8 Free Online Summer Camps for Middle School Students
As summer approaches, many middle school students are eager to unwind and take a break from their studies. However, summer is also the perfect time to dive into new subjects and explore interests that could shape your future. Free online summer camps are an excellent opportunity for you to gain new skills, discover new interests, and prepare for more advanced coursework in high school. With a wide range of topics available, you can engage in interactive learning experiences that set you up for success in the coming school year.
Here are 8 free online summer camps for middle school students!
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program offers an engaging 8-week experience for middle schoolers. Each student is paired with a mentor to explore their academic interests and develop a meaningful project. Mentors are accomplished scholars from top-tier institutions like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
Throughout the program, students progress through structured phases: in the first four weeks, they explore four unique topics within their chosen track. Weeks five and six intensify this exploration, allowing each student to focus deeply on a single area of interest. The final two weeks are dedicated to project creation, where students work closely with their mentors to bring their ideas to life.
Location: Online
Program Dates: Various cohorts run throughout the year
Cost: Financial aid available
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 6 through 8
Deadline: Deadlines vary for each cohort, November 24, 2024 for the upcoming winter cohort
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. December 1, 2024 for the upcoming winter cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Program Duration: 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort
Fee: Need-based financial aid is available
Location: Online
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. Students 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: Online
Eligibility: This program is open to low-income students currently in grades 6 or 7 who reside and attend school in the United States
Application Deadline: March 29, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. The 2024 dates were July 8 – 26, 2024 (summer course) and August 26 – December 13, 2024 (weekly sessions)
Cost: Free
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program (SMSSP) provides a unique, tuition-free experience for students passionate about STEM. The program begins with an immersive, three-week online summer course in July, followed by virtual weekly sessions from late August through December. These interactive meetings focus on essential skills like high school preparation, academic writing, and math. You will benefit from live discussions with instructors. With 65% of instructors holding PhDs, the program offers high-quality guidance. Each session includes about 12 students, creating a community that fosters both learning and meaningful peer connections.
4. Codecademy
Codecademy offers a wide variety of online coding courses to all age groups for free. From beginners exploring coding for the first time to experienced coders honing their expertise, Codecademy’s courses meet a wide array of learning needs. Featuring live coding exercises, collaborative projects, and a welcoming community, the program offers not only a solid grasp of coding fundamentals but also the chance to shape your educational path.
Location: Online
Eligibility: Open to everyone
Application Deadline: No set deadline
Program Dates: Self-paced online courses, available for enrollment anytime; typically range from 2 to 17 hours in length
Cost: Free
5. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a popular online platform that helps middle school students build strong math and science skills. It offers videos, practice problems, and quizzes for subjects like algebra, geometry, biology, and chemistry. One unique feature of Khan Academy is that it adapts to your progress, giving you questions that match your level to keep you challenged and growing. You can learn at your own pace, fitting lessons into your schedule whenever you want.
Location: Online
Application Deadline: None; available year-round
Program Dates: Year-round
Eligibility: For learners of all ages
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual/In-person TBD
Program Dates: Weekly sessions over six weeks, late June to early August
Deadline: Typically in JuneCost: Free
Eligibility: Female students in grades 6–12
The Women’s Alliance in STEM and Humanities Summer Research Institute is a unique program encouraging girls to explore STEM and humanities through hands-on research. You will work with university faculty and graduate students on real projects, gaining valuable research experience. Workshops run once a week for 2-3 hours each, covering topics from fundamentals to advanced applications. By the end, mentors review each project and support students interested in publication or further research.
The Wolfram Middle School Summer Camp is a week-long program created for middle school girls to develop their skills in programming, computational thinking, and problem-solving. Led by Wolfram instructors, the camp provides hands-on learning experiences, focusing on foundational and advanced concepts in coding, design, and computational thinking. While this is not a conventional research camp, it encourages students to learn through interactive, workshop-based sessions, making it a good option for middle school girls interested in technology.
Location: Online
Program Dates: June 27 – August 1, 2025
Cost: $500, need-based financial aid is available
Eligibility: Middle school students who identify as girls
Deadline: Applications open in December
Varsity Tutors provides free Virtual Summer classes every year, catering to students aged 5 to 18. Topics span Mock Trial, Creative Writing, Hands-On Science, Chess, Origami, and more, with additional focus areas like Art, Math, Computer Science, and Social Studies. Some of these classes are free, but registration in advance is required. This online platform is perfect for students looking for engaging and educational activities to enhance their skills and explore new interests during their summers.
Location: Online
Program Dates: Varies according to the subject
Cost: Most classes are free
Eligibility: Middle school students
Deadline: Self-paced, no deadlines
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.