This page lists verified STEM programs, health science camps, science museums, volunteering opportunities, and academic enrichment resources available to middle school students (grades 6 through 8) in New York State. Every listing has been checked against official sources. If you find information that is outdated, please contact us.
Science Museums and Institutions
American Museum of Natural History (New York City): AMNH offers extensive youth programs including Saturday and afterschool science labs, summer science camps, and the Lang Science Program for students from groups underrepresented in STEM. Programs cover human biology, genetics, ecology, and other health-adjacent topics. Many programs are free or offered on a sliding scale. Visit amnh.org.
New York Hall of Science (Queens): NYSCI runs STEM camps and workshops for middle schoolers covering life science, biomedical engineering, health technology, and scientific inquiry. Located in Corona, Queens, NYSCI provides hands-on science experiences for students across the five boroughs. Visit nysci.org.
Liberty Science Center (Jersey City, NJ): While technically in New Jersey, LSC is easily accessible to New York City students and offers health science and human body exhibits, summer camps, and STEM enrichment programs. Visit lsc.org.
Museum of Science and Technology (MOST, Syracuse): Upstate New York students can access STEM camps and workshops at MOST, which covers life science, health, and technology topics. Visit most.org.
Buffalo Museum of Science: Offers youth science programs and camps for Western New York students. Visit sciencebuff.org.
Summer STEM and Health Science Camps
Columbia University Science Honors Program: Columbia offers a Saturday science enrichment program for New York City area high school students, but some affiliated programs and summer offerings extend to younger students. Check outreach.columbia.edu for current age-appropriate offerings.
NYU STEM Programs: New York University offers summer STEM enrichment programs for middle and high school students through various departments and outreach offices. Programs vary by year and may include health science, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering components. Visit nyu.edu and search for pre-college or K-12 outreach programs.
CUNY Pipeline Programs: The City University of New York (CUNY) system operates pipeline programs designed to expose New York City public school students to college-level STEM experiences. Programs like the CUNY College Now initiative may offer science courses for qualifying middle and high school students. Contact your school guidance counselor or visit cuny.edu.
Rockefeller University Science Outreach: The Rockefeller University in Manhattan, one of the world’s premier biomedical research institutions, offers science outreach programs for New York City students. Programs may include laboratory visits, scientist mentoring, and STEM workshops. Visit rockefeller.edu.
SUNY Campus Programs: Many SUNY campuses (Stony Brook, Binghamton, Albany, Buffalo, and others) offer summer STEM camps and workshops for middle school students. Programs are typically affordable and provide exposure to university-level science facilities and faculty. Check individual SUNY campus websites for current offerings.
Volunteering Opportunities
Most New York hospitals require volunteers to be at least 14 or 16 years old, so clinical hospital volunteering is generally not available to middle schoolers. However, meaningful non-clinical volunteering builds your service record and exposes you to community health issues.
New York Cares: New York Cares is the city’s largest volunteer organization, coordinating projects across all five boroughs. Some projects accept youth volunteers (often with a parent or guardian). Health-related projects include food distribution, senior center activities, and community wellness events. Visit newyorkcares.org.
Food Bank for New York City: Accepts youth volunteers for food sorting, packing, and distribution events. Food insecurity is a social determinant of health, and this volunteering connects to public health and community medicine themes. Visit foodbanknyc.org.
Special Olympics New York: Welcomes youth volunteers for events, unified sports programs, and athlete support. Provides direct interaction with individuals with intellectual disabilities and builds empathy and communication skills. Visit specialolympics-ny.org.
Ronald McDonald House (New York City): Provides housing for families of children receiving medical treatment at NYC hospitals. Volunteer opportunities may be available for older middle schoolers and include meal preparation, activity support, and family services. Visit rmhcnyc.org.
Upstate and Long Island: Regional United Way chapters, food banks (Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Long Island Cares), Habitat for Humanity affiliates, and local community organizations accept youth volunteers. Check your town or county’s volunteer center for age-appropriate opportunities.
Academic Competitions and Enrichment
Science Olympiad: New York has one of the strongest Science Olympiad programs in the country, with active middle school (Division B) and high school (Division C) participation. Health-related events include Anatomy and Physiology, Disease Detectives, and Forensics. If your school has a Science Olympiad team, join it. The New York Science Olympiad state tournament is held annually. Visit scioly.org.
MATHCOUNTS: New York chapters are active across the state. Strong math skills support every healthcare career pathway, from pharmacology calculations to biostatistics to the quantitative reasoning tested on the MCAT®. AMC 8: The annual math competition for students through grade 8 builds quantitative reasoning abilities.
NYC Science and Engineering Fair: New York City students can participate in the annual NYC Science and Engineering Fair, which accepts projects from middle school students. Health science, behavioral science, and biomedical engineering are common project categories. Regional science fairs across New York State also accept middle school entries.
4-H New York (Cornell Cooperative Extension): 4-H programs in New York are administered through Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension and offer STEM clubs, animal science projects, health education, and leadership development for youth in every county. Programs are particularly strong in rural upstate regions where other STEM enrichment options may be limited. Visit nys4h.cce.cornell.edu.
Online and Virtual Options
New York is a large state, and not every student lives near the cultural institutions of New York City or the SUNY campuses that host in-person programs. If in-person programs are not accessible to you, free virtual resources can fill the gap. Khan Academy® offers comprehensive science and health courses. The NIH provides free STEM teaching resources. Virtual science competitions (Science Bowl, online Science Olympiad events) allow participation from anywhere. Many of the New York City museums listed above expanded their virtual programming in recent years, offering online workshops, virtual lab tours, and interactive science content that students can access from any location in the state.
New York City Pipeline Programs
Sponsor-A-Scholar and similar programs: Several New York City organizations run multi-year pipeline programs that provide academic support, mentoring, and college preparation for students from underserved communities. While not specifically healthcare-focused, these programs build the academic foundation and support network that enable students to pursue healthcare careers. Ask your school guidance counselor about pipeline programs available to students at your school.
Harlem Children’s Zone: HCZ operates cradle-to-career programs in Central Harlem, including STEM education, after-school programming, and health and wellness support. Programs serve students from birth through college. Visit hcz.org.
New York Academy of Sciences Global STEM Alliance: The NYAS offers programs including the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures mentoring initiative and Junior Academy for students interested in STEM research and innovation. Programs connect New York students with scientist mentors and project-based learning experiences. Visit nyas.org.
Public library STEM programs: The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library all offer free STEM workshops, coding classes, science experiments, and maker space access for middle school students year-round. Check your local branch calendar for upcoming programs related to health science, biology, and technology.
References
American Museum of Natural History. “Youth Programs.” AMNH, 2025. https://www.amnh.org/. Accessed March 2026.
New York Hall of Science. “Programs.” NYSCI, 2025. https://nysci.org/. Accessed March 2026.
Special Olympics New York. “Volunteer.” SONY, 2025. https://www.specialolympics-ny.org/. Accessed March 2026.