8 Machine Learning (ML) Summer Programs for Middle School Students
Machine Learning (ML) is no longer just a concept for tech professionals; it’s becoming a fascinating area of exploration for middle school students. With AI and ML driving much of today’s technological innovation, starting early gives you an edge.
Learning these skills before entering high school allows you to understand foundational concepts, gain hands-on experience, and shape your academic paths toward future studies in computer science. Early exposure also builds transferable skills like logical reasoning, problem-solving, and programming—tools that are invaluable regardless of your eventual academic major.
Here’s a list of 8 programs that equip middle schoolers with essential AI and ML skills.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2400
Application Deadline: Applications open year-round; Apply here!
Program Dates: 8 weeks | Multiple cohorts a year
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 6 through 8
The Junior Explorer Program is tailored for middle school students (Grades 6–8) to discover their academic interests while developing a project they’re passionate about. This 8-week virtual program allows you to delve into diverse subjects, including mathematics, artificial intelligence, history, and social anthropology, among others. You will receive personalized, one-on-one mentorship to guide you through the process of building your projects and refining your ideas.
Given the program's rigor, shortlisted applicants must complete an interview to ensure alignment with the program's objectives and expectations.
Location: Duke University
Cost:
Residential: $1,830
Commuter: $2,580
Application Deadline: N/A
Program Dates: July 20-25
Eligibility: Middle schoolers
The Duke Pre-College AI and Machine Learning Program for middle school students offers an exciting introduction to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence. Through hands-on projects and engaging lessons led by Duke faculty, PhD students, and industry experts, you will explore neural networks, machine learning, data analysis, and natural language processing. This program will equip you with critical skills in decision-making, problem-solving, and collaboration.
You will benefit from the immersive campus experience, complete with world-class dining, social events, and guided tours of Duke’s facilities.
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Program dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.
Fee: $1,790
Financial assistance: Need-based financial aid is available
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. YouStudents 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: Starts at $1,999
Application Deadline: Applications open year round
Program Dates: July 14-August 1
Eligibility: Ages 12-18
The Berkeley Coding Academy’s summer program offers you a chance to explore data science and AI applications. Over three weeks, you will work on projects like image classification, astronomical object detection, movie/music recommendation systems, text generation, and deepfake detection. You will gain experience building and optimizing models using technologies like CNNs, RNNs, LLMs, and GANs.
Throughout the program, you will work on multiple mini-projects, with a final project of your own choosing. You will also receive lifetime access to the Academy’s learning resources, which include over 100 4K Data Science videos, Colab Notebooks, and additional instructional content. The program is divided into two cohorts: one for students with basic Python proficiency (including functions and libraries), and another for beginners new to coding.
Location: San Diego
Cost: $275
Application Deadline: Not mentioned
Program Dates: 7 July-11 July
Eligibility: Middle school students
The University of San Diego's Middle School: Raspberry Pi program introduces students to the exciting world of computing and electronics using the powerful Raspberry Pi microcomputer. You will learn the basics of Python scripting while exploring real-world applications, such as creating a dimmer switch, an intruder alarm with a camera, and a drum set. Alongside coding, you will gain hands-on experience with electronic components like resistors, LEDs, and rotary potentiometers, building a solid foundation for future app design and programming studies.
This program is perfect for middle schoolers eager to dive into coding and hardware projects. No prior experience is needed, but a curiosity for technology and a willingness to learn are essential. You will leave with valuable skills in Python programming, electronics, and practical problem-solving. Write to precollege@ucsd.edu or contact 858-534-0804 for further information.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $49/month
Application Deadline: No deadline
Program Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Anyone
The Machine Learning Specialization course, offered online by Stanford University and DeepLearning.AI, provides an engaging introduction to artificial intelligence and machine learning concepts. Designed for young learners, this program balances hands-on coding exercises with visual explanations of foundational topics like supervised and unsupervised learning, neural networks, and decision trees. You will gain practical experience building models using Python and tools like TensorFlow and sci-kit-learn, preparing them to explore AI's real-world applications. With no prior coding or math experience required, this course fosters curiosity and critical thinking while empowering students to solve problems creatively. A computer with basic setup is all that's needed to get started.
Location: Virtual or Online
Cost: Free of cost
Application Deadline: Rolling applications. Apply here
Program Dates: Typically in the summer
Eligibility: Applicants should be girls from Grades 6-12
The Girls Who Code Summer Clubs program offers middle school students a free and flexible opportunity to explore computer science in a supportive, all-female environment. Through interactive online or in-person sessions, you engage in fun coding projects, build technical skills, and form connections with peers and mentors. Designed for grades 6-12, the program includes comprehensive guides, tutorials, and facilitator support. You’ll gain hands-on coding experience and discover how computer science can make a positive impact on the world. No prior preparation is required—just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm for learning! Apply here.
Location: Virtual via edX
Cost: Free with an optional upgrade available
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Program Dates: Begins on Dec 1 - 7 weeks, 10–30 hours per week, self paced
Eligibility: The program is open to anyone with sufficient coding experience
HarvardX: CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python offers middle school students a comprehensive introduction to the principles and algorithms underlying modern artificial intelligence. This program dives into the technologies powering innovations like game-playing engines, handwriting recognition, and machine translation. Through hands-on projects, participants explore key AI topics, including graph search algorithms, adversarial search, machine learning, reinforcement learning, neural networks, and natural language processing. You also gain experience with Python programming and popular AI libraries, enabling you to design and implement your intelligent systems.
Taught by Harvard University experts David J. Malan and Brian Yu, you will develop critical thinking, coding, and problem-solving skills while exploring real-world AI applications. Prior experience with Python or basic coding knowledge is recommended but not mandatory, making this course accessible to students eager to learn about AI. By the program's end, you will have gained a solid foundation in artificial intelligence and hands-on experience with building projects that apply these advanced concepts.