Opportunity Guide I Summer, Enrichment & Activities Guide

If your child loves singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument, composing music or painting and designing, she will find a plethora of outstanding fun and instructional programs where she can develop her talents and meet people who love what she does. Check out extracurricular arts activities, including performance opportunities, at your child’s school or at local community centers. Specialized private weekend classes and summer programs for students of all levels are sponsored by various art institutes, music festivals, universities and professional music and dance companies.

To perform at the highest levels, many arts, especially music and dance, require private lessons and enrichment. If your child likes to perform, look for audition opportunities at local fairs, festivals, community orchestras and theaters. Many professional theaters and ballet companies sponsor summer intensive programs from talented youth. A child who enjoys competing may be interested in participating in arts contests where her work can earn recognition and win awards. The best students compete, at national arts contests that offer scholarship prizes.



  1. Academy of Art University Pre-College Art Experience Program
    The Pre-College Art Experience (PCAE) is a dual-scholarship program available to only current high school students. The program provides classes for students to take at no tuition charge as well as… Read more
  2. Academy's Conservatory for Young Actors (ACYA)
    The Academy's Conservatory for Young Actors (ACYA) is a four-week summer intensive for students ages 12-16. The program is taught by the same professional and encouraging instructors who oversee The… Read more
  3. A.C.T. American Conservatory Theater - Young Conservatory
    Act out and dream big! At our Tony Award–winning conservatory, students ages 8 to 19 develop their talents, perform in professional-caliber productions, and gain the confidence to succeed—all in a… Read more
  4. American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) High School Summer Programs
    AMDA is the performer's alternative to summer camp. The High School Summer Conservatory offers intensive performing arts training in a college environment for high school students. Our unique… Read more
  5. Asian Art Museum Teen Internship
    The Asian Art Museum’s Art Speak internship offers on-the-job training and monthly stipends to seven public high school students in grades 10–12. Interns discover Asian art and cultural traditions,… Read more
  6. UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design Summer Design Academy (embARC)
    embARC is a four week summer design program at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design that brings together high school students from diverse backgrounds to explore architecture, urban design… Read more
  7. UC Berkeley Pre-College Summer Programs
    Berkeley Pre-College Scholars: Summer Residential Program This program offers you the opportunity to live on-campus and be a part of a community of high school students enjoying their summer at… Read more
  8. California College of the Arts Pre-College Program
    This summer, approximately 250 high school students -- makers, designers, DIYers, and original thinkers from all over the Bay Area and beyond will convene on CCA's Oakland campus and engage in an… Read more
  9. California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA)
    The California State Summer School for the Arts is a rigorous, preprofessional, month-long training program in the visual and performing arts, creative writing, animation and film for talented… Read more
  10. Children's Musical Theater (CMT) San Jose
    The mission of CMT San Jose is to train and educate today’s youth through musical theater to set and achieve high artistic and personal goals, and to inspire them to become exemplary artists, patrons… Read more
  11. Colburn School Music Academy
    For those students who know they want to pursue music training at the highest level, Colburn offers the Music Academy, a pre-college program for students ages 14 through 18.  Our comprehensive… Read more
  12. Idyllwild Arts Summer Program
    In a beautiful natural setting reminiscent of a traditional summer camp, the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program provides high caliber arts instruction and memorable arts immersion workshops to a diverse… Read more
  13. Musical Theatre Works
    Musical Theatre Works (MTW) is celebrating 20 years of offering professional Broadway show experiences for young actors in San Francisco. Students come to MTW to sing, dance and act on stage, under… Read more
  14. New York Film Academy (NYFA) Summer Camps
    Our summer and year round camps are like no other in the world. Whether you enroll in our Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting, Broadcast Journalism, Photography, Musical Theatre, Game Design,… Read more
  15. Northwestern University Center for Talent Development (CTD)
    Talent Search Assessment - A research-validated program, Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) utilizes above-grade-level testing to identify academic ability, measure… Read more
  16. Powerhouse Arts Education Program
    POWERHOUSE YOUTH ARTS PROJECT PYAP is a stipended arts program for San Francisco students aged 14-17. PYAP's goal is to cultivate youth development and career exposure through community-relevant… Read more
  17. LA Promise Fund - The Intern Project (TIP)
    Exposure to a dynamic industry can be a game changing experience for a student. TIP provides an opportunity for students to grow, and for businesses to build a diverse pipeline of future talent and… Read more
  18. San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) Pre-College Summer Programs
    Summer programs provide opportunities both Pre-College and non-Pre-College students to continue their education after the academic year has ended. Applications for SFCM Pre-College Summer Programs… Read more
  19. San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) Pre-College Division
    SFCM’s Pre-College division is an immersive program that instills the value of music in young children and teens, providing an artistic framework and tailored instruction for the next generation of… Read more
  20. Santa Clara University Young Scholars Program
    Each year select, highly-motivated high school students explore the world of higher education in a five-week intensive program that includes university courses, advising, and meetings with key people… Read more
  21. School of Creative and Performing Arts (SOCAPA) Summer Programs
    With summer camps ranging in length from one to six weeks, and campuses in New York, California and Vermont there's no excuse for not taking action. Since it was founded in 2001, SOCAPA, the School… Read more
  22. Stanford Jazz Workshop (SJW)
    Stanford Jazz Camp immerses participants in a fun, focused, and supportive environment. The program offers instrumentalists and vocalists an opportunity play with motivated peers and study with a… Read more
  23. Summer at Stanford
    During Stanford University’s Summer Quarter, high school students from the United States and around the globe are invited to spend eight or nine weeks living and learning in the heart of Silicon… Read more
  24. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Summer Sessions
    During the summer months, visiting high school students have three different summer experiences to select from here at UCLA: academic courses, online courses, or Precollege Summer Institutes.… Read more
  25. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Sci|Art Lab + Studio Summer Institute
    Creativity is the fundamental source of innovation in any endeavor. Unfortunately, current educational models generally focus on the development analytical skills at the expense of creative thought.… Read more
  26. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT) Summer Programs
    Summer programs at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television are every bit as rigorous and rewarding as the classes taught during the regular sessions of the academic year. Held within the same… Read more
  27. University of California San Diego (UCSD) Summer Session
    During the summer you can: accelerate progress towards your degree; enroll in courses that are difficult to enroll in during the fall, winter or spring quarters; enhance your career prospects; enrich… Read more
  28. University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) Research Mentorship Program
    The Research Mentorship Program is a competitive, six-week summer program that engages qualified, high-achieving high school students from all over the world in interdisciplinary, hands-on,… Read more
  29. University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) Summer Sessions
    UCSB Summer Sessions offers a variety of Pre-College programs that provide students with a unique opportunity to earn college credit while in high school. Simultaneously, these programs are designed… Read more
  30. Writopia Lab
    Writopia Lab is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in New York City in April of 2007. Writopia runs creative writing workshops for kids ages 6 to 18. All of the workshops have a maximum of… Read more