Summer Academy is the Positive Youth Development Institute’s signature career, leadership, & college readiness conference hosted at UW-Madison. The event focuses on preparing young people (grades 8-11) for higher education in a way that complements formal education prep programs. Summer Academy offers an immersive college experience; participants will experience life in a residence hall, explore campus, and enjoy the unique elements of higher ed that only Madison can offer.
This year’s theme is The Quest; Summer Academy participants will answer the call to adventure across the UW-Madison campus and explore their next steps in their career and college readiness journey! They will choose between exploratory tracks that introduce them to a variety of different Sparks and activities, core tracks that allow them to explore an area of interest in-depth, or an Advanced Art Track where youth will focus deeply on a specific area of arts.
Exploratory Tracks (Grades 8–10) Theme: Experiential Learning Best for first-time delegates. This track is designed for youth who are looking to learn about a number of career pathways and discover new interests. As the name suggests, it is a place where you can explore your future through hands-on learning experiences in a variety of content areas—from Science, Agriculture, and Game Design to Communications, LEGOs, and the Visual & Performing Arts. Each youth will participate in 3 or more different workshops in each track to get a broad taste of what is available. Workshops are grouped into three career areas so that youth will get a variety of experiences. Track Options include:
- Exploratory Track Adventure: Leadership, Performing Arts, Entrepreneurship
- Exploratory Track Expedition: Legos, Climate & Weather, Visual Arts
- Exploratory Track Voyage: Agriculture, Science, Gaming
- Exploratory Track Journey: Dance, Computer Animation/Basic Coding, Education
Core Tracks (Grades 9–11) Theme: Career and College Readiness Best for returning delegates. These tracks are designed for youth who have attended before or who are starting to have specific ideas about their future. Rather than rotating through many topics, youth in Core Tracks will focus on a specific area for 1.5 days, interacting with professionals in the field. Track options include:
- Culinary Arts (Madison College)
- Automotive (Madison College)
- Construction Trades (Madison College)
- Civic Engagement
- Agribusiness
- Artificial Intelligence
- Health & Wellness
New! Advanced Academy (Grades 11) Theme: Career and College Readiness Best for youth ready to transition to college or a career. The Advanced Academy is for older youth looking to take a deep dive into career exploration by working alongside professional educators and practitioners. Participants will spend 15–20 hours working hands-on in the field. For example, a group might work in the Textiles Lab at the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology to create a project while studying fabric technology and sustainability. Small groups of 6–8 youth will work with a track leader to build skills and make connections with UW-Madison faculty and students.
This year’s Advanced Academy will focus on the arts.
Find a comprehensive list of track options and descriptions HERE.
Ready for Work, Ready for Life. Youth will also develop life skills, like teambuilding and communication with Outdoor UW, navigating public transportation and the University with a scavenger hunt, connecting with student services and recreation options at RecWell and beyond, and hearing from dynamic keynote speakers.
Our State Ambassadors will lead evening programs, workshops, and other opportunities to connect.
The registration fee covers all lodging, meals, track participation, and transportation. Statewide bussing to and from the event will be offered for an additional fee.
For more information, please visit go.wisc.edu/4HSummerAcademy … We can’t wait to see you in Madison!
