8 Ivy League AI Programs for Middle School Students

Middle school is an ideal time to explore new interests, and participating in Ivy League programs is a good way to delve into cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence (AI). The Ivy League comprises eight prestigious universities in the United States, renowned globally for their academic rigor and distinguished faculty.

By enrolling in an Ivy League AI program, middle school students will have the opportunity to challenge themselves academically while gaining exposure to world-class education. These programs not only nurture personal growth but also connect you with like-minded peers from diverse backgrounds. They provide a glimpse into the future of education and open doors to diverse possibilities in fields like AI.

Through hands-on learning experiences, these programs help you develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of AI's principles and applications. With mentorship from leading faculty and access to advanced technologies, you can gain a valuable foundation in a rapidly evolving discipline. If you are eager to take the first step toward a future in AI, here is a curated list of eight Ivy League AI programs for middle school students.

1. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program - AI Track

Location: Virtual.

Program Dates: The program runs multiple cohorts throughout the year.

Cost: $2400. Need-based financial aid is available.

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply.

Deadline: Deadlines vary for each cohort. February 9 for the upcoming spring cohort.

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.

2. Veritas AI

Location: Virtual.

Program dates: 

• AI Trailblazers: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.

• AI Junior Fellowship: 12 weeks.

Cost: AI Trailblazers: $1,790 | AI Junior Fellowship: $3900. Need-based financial aid is available 

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply. Completion of AI Trailblazers or prior coding experience with Python is required for the AI Junior Fellowship program.

Deadline: Deadlines vary for each cohort. January 19 for the upcoming spring cohort.

The AI Trailblazers program 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. 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.

The AI Junior Fellowship is a 12-week program where you will work with a mentor to create an independent AI project. In this program, you will receive 1-on-1 guidance sessions to produce a research paper or AI model in your field of interest. 

3. Generative AI for Productivity - Cornell Tech

Application Deadline: There is no deadline to apply. You can enroll anytime.

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply.

Program Duration: This self-paced course starts from January 22.

Fee: $3,750.

Location: Virtual.

Part of Cornell University’s certificate program, this course delves into evaluating and adopting generative AI technologies to transform productivity, business models, and processes. You will learn how AI enables scalable, cost-effective automation of cognitive tasks. By completing the course sequence, you’ll also gain strategic insights to leverage generative AI for personal and organizational growth in the digital era.

4. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python - Harvard University

Application Deadline: There is no deadline to apply. You can enroll anytime.

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply.

Program Duration: This self-paced program typically takes 7 weeks to complete.

Cost: Free!

Location: Virtual.

This program introduces foundational AI concepts and algorithms through engaging projects like building game-playing engines and handwriting recognition systems. You will explore graph search algorithms, optimization, machine learning, and large language models, integrating these elements into Python programs. By completing this course, you will develop practical skills and a solid understanding of AI principles.

5. Data Science and Machine Learning - Harvard University

Application Deadline: There is no deadline to apply. You can enroll anytime.

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply, except residents of Iran, Cuba, and Crimea.

Program Duration: This self-paced program typically takes 4 months to complete.

Fee: $530.

Location: Virtual.

This course helps you build your Python skills and gain expertise in running machine learning models, evaluating outcomes, and identifying data biases. You will tackle real-world data challenges using tools like regression models, decision trees, and random forests. You will also learn key Python libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, matplotlib, and SKLearn that are integrated into the curriculum, offering practical, hands-on experience.

6. Big Data and Education - University of Pennsylvania

Application Deadline: There is no deadline to apply. You can enroll anytime.

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply, except residents of Iran, Cuba, and Crimea.

Program Duration: This self-paced program typically takes 8 weeks to complete. 

Fee: $169.

Location: Virtual.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of educational data mining and learning analytics, equipping you with skills to analyze and apply data effectively. You will dive into techniques like student modeling, learning-at-scale, and AI applications in education, and gain hands-on experience with standard data mining approaches while understanding their strengths, limitations, and appropriate use cases. While this is an advanced course, a basic understanding of statistics, data mining, mathematical modeling, or algorithms is recommended. No prior programming experience is necessary.

7. Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Columbia University

Application Deadline: There is no deadline to apply. You can enroll anytime.

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply, except residents of Iran, Cuba, and Crimea.

Program Duration: This self-paced program typically takes 12 weeks to complete.

Fee: $249.

Location: Virtual.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to building intelligent computer systems and applying AI to solve real-world problems. It covers AI history, intelligent agents, search algorithms, game-playing strategies, and constraint satisfaction techniques. Through hands-on projects, you will design search agents and games while exploring machine learning concepts like linear regression.

8. Learning Python for Data Science - Harvard University

Application Deadline: There is no deadline to apply. You can enroll anytime.

Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply.

Program Duration: This self-paced program typically takes 6 months to complete.

Fee: $665.

Location: Virtual.

This course offers a thorough introduction to Python programming. You will master Python programming, covering variables, loops, conditionals, and functions, and apply Python to solve real-world data science problems using libraries like Pandas, NumPy, and SKLearn. You will also develop critical thinking skills to identify statistical fallacies and gain foundational knowledge for advanced fields like machine learning and AI.

Disclaimer: Some of these programs may require prior knowledge/experience, but are open to everyone in the US. Please ensure you check the requirements thoroughly before you apply!

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