Berkshire Hills Culinary Camp is a small, co-ed camp at Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp, complete with brand new culinary studios and super comfortable dorm style housing. We teach culinary skills while building a strong positive community. After a summer at camp, your teen will come home more confident in the kitchen, more independent and connected to a completely new group of friends.
Berkshire Hills Culinary campers spend half the day building culinary competence with friends in our state-of-the-art kitchens. Trips to local farms, specialty food makers, and restaurants will add to the fun and expand their knowledge.
Check out our videos and virtual tour to get a better sense of our program. And while you're there check out what we'll be cooking up in summer 2025! If interested in more information, please reach out to us atadam@bhecamp.org or at 914-693-8952.
EXPLO is a unique, immersive summer program for 12-14 year-olds (grades 6-8) offering 2-week residential and day programs at Wellesley College. At EXPLO, you get to experience the world to find your spark. Custom-build your summer fun, from creative workshops to evening events, weekend trips, and more. Join a glow stick party. Go to Six Flags. Experience indoor skydiving. Try your hand at comedy. See what it’s like to be an aeronautical engineer. Play soccer (football) with friends from around the country—and world. See what it’s like to be a doctor, fashion designer, engineer, pastry chef, and more. When you come to EXPLO, you can be yourself. You find your people without even trying.
Spark your future. Shine bright. Founded in 1976 as a nonprofit startup out of MIT, EXPLO has brought together over 90,000 young people from 101 countries. Our alumni go on to do big things—they found startups like Instagram and nonprofits for climate resilience and youth empowerment, win Grammy and Tony awards, become influential NASA scientists, and more. When you get to try more, be more, and connect more, you feel different. You ARE different. Energized. Inspired. Motivated. Make big-picture discoveries. Have summer fun. Be all you. Be EXPLO.
Session 1:
Overnight: June 29 - July 12
Day: June 30 - July 11
Session 2:
Overnight: July 13 - July 26
Day: July 14 - July 25
Independent Lake Camp is a premier overnight summer camp in the Poconos for ages 6-17 offering an impressive array of activities rich with integrity due to top-notch facilities and talented staff.
Established over 30 years ago, ILC is dedicated to celebrating diversity, promoting creativity, and empowering individual growth with our individualized, elective scheduling. Campers will learn worthwhile skills in 2-8 week sessions while making everlasting memories & friends. Each camper chooses from: Circus, Trapeze, Sports, Fitness, Archery, Art, Theatre, Dance, Magic, Music, Recording Studio, Skatepark, Digital Arts, Moviemaking, RPG, Rocketry, Climbing Wall, High Ropes, Water-ski, Wakeboard, Lake, Pool, Horseback, Nature & more
Contact: info@independentlake.com | 1-800-399-2267
Pre-college programs at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) allow motivated high school students to experience college life in an engaging two- or four-week format. These programs go beyond traditional summer school by offering transformative courses designed to challenge students' critical and creative thinking. Participants will explore their academic passions, grow as individuals, and understand what it means to be part of LMU’s community of scholars.
Academically, students will experience a taste of LMU’s nationally-ranked undergraduate programs, taught by expert faculty across 14 thematic subjects, including creative arts, entertainment, business, STEM, and liberal arts. With a focus on experiential learning, students gain a deeper understanding of the academic experience and future career opportunities in their field of choice. In addition to academic exploration, students can immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of Los Angeles, a city known for its creativity and diversity. Through course-specific field trips and extracurricular offerings – including a weekend trip to Disneyland - participants will engage with our iconic city, enriching their summer experience and expanding their understanding of the world.
Watch our video here!
A small, inclusive camp community, led by a staff of experienced, professional instructors and mature dorm counselors. 3:1 camper/staff ratio. Located at Tilton School in Tilton, NH, a compact and modern campus perfect for an overnight camp community. Maine Arts Camp has exclusive use of the facility, which includes many visual arts & dance studios, a theater, a film photography lab, classrooms for filmmaking, writing, along with several dorms for living spaces. Dorm rooms are generally doubles or triples. Tilton School also has a variety of outdoor spaces for individual sports and more. Some of the spaces at the school are air conditioned.
*2 or 4 week sessions in July.
*Dorm living and food service at Tilton School.
*Overnight camp for ages 9-16 – non-competitive and nurturing.
*Limited enrollment of 90 campers – lots of personal attention.
*Experienced teachers and professionals leading most activities
The National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) was established to motivate young leaders toward careers that feel inspiring, impactful, and deeply purposeful. Our pre-college summer programs allow students to test out a college major while developing critical leadership skills, meeting professionals, and exploring prestigious university campuses.
Whether your child dreams of becoming a surgeon, a diplomat, or performing on Broadway, each of our hands-on programs is designed to fully immerse them in their passion and empower them to make confident decisions in their academic futures.
Take a look at our full list of 2025 Programs, Dates, & Locations, and be sure to check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Experience is everything - and no one does it quite like NSLC.
Watch our video here!
Plugged In Band Program is a Needham-based non-profit that offers young people an outlet to participate in music education while engaging in philanthropic efforts. We meet musicians where they are, welcoming students of all skill levels and abilities to join us. Through polishing their performance and songwriting abilities, students leave as more assured musicians with a keen sense of how their art is of value to their local communities.
Music That Matters is our in-person summer day camp with band class, songwriting, recording a song, music video, workshops, offsite events, and performance opportunities. Each session ends with a benefit concert that raises money for a charitable organization chosen by the students. An extended day is available. Students are grouped into bands by age, skill level, and musical interest. Other classes include Youth Rock Band, private music lessons, and virtual STEM in Music like Digital Audio Production, Creating Music With Coding, and more. Youtube
Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College
For five weeks every summer the Powerhouse Theater comes to life on the Vassar College campus to provide a nurturing environment for both students and professional practitioners to learn from one another. The Powerhouse Theater Training Program provides aspiring theater professionals a chance to immerse themselves in the study of acting, directing, or playwriting. The Training Company also offers free performances throughout the season. The Professional Season produces developmental workshops of plays, musicals, and readings of works-in-progress.
Whether in-person or online, join RISD this summer to build your portfolio and develop as an artist and individual!
At RISD Pre-College, our five-week residential summer immersive, rising high school juniors and seniors can live like a RISD student and work alongside hundreds of other creative, highly motivated students who will inspire them to push their limits and produce their best work. You’ll participate in courses led by reputable teaching artists, learn to manage time and self-motivate and develop concepts, sketches, and finished pieces. Leave with a portfolio that can be a major asset in your college application. In addition to foundation courses in drawing, design, and critical studies in art, you'll choose a major, which will allow you to explore a field of design or art that already interests you, or take the opportunity to try something new.
Can't make it to campus this summer? Rhode Island School of Design's Advanced Program Online is a year-round online intensive. This immersive online experience is designed for those interested in pursuing art and design in college and want to learn best practices in developing their work. We call on creative young people to access a more ‘flexible mindset’—applying art and design methods to chart new territories of creation and problem-solving. Students shake up the ‘traditional’ ways of making, encourage full-blown experimentation and fresh, forward-thinking that leads to real innovation.
Connect: Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok
Contact: precollege@risd.edu
SCAD pre-college programs
Start your SCAD journey early with a pre-college program! Explore new avenues of artistic development and spark your imagination at The University for Creative Careers. SCAD offers pre-college programs during the summer and throughout the year for high school students of all ages to pursue art and design disciplines while working alongside peers from all over the world — and offer ideal opportunities for artists at all levels to create, learn, and grow.
Watch our video here!
School of Fashion Design Pre-college Program in Fashion Design
Our program, specifically for high school students, provides an introduction to the fashion design process, from conception to garment completion. The curriculum is a taste of SFD’s adult Certificate program and is taught by our expert faculty. If you are interested in fashion and sewing as a hobby or are considering post-secondary fashion degree programs, this is the program for you!
Our curriculum is designed to take you from design to finished product with no prior experience necessary. In the mornings, students in our sketching classrooms will create a mood board of inspiration and fashion plate illustrations of an original garment collection. Following a lunch break, students then go to our sewing and pattern making workrooms and create a fashion garment from a commercial pattern.
Students will learn:
How to take measurements
The safe and correct operation of an industrial sewing machine
Textiles and materials sourcing
Design development
Pattern manipulation
Sewing and garment construction skills
Design theory
Fashion terminology
Inspiration sourcing
Fashion garment sketching
“My daughter thoroughly enjoyed this summer’s class and had so many positive things to say about her experience at the School of Fashion Design. She wore her dress when we went to see Hamilton on Broadway a few weeks ago! Thank you for creating a stellar program for the young fashion enthusiasts in Boston.”
— Twyla, parent OF 2023 summer participant
Sotheby’s Institute of Art
Sotheby’s Summer Institute invites high to immerse themselves in one of the most vibrant art capitals in the world: New York City. From learning the intricacies of running galleries and museums to exploring painting and drawing techniques throughout history, these two-week courses are designed to engage, inspire, and fuel creativity. Taught by leading scholars and professionals in the field, each course draws on the global expertise of Sotheby's Institute of Art and takes students behind the scenes of world class museums, galleries, auction houses, artists’ studios, and more.
BrandEd Pre-college site
BrandEd promo video
Stamps Pre-College Programs, University of Michigan
Our virtual and in-person Pre-College Programs are offered to current high school students (grades 9 – 12) interested in building new skills for their creative pursuits and learning more about the Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Students will receive personalized training and advice from Stamps faculty and staff on building a competitive portfolio, in a variety of formats — virtual and in-person; after-school, weekend, and residential — that work with any schedule.
Questions? Contact us at: stamps-precollege@umich.edu
The Story School is an educational nonprofit live-action role-play summer camp located in the woods of Nature’s Classroom in Charlton, MA. A trained staff of educators, game designers, and counselors immerse campers ages 8 - 18 in a an epic adventure story pulled from history, mythology, and literature. By day, our campers become heroes battling fantastical monsters, solving interactive STEM puzzles, and applying roleplaying skills to level up and save the world. By night, our campers play board games, gather around campfires, and build crafts with their roommates forging friendships that last a lifetime. In an open community embracing neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ campers, The Story School weaves together social education, leadership training, and hands-on learning into the fabric of our fantastical adventures. Spend your summer in a story and discover the hero within!
Check out our video here!
Syracuse University Summer College Program
Description:
For 65 years, Syracuse University Office of Pre-College Programs has been providing high school students with the opportunity to explore potential college majors and careers in its renowned pre-college programs. Students not only learn what it’s like to be a college student, but they leave the program feeling confident, enthusiastic and ready for college.
Summer College offers over 100 college-level courses with various areas of study including: art & design, architecture, business, film, photography, engineering, computer science, health sciences, sport studies, theater, music, and more!
Here is a brief overview of our summer programs:
Summer College – On Campus: Experience life as a college student on the Syracuse University campus. You’ll take a college-level course, live in a residence hall, have meals in a dining hall, and participate in field trips, activities and events on campus with other high school students from around the world. On campus courses are either one, two, three or four weeks in length and can either be college credit or noncredit courses.
Summer College – Online: Online pre-college students can explore college majors and pursue academic interests from anywhere in the world with internet access. Live classes and a welcoming and supportive community allow students to make connections in an enriching online environment. Online courses are either three or six weeks in length and can either be college credit or noncredit courses.
Summer College – On Location: On Location pre-college students have the opportunity to take a course through Syracuse University’s Los Angeles academic center or Syracuse University’s academic center in New York City. On location courses are either one or three weeks in length and are all noncredit courses. Summer College - On Location is a commuter program, housing is not provided.
Discounts and Financial Aid are available.
Interested in attending an online information session? Sign up here!
Contact: sumcoll@syr.edu | (315) 443-5000
Vogue Summer School
For students who are curious and passionate about the world of fashion - experience it first-hand in the heart of New York City. Students will explore a range of topics shaping the industry today and can choose from specialized courses in fashion business, fashion styling, and fashion media. Join like-minded students and fashion enthusiasts from around the world and go behind the scenes to learn about the inner workings of the fashion, media and lifestyle industries with Vogue experts as your guide.
BrandEd Pre-college site
BrandEd promo video
Experience summer on the hill! Walnut Hill’s summer programs are designed to mirror the immersive experience of school year programs, but without the homework! Offerings in Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Art, and Writing, Film, and Media Arts are taught by Walnut Hill’s own world class faculty and special guest artists. With day and boarding options available, students are cared for by a residential life team of dynamic young creatives. Boarding students are housed in air conditioned dormitories on campus, providing a taste of independent college life. Our small, inclusive community attracts talent from around the globe, ensuring a supportive environment that keeps connections alive long after summer ends. All programs include excursions into the city that enhance programming, such as visits to museums, exhibits and concerts. Dive into a vibrant world of creativity and unlock your artistic potential this summer at Walnut Hill School for the Arts!
Wellesley Theatre Project
Wellesley Theatre Project is a nationally recognized, award winning, nonprofit arts academy offering year round classes and productions for students 4 years through 12th grade. Join us this summer for a wide range of summer camps for both beginners and experienced stage performers - including Production Camps: Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, Kids, James and the Giant Peach, Jr., Spring Awakening, and BeatleJuice, Jr.. From audition preparation to Opening Night, all students will learn what it takes to produce a stage show. Each camp will conclude with performances of a fully realized production professionally produced and ticketed for the public. WTP also offers specialty one week camps!
Contact: info@wellesleytheatreproject.org | 781-235-1550
