14 Robotics Summer Camps for Middle School Students
Robotics is one such field that is becoming increasingly relevant as technology advances. Automation will probably be an integral part of many areas in the future, and if you’re a curious middle school student who wants to understand how complex machines are used across industries, then you should consider a robotics summer camp!
These camps will allow you to learn the fundamental concepts of engineering, coding, and problem-solving, which are essential skills in today's technology-driven world, and are the foundation of the field of robotics. Robotics camps are designed to challenge your creativity, whether you're new to robotics or looking to expand your existing knowledge. A summer robotics camp offers a stimulating environment to explore your interests, make new friends, and further your passion.
To help you get started, we have compiled a list of 14 robotics summer camps for middle school students!
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Program dates: The program is typically held over one week in August.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in March.
Eligibility: Rising 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th graders
The DynaMIT Program, hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will introduce you to the world of robotics, providing both a solid theoretical foundation and hands-on experiences. During the DynaMIT Program, you will be engaged in learning the basics of mechanical design, electronics, and programming, all essential components in the field of robotics. Instruction is delivered by MIT students, ensuring that you receive high-quality education and insight into the latest advancements in technology and robotics.
Structured around interactive workshops and project-based learning, the DynaMIT Program encourages you to apply the concepts you learn in real-time by working on your own robotics projects. You will start with simple tasks to grasp the fundamentals and gradually move on to more complex challenges, fostering your problem-solving skills and creativity. The final output of the program is a project showcase where you and your team will present your completed project to peers, instructors, and guests.
Here is everything you need to know before applying to the DynaMIT program!
2. Science of Smart Cities (SoSC) by NYU’s School of Engineering
Location: New York University, NYC
Cost: Free
Program dates: July 8, 2024 - August 2, 2024
Application Deadline: April 14, 2024
Eligibility: Students who are at least 12 years old by the start of the program, but not older than 14 on the day the program begins, can apply. Those applying must be NYC residents.
The Science of Smart Cities (SoSC) program is a great opportunity for you if you’re interested in robotics and its application within the framework of urban development. This program focuses on teaching you how to apply principles of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to solve real-world challenges facing modern cities. During the course, you will explore concepts in robotics, energy science, urban infrastructure, and environmental sustainability, and use these concepts to imagine and design solutions that could make cities smarter, more efficient, and more livable.
The structure of the SoSC program is designed to be highly interactive and project-based, encouraging you to apply what you've learned through hands-on activities and collaborative projects. Initially, you will explore the basics of robotics and smart technologies, gradually progressing to more complex topics as the program continues. One of the key components of the program is the final project, where you will work in teams to design a smart city solution that addresses a specific urban challenge. The culmination of the program is a showcase event where you present your projects to an audience of peers, instructors, and possibly industry professionals. The program also offers the opportunity to network with peers and experts in the field, along with access to guest lectures, workshops, and seminars.
3. Arizona State University 7Up RobotCamp
Location: On-campus
Cost: $850. Financial aid is available.
Program Dates: June 17-28, 2024
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Rising grade 7-8 students
Arizona State University's 7Up RobotCamp is an opportunity for students to dive into the world of robotics and programming, beginning with the Alice programming environment. In this initial phase, you will explore 3D animation, movie, and game development, learning the fundamentals of programming in a visually engaging and intuitive way. This part of the camp is designed to spark your interest in technology and programming, setting a solid foundation for more complex concepts.
As the camp progresses, you will transition from the Alice programming environment to more focused robotics design and construction. Using EV3 robotics programming, you and your fellow campers will design, build, and program robots capable of performing tasks and solving challenges. This part of the camp mirrors the complexity and excitement of the FIRST Lego League (FLL) Robotics Competition, offering a real-world application of your newly acquired skills. You will participate in a robotics challenge that tests your problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and creativity.
Location: Competition rounds are held either online or at various locations in your state. MIT will likely hold the finals on campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cost: Free
Program dates: Five weeks. Tentatively, the program will run from the end of June to the beginning of August
Application deadline: Applications typically in May
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Note: Details on the 2024 program are yet to be announced.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in partnership with NASA, Boeing, the ISS National Lab, the National Science Foundation, and other aerospace companies offers a five-week program to introduce middle school students to computer programming, robotics, and space engineering. Each year, through a game, students have to solve problems of interest to NASA and MIT.
In 2023, students competed to see which team could program NASA’s Astrobee Satellite the best. Astrobee is NASA’s robotic system that reduces the time astronauts spend moving in zero gravity. Students controlled Astrobee’s speed, rotation, and direction of travel to reduce navigation time while conserving fuel.
5. Education Unlimited Robotics Summer Camp
Location: UC Berkeley, CA and Stanford University, CA
Cost: The program costs between $2,000 and $3,000, depending on whether you opt for food and lodging. Education Unlimited offers partial tuition waivers (up to 50%) to students with demonstrable financial need
Program Dates: June 30, 2024 - July 5, 2024 (UC Berkeley) | July 28, 2024 - August 2, 2024 (Stanford University)
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Rising grade 6-8 students
At the Education Unlimited Robotics Summer Camp, you will dive into the world of robotics using the cutting-edge VEX5 robotics platform, recognized globally as a leading classroom robotics platform. Starting from the ground up, you'll begin by constructing a chassis, which serves as the skeleton of your robot, providing stability and support for all other components. This foundational step is crucial as it prepares you for the subsequent stages of robot development. Following the chassis construction, you'll move on to mounting motors, adding wheels, and incorporating gears to create a comprehensive drive system. This process allows you to learn about essential mechanical concepts such as speed and torque, enabling your robot to move and respond to commands.
You will also dive deeper into the complexities of robotics by exploring electrical circuits, power sources (like batteries), and communication systems (such as radio controllers). The camp emphasizes the engineering process, employing design thinking to brainstorm, construct, test, and redesign your robots to meet various challenges. You will get to enhance your robots with sensors and robotic arms, furthering their capabilities to navigate through early challenges including terrain navigation and transportation tasks. The program ends with a presentation where you and your team will design and compete in a robotics sports competition.
6. Boston University College of Engineering’s U-Design
Location: Boston University, MA
Cost: $450
Program dates: July 17-21, 2024
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis till the workshop’s 20-seat limit is reached
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-9
The Boston University College of Engineering U-Design program is designed for students who are keen to explore the fundamentals of engineering, robotics design, and innovation. U-Design is structured to be interactive and project-based, allowing you to dive into the mechanics and electronics that power robotics. From the initial design concept to the final build, you will work with your peers to create a functioning robot. The program encourages experimentation and iteration, teaching you to embrace failure as a part of the learning process. You will learn to use various tools and technologies essential for robotics engineering, including programming languages, software for design, and hardware components. The culmination of your efforts is a final project presentation, where you will showcase your robot to instructors, peers, and family members.
7. NYU’s Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP)
Location: NYU, New York City
Cost: $350
Program dates: July 5, 2024 - August 4, 2024
Application Deadline: March 24, 2024
Eligibility: Students who are New York State residents, have an 80 average in Math, Science, and English, meet New York state requirements, meet state-determined economic criteria listed on the eligibility section of the website, are middle or high school students in grades 7-12, can apply.
The NYU Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) is a program that will deepen your interest in robotics and your understanding of science and technology. This program combines academic enrichment with practical, project-based learning. Morning classes are dedicated to enhancing your understanding of core academic subjects, with a focus on mathematics and English. You will have the opportunity to study a range of math topics, including Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus AB, and Calculus BC, depending on your level of expertise and interest. Additionally, the English Seminar aims to improve your writing skills and critical thinking abilities, preparing you for success in all academic areas.
In the afternoon, STEP shifts focus to elective project classes that are specifically designed to apply academic concepts to real-world scenarios, particularly in the fields of robotics, engineering, and technology. These elective classes emphasize hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches, allowing you to explore the practical applications of your morning lessons in exciting and innovative ways. Whether you're building a robot, designing a software program, or exploring the principles of engineering, you'll be encouraged to think creatively and work collaboratively.
8. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: AI Trailblazers - $1,790 | AI Junior Fellowship - $2,900. Need based financial aid is available
Program Dates: AI Trailblazers - Runs for a total of 25 hours over 10 sessions | AI Junior Fellowship - 12 weeks. Starts June 9, 2024 for the Summer.
Application Deadline: Summer cohort - April 21, 2024 (regular admission I) & May 19 (regular admission II). Apply here!
Eligibility: All high school students in grades 6-8
Veritas AI offers two programs for middle school students with an interest in robotics and artificial intelligence – the AI Trailblazers program and the AI Junior Fellowship.
The AI Trailblazers program is an introductory course aimed at students eager to explore the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and how it might intersect with robotics. In this program, you'll engage in interactive lessons and hands-on projects that illuminate the core principles of AI. Working in small groups, you'll apply these principles to solve problems and create simple AI-driven robotics projects. The final outcome of this program is a group project where you'll design and present an AI-based solution.
The AI Junior Fellowship, on the other hand, offers a more personalized approach to learning AI, focusing on mentorship and individual projects. As a participant, you will receive one-on-one guidance from an AI expert from top universities like Harvard, MIT, Stanford and more, allowing for a customized learning experience that aligns with your specific interests in robotics and AI. This program dives deeper into the intricacies of AI development and applications in robotics, challenging you to create an innovative project under the mentorship of your assigned expert. Your final output will be your own AI/robotics project.
9. University of Michigan Thinkabit Lab Summer Program
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | Virtual
Cost: Free
Program dates: The program is typically held over one week in August.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in March.
Eligibility: Current 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
The University of Michigan Thinkabit Lab Summer Program, in collaboration with Qualcomm® Thinkabit Lab™, offers a Tech for Good Camp designed for those with a passion for robotics and engineering. This one-week STEM camp, held at the Michigan Engineering Zone in Midtown Detroit, blends scientific and mathematical learning with practical engineering projects. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to learn from professional engineers, gain hands-on experience with various engineering tools, and delve into the engineering design process.
During the camp, you will start by exploring basic concepts in robotics and engineering and gradually work your way up to designing and building your own robotic projects. At the end of your week at the Thinkabit Lab, you will present your final project. This project, focused on the theme of "Tech for Good," encourages you to consider how technology, specifically robotics, can be used to address real-world issues.
10. CEISMC Summer P.E.A.K.S. at Georgia Tech University
Location: Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $450
Program dates: The program is typically held over 2 weeks in July.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in March.
Eligibility: Rising 6-8th graders
CEISMC Summer P.E.A.K.S. (Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEAM) at Georgia Tech University offers a solid program for middle school students interested in robotics, as part of their broader initiative to enhance knowledge in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). These one to two-week long programs are specially designed for rising 6th to 8th-grade students, aiming to enrich their summer with hands-on, experiential activities that take place on the Georgia Tech campus. In the LEGO Robotics track, you will have the opportunity to design, build, and program robots using LEGO Spike technology, applying physical science and mathematics concepts to solve real-life challenges.
Throughout the CEISMC Summer P.E.A.K.S. LEGO Robotics program, you and your team will tackle various scenarios that simulate real-world problems. These challenges could involve tasks like cleaning up parks, rescuing pets from burning buildings, or any number of inventive and socially beneficial missions. Each week, new challenges will test your robot's design and functionality, pushing you to continually refine and improve your creation. The program culminates in a showcase event where your team will present your robot and its capabilities.
11. Camp Integem
Location: Multiple locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Orange County
Cost: Between $570 and $2000, depending on the program. Partial financial aid is available
Duration: Between one and three weeks; programs are held in July and August
Application deadline: There is no information available
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Integem offers in-person summer camps in STEM, AI, robotics, AR coding, game design, and much more for students in California. A unique selling point of Integem is that it is an NVIDIA-authorized training partner. During the camp, Students can earn NVIDIA AI certificates from the company’s deep learning institute. For robotics, students can choose to attend one (or more) of the following programs:
Intro to AI Engineering with AR
Intro to Robotics Design & AR Coding
AI Robotics Engineering with AR Coding
Advanced AI Robot Design with AR & NVIDIA Jetson Nano*
*The Jetson Nano developer kit is a compact computer that lets you run multiple neural networks simultaneously for actions like image classification, object detection, segmentation, and speech processing.
12. Summer Discovery Middle School Enrichment Program at UCLA
Location: University of California, Los Angeles
Cost: from $4,199 (commuter students) to $8,889 (residential students). Summer Discovery does not offer financial aid
Program dates: June 23, 2024 - July 11, 2024
Application deadline: There is no information available
Eligibility: Middle school students aged 11-13
Summer Discovery offers pre-college academic programs at leading U.S. colleges. At UCLA, they offer their Building Bots: A Robotics Journey program for middle school students curious about robotics.
During the three-week program, students will study the basics of robot modeling, design, planning, and system configurations. Students can expect to gain critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills throughout the program.
13. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,990
Program Dates: 8 weeks starting March 11 (Spring cohort) and June 3 (Summer cohort)
Application Deadline: May 12, 2024 (Summer cohort) | February 18, 2024 (Spring cohort)
Eligibility: Students grade 6-8 are eligible to apply
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an 8-week program that allows you to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore your academic interests and build a project you are passionate about. The program mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke and LSE. If you’re interested in exploring the field of robotics further, via research, this program might be a good idea!
During the first four weeks of the program, you will explore four distinct topics within your selected track. During the next two weeks, you will deep dive into one specific topic. The last two weeks are dedicated to project implementation, while you will receive guidance and support from your mentors as you bring your project to life. You can find the application form here.
14. John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
The Center for Talented Youth, John Hopkins University’s non-profit academic arm, offers two robotics programs for middle school students, one online and another in-person:
In this program, students learn how a robot survives in space and explores extraterrestrial regions. Students will study programming concepts like conditionals, variables, functional decomposition, abstraction, and flow control to design, build, and operate a robot that can survive a Martian landscape.
Location: Online
Program dates: Three weeks, 12-15 hours per week ( three hours of class and 9-12 hours of independent work)
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Cost: $1,325. Financial aid is available
Eligibility: Students in grades 5 and 6
This program gives students an introduction to fundamental robotics concepts. You will learn the basics of electrical and mechanical engineering and dive into programming concepts like algorithms, sequential control flow, and boolean operations. During the program, your group will build and program a robot.
Location: Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California
Program dates: June 23 - July 12, 2024
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Cost: If you choose to study at the Roger Williams campus, the fees range from $5,799 (commuter fees) to $6,599 (residential). For Loyola Marymount University, fees are $5,999 (commuter) and $6,819 (residential). Financial aid is available
Eligibility: Grades 5 and 6
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