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. TADA! Youth Theater
    Since 1984, TADA!’s mission is to provide young people from different backgrounds with musical theater programs that inspire them to be creative, learn, and think differently. TADA! is a unique… Read more
  2. Technology Student Association (TSA) Competitions
    The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national organization of students engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Open to students enrolled in or who have completed… Read more
  3. Temple University Summer Programs for High School Students
    Temple University provides several opportunities for high school students to live and learn on campus during the summer. A wide array of course offerings are available each summer. See website for… Read more
  4. Temple University Temple Summer Academy
    Temple Summer Academy invites students entering grades 11 or 12 to experience the academics, energy, and culture of Temple University through this rigorous four-week summer program. Temple Summer… Read more
  5. Texas Tech University (TTU) Clark Scholars Program
    The Clark Scholar Program is an intensive seven week summer research program for highly qualified high school juniors and seniors. The Clark Scholars Program is designed to attract gifted students… Read more
  6. Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition
    Beginning in summer 2010, Oberlin Conservatory of Music joined with The Cleveland Orchestra to offer an important new international competition for young musicians. The competition awarded more than… Read more
  7. Truman State University Joseph Baldwin Summer Academy for Young Scholars
    A three-week residential program located on the campus of Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri with an academically challenging curriculum for grades 7-9. JBA offers a selection of liberal… Read more
  8. United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar
    The United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar is the first step in navigating your future to becoming one of our nation's next generation of leaders.   If you are currently in your junior year of… Read more
  9. University of St. Andrews Summer Academic Experience Courses
    The Summer Academic Experience Courses offers pupils from around the world the unique opportunity to experience courses taught in the Scottish academic tradition by current academic staff. Students… Read more
  10. The University of the Arts Pre-College Summer Institute
    The Pre-College Summer Institute is a dynamic and challenging program for high school students, where you’ll gain substantial foundational skills and college-level training while working with UArts'… Read more
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. University of Chicago Summer Session
    Discover the awesome course opportunities for high school students this summer at the University of Chicago. Within a supportive campus community, students from all over the globe are exposed to… Read more
  18. University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory (CCM) Preparatory
    CCM Preparatory offers a wide variety of programs in Music, Dance and Theatre Arts for all ages and levels – toddlers, preschoolers, youth, teens, adults, motivated pre-professional students… Read more
  19. University of Dallas High School Summer Programs
    The University of Dallas is all about big ideas and making a big difference in the world. Our summer programs for high school students let you get in on the action early. Some programs even offer… Read more
  20. University of Kansas (KU) School of Music Midwestern Music Camp
    Located on the beautiful campus of the University of Kansas, students spend an inspiring week with students from across the country studying with our outstanding faculty and world renowned guest… Read more
  21. University of Maine (UMaine) Summer Youth Programs
    Summer programs for kids in music, the arts and engineering. Program topics vary so see the website for current offerings.
  22. University of Maryland Terp Pre-College Programs for Middle and High School Students
    In University of Maryland’s innovative Terp Young Scholars and Terp Discovery programs, talented middle and high school students learn from faculty and industry experts, explore UMD’s abundant… Read more
  23. University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) Pre-College Summer Programs
    Summer at UMass Amherst is heating up. Pre-college programs at UMass combine all the major elements of college, including great academics, living in a residence hall, and eating in our award-winning… Read more
  24. University of Michigan Summer Performing Arts Institutes (MPulse)
    Each summer, the MPulse Summer Performing Arts Institutes bring approximately 250 eligible young people to the Ann Arbor campus to pursue excellence in music performance, music technology, musical… Read more
  25. University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNSCA) Summer Dance
    UNCSA Summer Dance is comprised of four Intensives, three Professional Development programs and one Choreographic Residency, providing gifted emerging artists with the experience, knowledge, and… Read more
  26. University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNSCA) Visual Arts Summer Intensive
    In UNCSA's Visual Arts Summer Intensive, you will find a demanding and stimulating program designed to unlock your artistic talent and hone your skills in the visual arts. During studio classes in… Read more
  27. University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNSCA) SummerMusic Intensives
    At UNCSA, summer offers aspiring musicians of all ages rich learning experiences and an abundance of opportunities to perform. As a SummerMusic student, you will be immersed in an intensive and… Read more
  28. University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNSCA) Drama Summer Programs
    In the School of Drama, the heat gets turned up in the summer. Grab a sword for the Stage Combat summer program or polish your acting technique with the Drama Summer Intensive. All of the summer… Read more
  29. University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNSCA) Filmmaking
    The School of Filmmaking offers exciting Summer Intensives for budding filmmakers in the areas of Animation and Filmmaking. Open to high school students and rising college freshmen, these programs… Read more
  30. University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Career Discovery in Architecture
    Geared toward those who are considering or who have already enrolled in an architecture program, participants not only learn architectural history but also the skills and responsibilities required in… Read more
  31. University of Pennsylvania (Penn) Summer High School Programs
    Penn delivers the challenge of an Ivy League curriculum to academically talented high school students seeking a pre-collegiate experience. Explore Penn's historic campus, engage with leading faculty… Read more
  32. University of Rochester Pre-College Programs
    At the University of Rochester, students pursue only what they’re interested in. With Rochester’s Pre-College Programs, high school students get that same freedom. Students make significant… Read more
  33. University of South Florida (USF) Pre-College Summer Programs
    USF Pre-College invites high school students from throughout the country and around the world to an outstanding summer experience at the University of South Florida. Students with exceptional ability… Read more
  34. University of Texas at Austin College of Fine Arts Texas Musical Theatre Workshop
    The only program of its kind in the country, the Texas Musical Theatre Workshop is designed to connect talented high school students with top musical theatre artists and teachers while offering… Read more
  35. University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW - Madison) Summer Music Clinic
    Students choose one or more performing ensemble (provided the class times do not conflict) and can combine choral and instrumental choices in their schedules. Each main performing ensemble rehearses… Read more
  36. VSA International Young Soloists Competition
    A Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program
    This award annually recognizes outstanding emerging young musicians living with disabilities, ages 14 to 25, from around the world and nurtures their pre-professional career experiences. Each year… Read more
  37. VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition
    Young writers with disabilities and collaborative groups that include students with disabilities, in U.S. grades 6-12 (or equivalents) or ages 11-18 for non-U.S. students, are invited to explore the… Read more
  38. Walnut Hill School for the Arts Summer Programs
    Each summer, Walnut Hill School for the Arts welcomes hundreds of talented students from across the country and around the world to our Natick, Massachusetts, campus for immersive programs in dance,… Read more
  39. Washington National Opera (WNO) Opera Institute at American University
    Washington National Opera's Opera Institute at American University is a young and vibrant program located in the heart of the nation's capital. Amid the classic Americana and history of Washington,… Read more
  40. Washington National Opera (WNO) Young Associates Program
    This program is open to high school students in the greater Washington, D.C. area who are interested in exploring the professional world of opera. Whether your interest is in performing onstage or in… Read more
  41. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) Sam Fox School Architecture Discovery Program
    The Architecture Discovery Program (ADP) is an exciting introduction to architecture and design for high school students. The rigorous two-week program offers intensive individual instruction by Sam… Read more
  42. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) Sam Fox School Portfolio Plus Program
    The Portfolio Plus Program invites high school students to take college-level art and design courses. You will spend your mornings learning the fundamentals of drawing and your afternoons pursuing a… Read more
  43. Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) summerFAB High School Architecture Program: Workshop on Design and FabricationTeenlife Premium list icon
    In this four-week residential summer design-build program, high school participants experience phases of an architectural project, from initial design concepts to building a full-scale construction… Read more
  44. Western Michigan University Seminar High School Summer Music Camp
    For 67 years, Western Michigan University’s School of Music has been elevating high school musicians through its Seminar music camp. A unique program with a focus on chamber music, Seminar is a… Read more
  45. 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
  46. Yale Summer Session
    Yale Summer Session seeks motivated high school students who wish to enroll in Yale College courses for credit. In for-credit courses, qualified high school students will share the classroom with… Read more
  47. Yale University - Yale Global Scholars (YYGS)
    Yale Young Global Scholars empowers the next generation of leaders by building a global community and designing interdisciplinary programs that foster intellectual curiosity, deepen understanding and… Read more
  48. The Young Writers Workshop (YWW) of the University of Virginia
    The Young Writers Workshop of the University of Virginia is a nonprofit arts organization established in 1982 as the nation’s flagship program for young writers. Now in its fourth decade, it… Read more