10 Leadership Programs for Middle School Students
If you’re a middle school student looking for a chance to develop essential hard and soft skills, consider doing a leadership program! Such programs help you develop essential skills that will benefit you throughout your high school and college trajectory. You’ll learn how to communicate effectively, collaborate with peers, and solve problems creatively.
Leadership experience can also provides useful material for high school programs and internships, allowing you to share personal stories highlighting your growth and achievements.
In this blog, we have highlighted 10 leadership programs for middle school students that you can consider applying to:
AWSL offers four summer camps for Washington State students — Eastern Washington Middle Level, Chinook, Columbia, and Cascade. Each camp is unique, but you can expect to develop communication skills, learn about positive teamwork and problem-solving, enhance your decision-making skills, and discuss topics like navigating relations in school.
You will work with your peers to complete group projects, participate in leadership discussions, and overcome team-building challenges. By the end of the camp, you’ll have completed an intensive leadership experience with lots of hands-on training and preparation for future leadership positions in academic settings.
Cost: $365-$415
Location: Cispus Learning Center, Randle, WA
Application deadline: Registration opens at the end of February each year and shuts when seats fill
Program dates: Each camp lasts four days
Eligibility: You must be a student entering grades 7, 8, or 9
The National Student Leadership Council (NSLC) offers four interactive programs for curious and motivated middle school students: animal sciences, engineering, medicine and health care, and U.S. history and government.
The major goal of these programs is to help you explore your academic and career interests and develop essential leadership skills. While the NSLC offers several programs in different areas, each contains a strong leadership curriculum. During your program, you can expect to participate in workshops on goal setting, discussions and seminars on personality types and styles, and classes on communication and empathy. Programs also offer field trips, simulations, and tours of significant landmarks.
The leadership skills taught at every NSCL middle school program are designed to be transferable and applicable to every academic field and career. It’s worth remembering that NSCL is a nationally-recognized name that will add value to your CV.
Cost: $2,395-$2,795. Tuition covers housing, on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, field trips and tours, activities, and off-campus event transportation. Financial aid is available
Location: Multiple locations are available for each program
Application deadline: Applications are accepted until the program is full, but it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the website and enroll early
Program dates: The start date varies by program; each program lasts six days and typically takes place in mid-July
Eligibility: You must be a student currently enrolled in grades 6-8
The Junior National Young Leaders Conference hosts multiple six-day Envision camps in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia, to introduce students to the importance of democracy and leadership principles. The program focuses on influential leaders from U.S. history like Martin Luther King Jr., Jimmy Carter, and Abraham Lincoln to study leadership today. You will attend site excursions, attend seminars, and participate in hands-on challenges and activities to help you apply the leadership concepts learned, including responsibility, respect, debate facilitation, and inclusivity. You’ll develop an action plan and work in groups to develop communication and collaboration skills.
Cost: Washington, DC: $3,145 | Atlanta, GA: $2,995. Tuition includes room and board, site visits, transportation during the program, and materials. Financial aid is available
Location: Washington, DC, and Atlanta, GA
Application deadline: The deadlines vary by year and location. Applications typically open with an informational session in December of the preceding year
Program dates: The camps normally take place in June and July
Eligibility:
· Must be a student in grades 7-8
· To attend Envision, you first must become a member of the National Youth Leadership Conference, typically by nomination. You can ask a teacher to nominate you
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute hosts this four-day program for high-achieving middle school students. You must show a strong academic record and demonstrate an interest in leadership or public service through volunteer work or club participation. The program is designed to help you develop effective communication, independent thinking, and leadership skills.
The program runs from 9 am to 3 pm at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. You participate in interactive learning projects, take walking tours, engage in leadership discussions, and complete problem-solving simulations. You’ll also complete a service learning capstone project. In 2023, the service project involved assembling care packages for Operation Gratitude to support military and first responder personnel.
Cost: $550. Financial aid is available
Location: Simi, CA
Application deadline: You can stay updated on the 2025 application deadline by requesting an email notification here
Program dates: The program runs twice during the summer. The 2024 dates were June 25-28 and July 16-19
Eligibility: You must be in grades 7-9
This week-long program is designed to help you learn about leadership in a global context. The program has multiple cohorts, each focusing on a topic closely linked to the UN’s thematic areas. For example, you could opt for a cohort focusing on global health, women in leadership, global health, wildlife conservation, and more. You will attend seminars and lectures, participate in public speaking and negotiation activities, interact with international expert guest speakers, collaborate with other students on complex global issues, and act as a diplomat during Model UN simulations.
You can attend one week or multiple weeks with options available in June, July, and August. The program cohorts are held in person at Harvard campuses, MIT, Simmons University, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Cost: $635-$795, scholarships available
Location: Multiple locations in Boston, MA
Application deadline: Deadlines vary by program, but applications are typically accepted on a rolling basis until the programs fill
Program dates: Programs are offered throughout the summer
Eligibility: Must be in grades 6-12
The Franklin Institute, a prestigious East Coast museum, offers a free youth leadership experience for Philadelphia students in grades 6-8. The program combines STEM and leadership curriculum to create a unique leadership program for middle school students in the greater Philadelphia region. You can participate in science workshops, environmental research, special field trips, and opportunities that connect you with community organizations. PACTS offers three workshops that meet twice a month on Saturday mornings during the school year. These workshops cover robotics, architecture and city planning, and scientific research.
All meetings are held at the Franklin Institute. The program offers peer-to-peer mentorship, connecting middle school students with high school STEM scholar ambassadors.
Cost: Free
Location: The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Application deadline: Unknown, but applications typically remain open through the summer until the program start date
Program dates: Workshops are held bi-monthly on Saturdays during the school year
Eligibility:
· Must be a Philadelphia student in grades 6-8
· There is no academic requirement, but students are encouraged to demonstrate strength in math and the sciences
This year-round initiative provides Atlanta middle school students with an after-school program that teaches college readiness, leadership development, test preparation, digital literacy, and career exploration. LYLA is offered in five Atlanta schools. Through the program, you will be connected with mentors in your fields of interest, participate in leadership workshops, attend field trips and excursions, and network with professionals during career days. You will also attend classes relating to language arts, social studies and science, enrichment opportunities, and physical education. LYLA includes a summer component to ensure students are supported throughout the year.
Cost: Free
Location: Atlanta, GA
Application deadline: None
Program dates: LYLA runs throughout the school year, but there is also a five-week summer program available from the end of June through July
Eligibility:
· Grades 6-12
· Must be attending a partner school
· There is no ethnicity requirement, though the program is designed to attract Latina, Latino, and Latinx youth and their families. Parent involvement is highly encouraged
This camp, hosted by the Leadership Society of Arizona and located at Arizona State University, is a happiness-centric camp focused on helping middle school students discover their unique strengths, master their emotions, and add value to their lives and those around them. The camp lasts four days and is open to students ages 12-18.
Here, you will attend 45-minute guest lectures from business professionals on leadership principles and then work in groups to complete activities, conquer team-building exercises, and collaborate on simulations. The curriculum teaches students how to achieve personal success, understand their teenage brain, improve personal and professional relationships, and leadership traits like accountability, kindness, and public speaking.
Cost: $350 for tuition. This is a residential program, so students are responsible for their own accommodations and food. Overnight camps are also available
Location: Arizona State University, Phoenix Metropolitan Area, AZ
Application deadline: There is no application deadline, but each session has a 60-student limit
Program dates: Programs are hosted most weekends through June and July, starting on the Memorial Day weekend in May
Eligibility:
· You must be ages 13-18. Twelve-year-olds are also permitted, but only if they are entering grade 7 grade in the fall
This youth leadership program hosts 44 students to experience local, state, and national parks during six weeks in the summer. You will go on daily excursions and learn about leadership and conservancy. Your group consists of 11 students, two high school interns, and one adult faculty educator. Together, you will go on field trips to local parks and campgrounds like Rob Hill, participate in seminars on preserving and creating green spaces in city environments, join in on team building activities like challenge courses, and explore the outdoors. There are also two camping trips, an overnight at Rob Hill and a four-day camping trip at the end of July. This program can help you demonstrate your academic interests in conservancy, parks, the natural sciences, and leadership skills. It also prepares you well for high school with its academic component and emphasis on teamwork and communication.
Cost: No cost. You receive a $300 stipend for completing the program
Location: San Francisco, CA
Application deadline: Applications are typically due the first week of March
Program dates: The program typically runs from the middle of June to the beginning of August. The 2024 dates were June 18-August 2
Eligibility: Must be aged 11-14
The Army and Navy Academy offers a two-week Sea Summer Camp focusing on leadership fundamentals, with sessions on aviation, drone piloting, and aquaculture. During the camp, you will visit aerospace museums, aquariums, water parks, and aircraft carriers. Adventure training activities include high-rope confidence courses, hiking, rappelling, and rock climbing.
This camp is intensive and hands-on. Its curriculum combines Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) fundamentals with coursework from the Westpoint Military Academy. This program has strong military connections and shows college admissions that you can rise to physical, academic, and leadership challenges.
Cost: $4,500 including room and board
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Application deadline: Not given
Program dates: July 8-20
Eligibility:
Must be entering grades 7-12
· This is a coed camp (the Academy is boys-only during the academic year)
One more option - The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.
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 for 2024, you can refer to this page!
Elise is a writer for Lumiere and a graduate of the University of Montana School of Law. She began writing for Lumiere in 2024 to help connect high school students to research opportunities. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, swimming, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.