What are some resources that I can look at? Are there research opportunities for 8th graders?
Probably not. My friends and I didn’t get into research labs until the summer after our junior year.
probably too young for any meaningful opportunity.
maybe look to see if there are any summer programs geared for that age.
Why don’t you Google for citizen science opportunities and see if you can find something that looks interesting? You do not need to do lab research before going to college, nor do you have to do research in your possible major area. My kid who is now a physicist was involved in various wildlife biology activities and robotics before college. It didn’t hurt her in admissions or progress in college that she hadn’t done formal research before going to college.
Next we will have : Research opportunities for Kindergartners?
Look for summer camps that are STEM focused.
How about volunteering for zooniverse?
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects
@bopper Yes, there are science fairs for grades 1-12. There’s even a version of ISEF for grades 6-8 called MASTERS.
If you live in the NYC area, there is the Cold Spring Harbor labs that have DNA type summer classes starting in middle school. Good luck in finding some classes for middle school students that might peak your interest. Good luck!
Do you have any local museums? Now is a good time to find out if they have summer teen volunteer positions, what they do, and when sign ups are. Our local science museum takes kids at age 14. It is 2 to 3 shifs a week for 3 hours so a bit of structured fun and lots of free time.