10 Programs for Middle School Students in California
As a middle school student in California, you might be considering what steps to take now that will help you succeed in high school and beyond. These programs often provide direct exposure to scientific research, allowing you to engage with real-world projects and explore areas of interest in more depth. Hands-on learning experiences can help you develop important skills and deepen your understanding of your chosen subjects.
Additionally, many programs offer the chance to work closely with university faculty or industry experts. This mentorship can provide guidance, answer your questions, and help you make more informed decisions about your future educational and career paths. By participating in these programs, you can start building a solid foundation for high school and beyond.
Here are 10 programs for middle school students in California!
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is designed for middle school students who want to engage in research with PhD mentors from universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT, and others. In this program, you can choose from a range of subjects, including engineering, business, psychology, and social sciences. This is a good opportunity if you’re interested in exploring a specific topic in-depth and developing research skills. Working closely with mentors, you’ll have the chance to gain hands-on experience and learn more about the field you’re interested in.
Location: Remote
Cost: $2400 (financial aid is available)
Application deadline: Mar 9 (Summer cohort). Apply here.
Program dates: 8 weeks starting Mar 11 for the Spring cohort. Summer, Fall, and Winter cohorts are also available.
Eligibility: Middle school students from 6–8 grades can apply.
UC Berkeley’s Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) offers academically advanced students in grades 7 through 11 the chance to take summer courses over six weeks, with classes meeting 2–3 times per week. Sixth-grade students with strong academic records from ATDP’s Elementary Division (K-6) can also apply. You can choose from 40 courses in subjects like Writing, Math, Computer Science, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences, with either half-year or full-year equivalent workloads. Expect to spend 3–10 hours preparing for each class. Students with strong academic backgrounds may take two courses.
Location: University of California, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Tuition varies for each course but you can expect to pay anywhere between $700 to $1,100. Limited financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: TBA.
Program Dates: Typically 6 weeks between June to July.
Eligibility: Open to all middle school and high school students in the U.S. who can commit to attending almost all courses as missing even a few sessions will result in termination from the program.
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a virtual program that teaches middle school students the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over 25 hours, you will learn the basics of Python as well as topics like data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. You learn through lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio.
By the end of the program, you will have worked on a hands-on project in a subject of your choice! Previous projects done by students have included building a machine-learning model to classify music genres and creating a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,990. Need-based financial aid is available
Application deadline: Rolling
Program dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8 can apply.
The Lawrence Hall of Science, part of UC Berkeley, offers the Summer Teen Research Programs for middle and high school students, providing a hands-on approach to learning about STEM. As a middle school student, you can choose from four week-long programs designed to deepen your understanding of various scientific topics through research.
The available programs include Body Systems and Biomedical Innovations, Designing and Engineering Bridges, Solar Energy and Electrical Engineering, and Coding and Engineering Nano-Satellites. Both commuter and residential options are offered, giving you flexibility in how you participate.
Location: The Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, CA
Cost: Tuition for any of the four programs was $1,350, and for the residential option, there was a $1,150 add-on fee. Limited half-and full-price financial aid assistance is available to families with financial need.
Application Deadline: Typically in April. TBA.
Program Dates: One week in June for the middle school program.
Eligibility: Open to all middle school and high school students in the U.S.
The Northrop Grumman Summer Engineering Camp, offered by USC Viterbi School of Engineering as part of its K-12 outreach programs, provides a free opportunity for middle school students in California. This annual camp introduces you to various engineering fields, including aerospace, civil, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering.
During the camp, you will engage in hands-on activities such as building model rockets, circuits, bridges, and robots. You’ll also be introduced to computer science through coding lessons and app development. The program admits 32 students per cohort, prioritizing those from under-resourced schools or backgrounds.
Location: The USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Fully funded
Application Deadline: May (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates). TBA.
Camp Dates: July 14–25(tentatively, based on the previous year’s dates). TBA.
Eligibility: Open to all middle school students from Los Angeles who have at least a B average in math and science classes. A school transcript and a recommendation form from your school teacher are required.
The Sally Ride Science Academy offers a summer camp for middle school students (grades 3–12) focused on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). The camp provides a variety of workshops, including topics such as space exploration, marine biology, and computer programming.
You can choose from week-long courses with both morning and afternoon sessions, or select asynchronous courses that you can complete at your own pace over a four-week period. The program also shares the experiences of women in STEAM fields. Academic credit is available, with 1.50 credits for week-long courses and 4.0 credits for the asynchronous option.
Location: University of California, San Diego, or virtual
Cost: $175-$450; financial aid is available.
Application deadline: Typically in April/May.
Program Dates: July 7— July 25
Eligibility: Students entering 3rd - 12th grade can apply.
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program (SMSSP) is designed to prepare students for high school by offering a three-week online summer course, followed by weekly online meetings during the fall. During the summer course, you will work with a small cohort of students on topics like academic writing, math enrichment, and exploring high school options. In the fall, you’ll continue learning with weekly sessions focused on building a growth mindset and academic skills.
The program emphasizes live, real-time interactions with experienced instructors, many of whom hold a Ph.D. in their fields. Throughout the program, you’ll also receive guidance on high school options and academic enrichment opportunities. The program is tuition-free, making it an accessible resource for students from low-income families.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Mar 20
Program Dates: Summer Course- Jul 7 to Jul 25 | Fall Semester Meetings- Aug 27 to Dec 10.
Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 6 or 7 from low-income families, typically with household incomes under $90,000, who commit to attending both the summer course and fall semester meetings.
Girls in Engineering (GiE), an initiative by Berkeley Engineering’s K-12 outreach, seeks to address the gender gap in STEM fields by offering two main events for local middle school girls: a week-long STEM camp and a one-day Expanding Your Horizons workshop. The summer camp, hosted at UC Berkeley, provides hands-on science and engineering experiences, with guidance from faculty, industry experts, and current students. The program admits about half of the applicants.
Location: University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Cost: The tuition was $600 for last year’s program. Need-based scholarships are available.
Camp Dates: Two sessions in June and July. TBA.
Application Deadline: TBA.
Eligibility: Only middle school students (6th, 7th, and 8th grades) from the San Francisco Bay Area are eligible to apply. Students from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.
The Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) offers a Middle School Entrepreneurship program where you can learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Over two weeks, you’ll create, run, and close down a virtual business while exploring business fundamentals such as finance, marketing, and accounting. The program includes classroom projects, teamwork, and opportunities to interact with experienced professors, mentors, and entrepreneurs. You will also develop essential computer skills for modern business and gain insights into how technology plays a role in business success. Additionally, you’ll receive a guided tour of the UC Berkeley campus.
Location: Haas School of Business, Berkeley, CA
Cost: There was a non-refundable $80 application fee, and the tuition was $3,640 for California residents & $4,160 for out-of-state applicants (subject to change).
Application Deadline: Mid-March.
Program Dates: Jun 9 — Jun 20
Eligibility: Open to all middle school students, including international students, who can commit to the full two-week program and can make housing and meal provisions for themselves, as this is a commuter program.
Otis College offers a variety of summer camps for middle school students interested in art and design. These weeklong camps focus on areas such as fashion design, cartooning, animation, graphic design, and toy design, providing hands-on experience in each field. The camps are designed to help you develop technical skills while also encouraging creative expression. Whether you are learning new techniques or exploring artistic concepts, the programs at Otis College provide a supportive environment for growth as an artist.
Location: Otis College, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Variable based on dates and age. Find a clear cost breakdown here.
Application Deadline: Unspecified. More information might be available in the virtual info session regarding the application dates and deadlines.
Camp Dates: Multiple camps from Jun 16–Aug 8.
Eligibility: Students ages 5–14 can apply.
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