10 Data Science Programs for Middle School Students
If you are in middle school and interested in data science, it can be hard to figure out what steps you should take to build foundational skills. Taking part in a data science program can be a great start. A lot of these programs will also prepare you for choosing data science related courses in high school!
In this list, we’ve detailed 10 data science programs open to middle school students. Choosing to take part in them will help you build your understanding of data science concepts, which you can later apply in research or competitions.
Location: Virtual
Cost:𑇐 AI Trailblazers - $1,790
𑇐 AI Junior Fellowship - $2,900
Note. Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: December 3, 2023 (Winter Cohort). You can apply here!
Program Dates:
AI Trailblazers - Runs for a total of 25 hours over 10 weekends
AI Junior Fellowship - 12 weeks. The upcoming cohort for both starts on December 16, 2023.
Veritas AI is a virtual AI program for middle school and high school students founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Middle school students can pick from two options - the first is the AI Trailblazers bootcamp. Through this program, you will learn the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning, along with the basics of Python. You'll work on hands-on, real-world AI projects in areas like medicine, finance, autonomous vehicles, and more under the guidance of mentors from top universities. This is best suited for students who are beginners!
If you have already gone through the bootcamp or have some experience with Python, the AI Junior Fellowship is a good option for you. You get to work 1-1 with a mentor to build out your own project or research paper over 12 weeks. This is a great way to work with AI at the intersection of various topics and showcase your passion.
You can take a look at the program brochure .
MIT RAISE - Creativity and AI Workshop
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Varies.
Program Dates: Varies.
Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (RAISE) at MIT offers a variety of valuable tutorials for students starting their AI journey. One of these offerings is the Creativity and AI Workshop for middle school students.
The goal of the program and its curriculum is to teach students about creative machine-learning techniques and how they can partner with AI to create art. You will participate in several hands-on activities, both plugged (using digital devices and hardware) and unplugged (activities that don’t directly use digital devices). This course encourages the explorative creation of art with and without AI tools. A strong focus will be given to GANs, which is an AI platform that can generate art and music, among many other forms of media.
RAISE is a curriculum, as opposed to the other programs that are mentioned in this blog, so you might have to reach out to your teacher/instructor for more information regarding some of the curricula offered.
If you are looking to engage in self-paced learning, RAISE is a pretty good option for you. You can also choose to learn from other workshops and curricula available on the RAISE website, such as Conversational AI Tools and PICaboo.
If you’re interested in going through the detailed curriculum, check this out!
UC Berkeley Coding Academy’s Data Science to AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,495. Limited scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: To be announced.
Program Dates: Held in the summer. Dates to be announced.
Berkeley’s summer course on data science to AI is focused on introducing students to the fundamentals of AI, ML, and big data science. The academy offers 1-1 classes for students aged 12-18 and a junior Python coders program for ages 7-11. Through the programs, you will learn how to write and evaluate Python code behind AI and build ML models from real data. This course is a good choice for you if you are looking to take part in a technical skill-building course. The course has different levels for students based on their coding background. You will work in small groups to create your own projects and models.
If you’re looking to hone your technical and programming skills while gaining access to long-term valuable resources like Berkeley Coding Academy lecture videos, slides, and portfolio projects, consider applying to this program!
UCSD’s Introduction to Python Programming and Machine Learning
Location: UCSD Campus
Cost: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling Admission
Program Dates: Held in the summer. Dates to be announced.
Note. You can reach out to the Pre-College Program department to get the specific dates for the program!
This summer course by UCSD introduces students to programming in Python and one of the most common applications in machine learning - the image classifier. Throughout the program, you will create a basic image classifier (using Google Teachable Machine tool) and will integrate it into an application framework - both in a web page and a Raspberry Pi platform.
By the end of the program, you will be expected to:
𑇐 Write Python scripts executing basic math operations, conditional statements, and loops
𑇐 Write Python functions and call them from a main program
𑇐 Create an image classification model using Google Teachable Machine with at least 3 classes
𑇐 Integrate and test an image classifier model with a Python (or equivalent) script
𑇐 Integrate and test an image classifier model on the Raspberry Pi platform
Philosophy of AI at Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,050. Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024 (based on previous year’s deadlines)
Program Dates: Typically conducted in June and July
Note. This is only open to students from grade 8.
This program encourages students to ask the fundamental questions of what AI means. This initial question leads to some interesting philosophical issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence and raises social and ethical questions about today’s existing technology.Some of the things you will question and discuss are whether reliance on algorithms and ML (for instance, when banks make lending decisions or courts impose criminal sentences) improve fairness or make things worse, and who do we hold accountable if things go wrong? You will explore these wide-ranging issues through readings, discussions, and a variety of activities and projects.
On successfully completing the program, you will receive a certificate of completion.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: None; only registration is required when you start a course.
Program Dates: The courses are available all year round.
AI for Oceans, a collaboration between Code.org and Microsoft, merges marine biology and AI in an accessible format. This unique initiative goes beyond coding, delving into artificial intelligence, machine learning, and ethical considerations. You won’t just be learning in this program but will be training actual machine learning models.
During the program, you will explore the intricacies of marine life using technology. You will enhance and customize a pre-trained model provided by the TensorFlow MobileNet project. You will also use a Support-Vector Machine. As a participant, you will learn about the challenges faced by ocean ecosystems and learn how to harness AI to solve them. Whether you're passionate about computer science, marine biology, or environmental conservation, this program equips you with essential skills.
You will learn to analyze oceanic data, develop AI models to study marine life, and design AI-based solutions to address issues such as pollution and climate change. This is valuable for you whether you are interested in computer science or targetting a career in marine biology and oceanography.
MIT’s Beaver Works Middle School Program
Location: Both in-person and virtual options are available.
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: The program is currently shut for 2023, but you can expect applications for the 2024 batch to open in May (tentative).
Program Dates: 4 weeks starting the Monday after the July 4 weekend, Monday-Friday.
The Beaver Works Middle School Program, an extension of MIT's Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI), offers an exciting gateway to the realms of AI and engineering for middle school students.
This immersive program places a strong emphasis on teamwork, encouraging you to engage in collaborative projects and tackle genuine real-world challenges by applying AI and engineering concepts. Additionally, you'll delve into the intricacies of crafting and programming intelligent systems, explore exciting domains like robotics and autonomous vehicles, and gain invaluable hands-on exposure to state-of-the-art technologies thoughtfully provided as part of the program.
In essence, it's a great opportunity to dive into AI and engineering, discover their real-world applications, and cultivate your skills alongside peers who share your passion for innovative problem-solving.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: None; only registration is required at the time of starting a course.
Program Dates: The courses are available all year round.
A self-paced learning program offered by Google AI, these courses focus on generative AI and machine learning. They help you build a solid foundation for future research or study in the field of computer science and AI. As a middle school student, these courses are pretty well-paced and cover complex topics in AI in a simple manner. Some of the topics covered include linear algebra for AI and ML, machine learning problem framing, and the basics of machine learning.
These courses are purely self-paced, so it is up to you to set aside learning time during your summer break or even during your school year! You can view a complete list of courses offered by Google AI that can be accessed from anywhere in the world here.
Bootstrap’s Data Science Course
Location: In your high school
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Varies.
Program Dates: Varies.
Bootstrap is a team based at Brown University, and they craft research-based data science and computer science modules for math, science, business and social studies classes for grades 5-12. While this is not a program you can do individually, we suggest that you approach your teachers and school to implement free programs such as Bootstrap!
Some of the Data Science concepts you can learn through Bootstrap are measures of center, visualizing data (for statistics classes), consumer demand (for business classes), and the role of data in government and policy for civics and social studies classes. Through Bootstrap, you can develop your analytical skills and understand how data science is applied to various industries!
MehtA + Machine Learning Bootcamp
Location: Virtual
Cost: Not Specified
Application Deadline: June 7, 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s timelines)
Program Dates: June 19 - July 28, 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s timelines)
The MehtA+ Machine Learning Bootcamp is a virtual camp conducted every summer that teaches university-level computer science concepts like programming, AI/ML, and data visualization.
In the 6-week program, you will first start by learning the mathematics behind AI, machine learning, deep learning models and data preprocessing techniques (to name a few - you can view the exhaustive list here!). The program culminates with you working in small groups to develop real-world projects in fields such as medicine, digital humanities, economics and linguistics!
Bonus!
Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
Location: Remote
Cost: $1990 (financial aid is available)
Application deadline: Upcoming spring deadline - 18 February, 2024
Program dates: March 11, 2024
Eligibility: Middle school students
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a 1-on-1 research program designed particularly for middle school students. Through the program, students will get a chance to work with PhD mentors from top universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT, and more to write research papers in their field of interest. You can pick from a wide range of subjects and topics including engineering, business, psychology, and social science. This is a great opportunity for students interested in interdisciplinary research and want to gain in depth knowledge of a subject.
Image Source - MIT RAISE Logo