Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Investigate real data with Python and Pandas in this 3-week Institute for the Gifted course for middle school students on UCLA’s campus.
Rated 4.3 out of 5 for classroom experience by students who took this course in 2026.
Course Description
How can a collection of numbers reveal a pattern, test an idea, or support a prediction? Students begin by asking where data science appears in everyday life, then set up Anaconda and Jupyter notebooks to explore Python syntax, variables, expressions, and data types.
Hands-on investigations make statistical thinking concrete. Students review mean, median, mode, and outliers through card-based activities, then use Pandas DataFrames to import, clean, slice, and analyze datasets. They practice removing missing values, isolating columns, creating bar graphs, pie charts, and histograms, and choosing labels and formats that make a visualization clear.
As their skills grow, students examine correlation versus causation, consider how interpretation changes a data story, and explore introductory linear regression. Capstone checkpoints guide each student from selecting a dataset and question to building a documented Jupyter notebook with analysis, visualizations, and conclusions. The course concludes with presentations that explain both the findings and the reasoning behind them.
This three-week course for middle school students is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on UCLA’s campus in Los Angeles, California. It is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect active academic exploration with campus life, growing independence, new friendships, and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
What Will You Do?
• Set up and use Anaconda and Jupyter notebooks for Python
• Write Python expressions and work with variables and data types
• Import, clean, slice, and analyze datasets with Pandas
• Calculate summary statistics and examine correlation versus causation
• Create data visualizations and explore introductory linear regression
• Build and present a capstone Jupyter notebook based on a chosen dataset
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Use basic Python syntax and a Jupyter notebook workflow to investigate data
• Clean, analyze, and visualize a dataset with Pandas and appropriate graphs
• Present a data-supported conclusion while explaining limits in interpretation
Students will leave with a capstone Jupyter notebook and a clearer understanding of how programming, statistics, and communication work together in data science.
Why Data Science Skills Matter
Data science helps students move from noticing a pattern to asking whether the evidence actually supports it. Python and Pandas provide a practical way to organize information, calculate summary statistics, and test questions across a full dataset instead of relying on a few examples.
Cleaning data develops attention to detail because missing values and inconsistent formats can change a result. Visualization develops communication because the choice of graph, scale, labels, and title affects what an audience understands. Discussing correlation versus causation adds healthy skepticism and reminds students that human judgment remains essential when interpreting numbers.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and are curious about coding, statistics, patterns, or how evidence can answer real-world questions. It is a strong fit for students who enjoy puzzles, asking why, organizing information, and explaining what they discover.
Students should be ready to practice Python, troubleshoot code, discuss interpretations, and develop a capstone project through several checkpoints. The course begins with foundational Python and Jupyter notebook skills before moving into data analysis.
View the eligibility requirements for the Institute for the Gifted on our FAQ page. A completed program application is required.
Why UCLA?
UCLA gives middle-school students an energetic place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Los Angeles. The setting brings together science, technology, creativity, entertainment, and culture, helping new subjects feel connected to a wider world of ideas.
The program combines hands-on academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students become comfortable in a large university environment. Students can try new challenges, share interests with peers, and build confidence through participation without needing to decide where those interests will lead. For families, UCLA offers a structured middle-school experience that balances substantive learning with fun, community, and age-appropriate independence. Students leave with new memories and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive