10 Summer Enrichment Programs for Middle School Students
If you are a middle school student who learns better through hands-on experiments and want to bolster your academic learning beyond the school curriculum, you should consider enrolling in summer enrichment programs. These programs help you explore concepts often overlooked in school and also help you continue your learning throughout the summer without the pressure of assignments and tests.
Summer enrichment programs are designed to bolster students’ academic and social confidence, which they can carry into school after the summer. Most of the activities in these programs are designed to help you catch up on classes that you might’ve missed out on during the school year through an interactive and hands-on approach. Interacting with like-minded peers will also help you develop your social skills.
They are also good at countering the summer slide, which is a common occurrence, especially in middle school students, in which students forget some of the learning they achieved in the previous school year over the break. So, with that being said, in this blog, we will explore 10 summer enrichment programs for middle school students.
1. Middle School Programs @ Institute of Extended Learning, University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)'s Institute of Extended Learning (IXL) department has a summer enrichment academy that provides several week-long courses for middle and high school students. Five sessions are held between June and August every year, and while most of the classes are held in person, a few virtual courses are also available. You can check out the complete list of enrichment courses offered here.
You can register for one course or multiple courses, as long as there is no conflict in schedules. There is a long list of science, engineering, technology, the arts, and humanities programs that you can choose from and all are led by UMBC faculty, industry professionals, or graduate students.
Every program accepts 10-25 participants and seats are reserved on a first-come-first-basis, so you will need to ensure your seat well in advance.
Cost: $299 to $500 depending on the course
Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Program Dates: June to August 2025
Deadline: Rolling basis, March 31 is the deadline for early-bird discounts
Eligibility: Open to all middle school students who can travel daily to the UMBC campus as this is a commuter program.
2. Stanford Middle School Scholars Program
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program is a free program with a summer and academic year component through the fall semester designed for students from low-income communities to prepare them for high school. The program consists of discussions and focused workshops covering topics such as exploring options for high school, academic writing, math enrichment, and growth mindset.
The program is conducted by Stanford Online High School (OHS) instructors, with almost three-fifths of them having PhDs. They will interact with you and help you reach your full academic potential as they help you develop the skills needed to excel in academic subjects. The batch size is limited to 12 students, so you will have enough time and opportunities to interact with like-minded peers, instructors, and guest speakers.
Students between 8th to 12th grade can participate in one of the many courses offered by the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. These courses are also conducted online, though there is a $3,050 tuition to register for these programs and you can check out the list of programs for 8th grade students here.
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Three weeks in the summer of 2025 and meetings throughout the fall semester after school
Deadline: March 2025
Eligibility: Open to all 6-7 grade students from low-income families in the U.S.
3. Morse Summer Music Academy @ Yale University
The Morse Summer Music Academy is a free, month-long, intensive music program for students entering grades 5 to 11 in the New Haven Public Schools hosted at the prestigious Yale University. The program is available for woodwind, brass, string, percussion, and choir students.
To participate in the program, apart from having good academic standing and an interest in music, you also need to complete an in-person audition to be placed in an appropriate ensemble. You should come to each performance assessment prepared to perform or sing a one-to-two-minute solo, play a significant scale, and sight-read a short excerpt.
This is one of the few enrichment programs that helps you focus on extracurricular activities. You are expected to be available full-time for this program, which runs between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm daily, and free lunch is also provided. You can check the schedule from the previous year here. Please note: three absences will result in a dismissal from the program for that semester.
Cost: Free
Location: Yale School of Music, New Haven, CT
Program Dates: June 24–July 19, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Deadline: March 2025
Eligibility: Open to students entering grades 5 to 11 in the New Haven Public Schools
4. Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP)
NYU's Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) is a month-long program for middle and high school students from the New York State area that is designed to help the participants enhance their knowledge of STEM areas. Middle school students can only participate in Math and English courses, while students in 11th and 12th grade are also eligible for the research program and college preparatory courses.
To apply, you need to have an average score of 80 in Science, Math, and English and meet the economic eligibility criteria, which you can check here!
Cost: $350
Location: NYU campus, New York, NY
Program Dates: July to August 2025
Deadline: March 2025
Eligibility: Open to students currently in grades 7 to 12 in the New York State area
5. Middle and High School STEM Workshops @ West Point
United States Military Academy West Point’s Center for Leadership and Diversity in STEM (CLDSTEM) organizes and runs the annual West Point middle school and high school STEM workshops every summer. Two sets of workshops are available for students in grades 6-7 and 8-9. The week-long STEM workshops and activities are taught by Academy faculty and cadet mentors.
Subjects like civil and mechanical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, general relativity, and math are covered via multiple hands-on courses. Only 120 middle and high school students are selected for the summer programs every year.
Cost: Free
Location: United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
Program Dates: June 2025
Deadline: February 2025
Eligibility: Open to all students in grades 6-9 from the U.S. and participants need to be U. S citizens
6. Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration @ OSU
The Summer Exploration program at Ohio State University is a collection of week-long courses designed for middle and high school students to advance their knowledge in a particular field through lectures that cover topics beyond your school syllabus. Classes are offered on campus and run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Middle school students are eligible for courses meant for 7th and 8th grade. For the 2024 program, only three courses were offered for middle school students - Explorations in Creative Writing, Printmaking, and Intercultural Competence for Future Global Leaders. These courses are taught by Ohio State faculty, staff, and graduate students, and the hands-on approach helps students have multiple interaction opportunities.
The Ohio State University at Marion also offers the Summer Engineering Camp for Middle School Students, a week-long program at $125 in which you will learn about robotics, chemical engineering, and more.
Cost: $550, limited financial aid is available
Location: College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Program Dates: June 2025
Deadline: May 2025
Eligibility: Open to all students in grades 7-11 from any school across the U.S.
7. Middle School Enrichment @ Notre Dame High School
The Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks hosts an annual Middle School Enrichment program in which the participants attend 4-week long courses to enhance their interest across academic and creative fields. You can register for three of the eight tracks - Band, Languages, Science, STEAM, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Math, and Writing. There will be two-hour long classes for each of your selected tracks. You can check out the program details here.
If you are interested in exploring some unique courses, you can opt for Debate and Film-making camps, which are programs offered by Notre Dame High School’s Debate and Film programs. They are week-long programs with a cost of $400 and $500, respectively.
Cost: $400
Location: Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, CA
Program Dates: June 2025
Deadline: May 2025
Eligibility: Open to all students in grades 7-11 from any school across the U.S.
8. Expanded Learning Programs at CEISMC, Georgia Tech
Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) is a department of the Georgia Institute of Technology that hosts Summer P.E.A.K.S. (Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEAM) for middle and high school students. As part of the program, you get to enhance learning during the summer in experiential activities on campus at Georgia Tech through one or two-week-long courses.
Topics like coding, 3D game design, engineering basics, data science, engineering, AI, psychology, film production, and more are included in these courses, so if you are interested in augmenting your STEM knowledge, you should consider applying for the program.
Cost: $500; limited scholarship of up to 75% of the fee is available
Location: Multiple locations at the Georgia Tech campus and you will be notified of the exact location via mail
Program Dates: Multiple sessions in June and July every year
Deadline: Rolling basis and registration links will be updated on the website
Eligibility: Open to all students in grades 7-11 from any school across the U.S. as long as they can commute daily
9. Continuing Studies Programs @ Duke University
As part of Duke University’s Pre-college program, students currently in the 6-11 grades can participate in one or two-week-long courses, which provide them with advanced academic opportunities and an introduction to the college experience. You will have access to university facilities and labs, which will augment whatever you learn from renowned faculty and researchers during the lectures. You can check the 2024 program reference document here.
Multiple course options across Engineering, Humanities, Math, Science, Social Sciences, and Technology are available to choose from for middle school students. The application process consists of two steps. First, you need to apply for the Duke Pre-College program, and only if you receive acceptance can you go ahead and select the desired course. After this, you will need to complete all formalities like fee payment and apply for financial aid.
Cost: One-week Programs: $1,400, add-on of $750 for meals and boarding in the residential option | Two-week Programs: $2,800, add-on of $1,900 for meals and boarding in the residential option. Financial aid of up to 100% of the program tuition is available.
Location: Duke University campus, Durham, NC
Program Dates: Four sessions between June and July 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Deadline: The application deadline will probably be the first week of April 2025
Eligibility: Open to all students in grades 6-11 from any school across the U.S.
10. Elevate College Prep @ Illinois Institute of Technology
Elevate College Prep allows middle school and high school students to take part in fun and rewarding summer college prep programs in Chicago. Through these programs, participants supplement their knowledge and enhance their skills through engaging programs covering STEM fields, business, law, the arts, and more.
All students who complete their program will receive an official certificate of completion. Middle school students had the option to choose from one of the five courses -
Do note that the residential option is not available for middle school students, and all programs are for commuters.
Cost: Varies, depending on the program, will be updated in 2025
Location: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
Program Dates: June and July 2025
Deadline: Rolling basis will be updated in 2025
Eligibility: Open to all middle and high school students in the U.S.
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