For Middle School Students
Course Catalog
This information is for STEM Academy Ignite (grades 6-8).
Visit the high school program page for grades 9-12.
Learn more about courses for middle school students offered through APL’s STEM Academy Ignite program.
Courses are offered based on instructor availability. Review the timeline and course schedule for more information on current course offerings.
- Grade Level: 6–8
- Duration: Six weeks (one class per week, 90 minutes each)
- Prerequisites: None – perfect for beginners!
Learn to code by creating games, stories, and animations! In this hands-on course, students use the Scratch programming platform to explore the basics of computer science—like sequences, loops, variables, and more. Every week builds new skills through fun, creative projects. By the end, students will code their own final project and gain confidence as digital creators!
- Grade Level: 6–8
- Duration: Six weeks (one class per week, 90 minutes each)
- Prerequisites: None – perfect for beginners!
Step into the shoes of a real crime scene investigator! In this hands-on forensics course, students collect fingerprints, analyze mysterious powders, decode DNA, and explore blood-spatter patterns to uncover the science behind solving crimes. Each week brings new clues and scientific tools as students use real forensic techniques to crack the case. The course ends with a mock crime scene investigation where students put their detective skills to the test!
- Grade Level: 6–8
- Duration: Six weeks (one class per week, 90 minutes each)
- Prerequisites: Completion of the Code Quest: Scratch Adventures course or experience coding with block-based code such as Scratch or MakeCode
Bring code to life! In this hands-on course, students use micro:bit mini-computers and MakeCode to build interactive projects with lights, buttons, sensors, and motors. Learn how software powers real-world devices. Perfect for curious creators ready to explore the magic where coding meets hardware.
- Grade Level: 6–8
- Duration: Six weeks (one class per week, 90 minutes each)
- Prerequisites: None – perfect for beginners!
Explore how AI works, where we see it in everyday life, and why human thinking still matters. In this hands-on course, students investigate the benefits and risks of AI, uncover how machine learning works, and tackle real-world challenges like bias and misinformation. Perfect for curious minds ready to think critically about the future of technology.