10 Engineering Camps for Middle School Students
Middle school is a solid time for you to explore your passions and build a solid high school trajectory, and summer camps are a great way to do so! They go beyond the theoretical concepts taught in school and let students dive into practical activities and learn by doing. For fields like engineering, the camps’ plentiful hands-on work will not only set a strong foundation in the subject but also enhance your academic profile and lead to benefits in the long run. In this article, we highlight ten solid engineering camps for middle school students and explore how they can help you grow your portfolio.
Application deadline: April 5, 2024
Eligibility: Students currently in between 6th and 8th grades
Program dates: August 5, 2024 – August 9, 2024 for 6th and 7th graders, August 12, 2024 – August 16, 2024 for 7th and 8th graders
Location: Michigan Engineering Zone, Detroit
Fee: Free
The Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab is a collaboration between Qualcomm Incorporated and the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. It offers this summer camp for middle school students to engage in hands-on engineering projects and get a better understanding of math and science. Through the camp, you will learn about engineering tools, explore the engineering design process, build your own projects, and network with professional engineers as well as peers interested in the same field. This is a valuable summer camp for middle schoolers not just because it’s free of cost but also because of the association with a reputed initiative like the Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab.
Application deadline: March 10, 2024
Eligibility: Students who will be entering the 6th,7th, 8th, or 9th grades
Program dates: Week 1 will take place in mid-August for rising 6th and 7th graders, Week 2 will take place in late August for rising 8th and 9th graders
Location: MIT
Fee: Free
As one of MIT’s student-run outreach programs, dynaMIT is geared towards students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and aims to encourage their interest in STEM. The program is a free, week-long camp where students learn from MIT undergraduates about STEM, by focusing on a different topic each day. Previous camps have included topics like electricity and magnetism, polymers and materials, forensics, and more. You will also work on a capstone project which involves basic coding and programming skills through the week, spending an hour two on it each day. Adding such a body of work to your portfolio can mean a significant academic boost, as does attending a program associated with MIT. However, this is a commuter program and housing is not provided.
Application deadline: March 4, 2024
Eligibility: Students currently in 6th, 7th or 8th grades who reside in Philadelphia and within a 60-mile radius of Penn's campus
Program dates: June 24, 2024- June 28, 2024, 9 am to 4 pm
Location: University of Pennsylvania
Fee: $650
Financial assistance: Limited financial aid is available
This program is a week-long, day camp that offers middle school students to study at a prestigious university like UPenn and access its resources and network. The camp’s curriculum focuses on bioengineering, nanotechnology, materials science, environmental engineering, chemical engineering, robotics, graphics and computing. You will engage in a number of hands-on activities such as studying a cell up close, experimenting with nano-materials, using computer programming to create animation, and building your own vehicle or robots. This is a great way to engage in practical work while also attending a moderately prestigious summer camp. You can go through our in-depth analysis of the program here.
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students who are rising 8th, 9th, 10th, or 11th graders
Program dates: Session 1 from June 24, 2024 – June 28, 2024 for rising 8th and 9th graders, Session 2 from July 8, 2024 – July 12, 2024 for rising 10th and 11th graders
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Fee: Free
Carnegie Mellon University’s SEE is a great program for middle school students to explore the various forms of engineering. The 2024 program’s theme is “Making and Engineering” and as a participant, you will get to study different engineering disciplines and the concept of design. Through the week-long camp, you will attend educational presentations and work on two projects that use household items — one group and one individual.
As a CMU program, this is a prestigious option to have on your profile and the two projects can give your academic portfolio a boost as well. The eligibility criteria for this one is tighter than the others on this list as it is only open to 8th graders from the middle school pool. However, gaining admission and learning alongside high school students makes this an even greater academic achievement.
Application deadline: Not specified but generally students are accepted until three weeks prior to the first day of camp
Eligibility: Students currently in between 6th and 8th grades
Program dates: June 10, 2024 – June 13, 2024, 9 am to 3 pm
Location: Purdue University Northwest’s Hammond Campus
Fee: #$350
Financial assistance: Not available
If you are particularly interested in mechanical and civil engineering, this camp could be the right choice for you. The curriculum focuses on those fields and covers topics like 3D printing, renewable energy, bridge/road designing, virtual reality, electric cars, and more. Your daily schedule will include a combination of classroom studies and interactive labs, where you will engage in activities like building a bridge or cardboard wind tunnel. You will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the program. However, students are accepted on a first-come first-served basis, so it’s best to apply early to this one.
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 11 and 14
Program dates: June 3, 2024 – June 7, 2024, 9 am to 3.30 pm
Location: UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel
Fee: $500 for the day camp and $1,175 for the residential camp. You will also need to purchase a robotics kit before the camp
This University of Georgia summer camp is an ideal choice if you are particularly interested in robotics and looking for hands-on experience in the field. The highlight of the program is that aside from learning robotics and mechanical engineering theory, you will also develop your very own robot. You will navigate the design process, learn how to use practical tools and keep evolving your robot into a better version of itself. This is one of the few residential camp options on this list, which offers a unique experience of living on a college campus. However, the tuition and robotics kit fee do add up to a significant amount. The university also offers an introductory engineering camp that you might want to consider.
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students entering grades 6 – 8
Program dates: June 24, 2024 – June 28, 2024
Location: Oregon State University
Fee: $320
Financial assistance: Need-based scholarships and fee waivers are available
Oregon State University offers a number of middle school camps, one of which is the engineering camp. It is a day camp and will require you to commute as it doesn’t offer housing. As a participant, you will learn a wide range of engineering concepts and work with several tools of engineering design. There is plenty of hands-on work involved as you will engage with solar cars, chromatography, chemical reaction cars, super absorbent polymers, 3D printing, Ozobots, and more. The program will also hone your problem-solving and collaborative skills.
Application deadline: March 29, 2024
Eligibility: Rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. International students can apply as well!
Program dates: Camp I from July 8, 2024 – July 12, 2024, Camp II from July 15, 2024- July 19, 2024
Location: NC State University
Fee: $500
Financial assistance: Limited, need-based financial aid is available
NC State University offers this day camp for middle schoolers to explore how engineering can be used to solve real-world problems. The focus of this camp is on the engineering design process and there is a new curriculum every year. Every morning, you will be presented with a new engineering challenge and work in teams to develop a solution by the end of the day. Previous cohorts have worked on designing projects like earthquake-proof bridges, solar-powered boats, SNAP programming, nitrogen ice cream, and more!
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students from grades 6-8 who live in western New York, preference is given to those from minority and underrepresented backgrounds
Program dates: August 5, 2024 – August 9, 2024
Location: UB North Campus
Fee: Free
Sponsored by National Grid, this is a completely free summer camp that invites students to the University of Buffalo to learn the basics of engineering. Through the camp, you will learn new concepts, explore how engineering relates to daily life, and develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The program also incorporates the use of creativity to understand basic science. The cohort size is limited to 20 students but the admission process focuses on your enthusiasm for STEM rather than report cards/prior knowledge.
Application deadline: Not specified, but applications open in February
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th grade students
Program dates: Boys camp from June 3, 2024 – June 7, 2024, Girls camp from June 10, 2024 – June 14, 2024, Girls and boys camp from June 17, 2024 – June 21, 2024
Location: SMU Lyle School of Engineering
Fee: $600
Southern Methodist University’s Lyle School of Engineering offers engineering camps for middle and high school students. The Introduction to Engineering camp is for middle schoolers and is geared towards students with little to no prior knowledge about engineering or design, making it a perfect choice for absolute beginners. The curriculum covers topics in the fields of electrical, mechanical, civil, and environmental engineering as well as computer science. You can expect plenty of activities and hands-on projects that will teach you about the engineering design process. The camp is a commuter program and runs from 9 am to 3.30 pm daily. It only accepts 20 students per cohort so it’s best to apply early to this one.
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in doing a research project in various STEM subject areas, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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