Martian habitat as part of a larger science and engineering challenge. The experience focuses on applying classroom concepts in physics, design, and technology to a space mission scenario, helping you understand how rovers are built to operate in extreme environments. Through the week, you’ll research Mars, brainstorm solutions, test prototypes, and adjust your designs based on performance. At the end, you’ll present your model and explain the thinking behind your design choices. The camp encourages creative thinking and teamwork.

9. Sally Ride Science Academy at the University of California San Diego

Location: University City Center, San Diego

Cost: $175 - $320

Dates: July 7 – 25

Application Deadline: May 24; open enrollment

Eligibility: All middle school students (6-8 grades)

At the Sally Ride Science Academy, you can explore a wide variety of STEAM topics such as science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, through focused, week-long workshops held at UC San Diego. Designed for students in grades K–12, these programs allow you to take on the role of space scientist, engineer, coder, or creative designer, depending on the session you choose. You might work with robotics kits, code with Raspberry Pi, create digital art, or dive into marine biology while learning from experienced instructors. Many sessions showcase profiles of real scientists, especially women in STEAM fields, helping you see diverse pathways in science and innovation. 

10. Rice University's Introduction to Research and Innovative Design in Engineering (iRIDE) Academy

Location: Rice University, Houston, TX

Cost: $499; a limited number of scholarships are available

Dates: June 9 – 13

Application Deadline: April 18

Eligibility: 6th-7th grade students

The iRIDE Academy introduces you to the world of engineering through immersive, projects and discussions with engineers from aerospace, transportation, and environmental systems. As a middle school student, you’ll explore how engineering addresses real problems in your community while working on a capstone project that brings your learning together. Topics change each session. For example, one past project involved designing helicopters for flood rescues, paired with a visit from Harris County Flood Control officials. You’ll also meet engineers from organizations like NASA and TxDOT and tour university research labs to see how engineering applies to the world around you. Along the way, you’ll develop problem-solving, teamwork, and design skills. 

11. 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)

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering – TallyRobotics Summer Camps for middle school students offer an engaging introduction to robotics using LEGO-based platforms. You will explore fundamental concepts in engineering and robotics through activities like building and programming LEGO robots, participating in team challenges, and developing problem-solving skills. The camp emphasizes collaborative learning where you will design, test, and improve your robot creations, fostering creativity and critical thinking. You will gain valuable skills in engineering design, programming, teamwork, and logical reasoning. Ultimately, the program inspires curiosity, builds confidence, and equips middle schoolers with practical skills that benefit their academic growth and future STEM paths.

12. University of Central Florida GLAMPing Camp

Location: University of Central Florida, Orange County
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

GLAMPing Camp at the University of Central Florida introduces middle schoolers to major engineering challenges identified by the National Science Foundation, with a curriculum that ties those ideas to creative projects. You’ll spend the week working in UCF’s L3Harris Engineering Center, where you’ll learn to use tools in makerspaces and labs as you build circuits, code basic robotics, or prototype new designs. Alongside technical instruction, the camp includes sessions focused on leadership and confidence-building to help you connect your problem-solving abilities with broader skills like teamwork and communication. Faculty and student mentors guide the activities and help you understand how real engineers approach problems that affect the world. 

13. Camp Challenger

Location: Challenger Learning Center, Tallahassee
Cost: $250 for week‑long camps
Dates: Weekly sessions between July 28 – August 8
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: All middle school students (6-8 grades)

At Camp Challenger, you choose a STEM-focused theme like coding, rocketry, robotics, or digital animation and spend a week working through guided challenges that mirror how engineers and scientists solve problems. Using tools like LEGO robotics kits, snap circuits, or 3D design software, you’ll build, test, and refine projects in a lab-like space designed for active experimentation. Whether you’re programming a simple robot or constructing a prototype, this program encourages trial and error, giving you space to revise your work based on feedback and results. Each session ends with a team presentation, helping you practice explaining your process and design choices.

14. Stanford seeME

Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: None

Dates: May 17

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Eligibility: Middle school students from the Bay Area

At Stanford's seeME program, you spend a full day exploring what engineering looks like in practice through a series of sessions led by graduate students in the Mechanical Engineering department. This free summer event offers interactive experiences with topics like wind energy, data science, autonomous vehicles, and fire dynamics. Rather than just listening to lectures, you'll work through real engineering problems in a lab-style format that emphasizes experimentation and exploration. Each workshop is structured to show how engineering intersects with everyday challenges, from predicting disease outbreaks to improving safety systems. You can also ask questions directly to Stanford graduate students about their academic paths. 

15. Florida Gulf Coast University - GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, & Science)

Location: Florida Gulf Coast University campus, Fort Myers
Cost: None
Dates: Available year-round, announced a month in advance; upcoming event: February 22
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: All girls who are middle school students (grades 6-8)

If you’re a middle school girl looking to explore STEM in a practical and team-oriented way, the GEMS program at Florida Gulf Coast University offers a short but focused opportunity to dive into fields like environmental science, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, and forensics. Throughout this half-day event, you’ll rotate through two activity stations developed by FGCU faculty, where you might use microscopes to analyze soil samples, run chemical tests, or assemble simple engineering models. Mentors include undergraduate women in STEM, whom you can ask questions about their academic paths. You’ll work in small groups with plenty of individual attention and guidance.

16. Illinois Tech Elevate College Prep - Summer Programs

Location: Illinois Institute of Technology | Virtual
Cost: Overnight: $1,500–$6,500; Daytime: $500–$4,500; Virtual: $300–$350 + $100 application fee for all types; need-based scholarships are available
Dates: One, two and four-week experiences between June 16 and August 1
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8 (Ages 11–13)

Illinois Tech’s Elevate College Prep program allows you to choose from a range of STEM-centered summer courses, whether you're interested in robotics, biomedical engineering, coding, or sustainability. These programs include project-based learning where you’ll build, test, and refine ideas. In-person sessions take place on Illinois Tech’s Chicago campus, where you'll work in university labs and classrooms, while online options offer flexible learning formats with the same emphasis on collaboration and application. You'll also earn a certificate of completion and, if you’re considering applying to Illinois Tech later, a $500 Edge Award scholarship toward future tuition.