Course Selection
Students in the Exploration Track will choose one class each from Block A, Block B and Block C. Students in all tracks must choose two of the six available college living skills courses. After you are accepted to the Summer for Success program, you will be invited to complete your course selection online. Courses will fill up, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to secure your preferred classes.
Block A Course Options
Math at the Movies (S.T.E.M.)
Discover how math comes alive through film and storytelling. In this seminar-style course, you’ll explore mathematical concepts through movies and literary texts while engaging in activity-based and project-based learning. Apply the engineering design process, participate in academic discussions, and see how mathematics shapes real-world problem solving. Develop a new perspective on mathematics as a powerful tool for understanding and navigating the world around you.
Video Post-Production: Edit Like a Pro
Ever wondered how raw footage becomes a finished film? In this hands-on course, you’ll dive into the post-production process using Adobe Premiere Pro to edit video and audio like a professional. Learn how to cut scenes, enhance sound, add graphics, and create green screen effects while exploring the tools editors use to shape storytelling. No prior experience is required—just creativity and curiosity. By the end, you’ll have produced polished media projects and gained real-world digital production skills.
LEGO Robotics Lab
Discover how robots have evolved—from early mechanical inventions to modern intelligent machines—then design and build your own using LEGO robotics systems. This interactive course combines creativity, engineering, and problem-solving as you experiment with structure, movement, and design. You’ll explore the fundamentals of robotics while bringing your ideas to life through hands-on construction. Perfect for future engineers, inventors, and builders who love to create and tinker.
Wildlife, Field Studies & Conservation
Wildlife is all around you. In this field-based course, you’ll investigate local species through guided observation at a nearby green space and document findings in a professional field journal. Learn how conservationists collect data, monitor ecosystems, and protect biodiversity. This course blends science, observation, and environmental stewardship while strengthening analytical and documentation skills.
Your Story Matters: Pop Culture & the Art of Storytelling
Explore how storytelling shapes pop culture—from blockbuster films and gaming to viral social media moments. Analyze what makes stories memorable, influential, and widely shared while examining how narratives shape brands, movements, and identity. Through hands-on creative projects, craft your own compelling stories using techniques drawn from the media you engage with every day. Strengthen critical thinking and communication skills while discovering how to make your voice heard.
Your Own Superhero Origin Story: Using Psychology for College Success
Every hero has an origin story—and so do you. Using psychology and storytelling, this course helps you explore your strengths, challenges, learning preferences, and support systems as you prepare for college. You’ll examine how past successes and setbacks shape growth, resilience, and mindset, then reframe challenges as powerful turning points. Through guided reflection and creative writing, you’ll craft your own “college origin story” and develop practical strategies for navigating academic and personal transitions with confidence.
Propaganda & Media: Decoding Influence
In a world saturated with information, knowing how to think critically is a superpower. This course examines propaganda across modern media—news, advertising, social platforms, video, and emerging digital spaces—to uncover how messages are shaped to influence beliefs and behavior. Through interactive analysis and real-world examples, you’ll learn to recognize manipulation techniques, distinguish fact from opinion, and evaluate sources with confidence. Strengthen your media literacy skills and become a more informed, independent thinker in today’s complex digital landscape.
Creative Writing through Dungeon & Dragons
Level up your creativity through collaborative storytelling. Using the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, you’ll develop original characters, build immersive worlds, and co-create a campaign storyline with your peers. Along the way, you’ll strengthen writing craft, improvisation, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Whether you’re an experienced player or new to D&D, this course transforms imagination into structured storytelling—and shows how narrative skills can power both creative and academic success.
Block B Course Options
Famous Crimes & Criminals in American History
Step into the stories behind some of the most famous crimes in American history. From gangsters to bank robbers, this course explores the people, motives, and social forces that shaped headline-making events. You’ll examine how crime reflects its historical moment and consider how media, public perception, and justice systems influence the stories we remember. Through discussion and analysis, you’ll sharpen critical thinking skills while uncovering the real-world drama behind America’s most notorious cases.
Digital Audio Studio: Create & Produce
Enter the world of audio production and learn how sound shapes media. Using a Digital Audio Workstation, you’ll create electronic music, design sound effects, and build digital drum tracks for video games, film, and radio. Experiment with GarageBand loops—no prior music experience required—and gain hands-on practice editing, mixing, and exporting polished projects. Whether you’re interested in music, media, or technology, this course gives you the tools to turn sound into storytelling.
Marvel Comics: Satire, Storytelling & Communication
Explore how Marvel Comics use satire, symbolism, and rhetoric to reflect culture and communicate powerful ideas. Through discussion and creative activities, you’ll analyze how superheroes address identity, conflict, and society—then apply those communication strategies to your own work. Build interpersonal communication skills, strengthen critical thinking, and learn how storytelling shapes influence in college, careers, and everyday life. This course blends pop culture with persuasive power.
Caring for Animals
Step into the world of animal care and welfare science in this immersive, hands-on course. Working with resident animals in the Anthrozoology Lab, you’ll take responsibility for daily feedings, enrichment, enclosure maintenance, cleaning protocols, and behavior monitoring. Learn how animal husbandry supports health and well-being while developing practical skills used in veterinary, zoological, and conservation careers. This course offers real-world experience in ethical animal care—and the chance to build meaningful connections with animals along the way.
The Shark Tank Challenge: Create, Build & Pitch
Got a big idea? Turn it into a real business concept. In this interactive entrepreneurship course, you’ll design a simple business model, conduct basic research, and bring your idea to life—individually and in teams. Learn how entrepreneurs think, solve problems, and communicate value. The experience culminates in a Shark Tank–style pitch where you present your concept like a real startup founder. Creativity meets confidence in this fun and fast-paced course.
Designing Success: Habit Strategies That Work
Success isn’t about willpower—it’s about systems. Using principles inspired by Atomic Habits, this course teaches practical strategies for building routines that reduce stress and improve organization, time management, and follow-through. You’ll learn how to form sustainable habits, break unhelpful patterns, and create simple systems that support academic and personal goals. Walk away with realistic tools you can use immediately—and long after summer ends.
Prep for Success: Building College Level Reading Skills
College reading is different—denser texts, higher expectations, and heavier workloads. This course bridges that gap by teaching the strategies strong readers actually use. Practice active reading, annotation, identifying key arguments, and adjusting your approach depending on purpose and difficulty. Explore tools and assistive technologies that support comprehension and retention. By the end, you’ll have a practical toolkit for managing challenging academic texts with confidence and independence.
Social Media Marketing
Turn scrolling into strategy. In this dynamic course, you’ll learn how to plan, create, and evaluate digital campaigns that build authentic, engaging online communities. Analyze today’s most powerful social platforms, explore audience targeting and content strategy, and develop an integrated, market-ready social media campaign of your own. Along the way, you’ll strengthen creativity, communication, and strategic thinking skills that translate directly into business and entrepreneurship. If you’ve ever wanted to understand how brands grow online—this is your behind-the-scenes pass.
Block C Course Options
Event Management: From Vision to Reality
Learn how unforgettable events are designed, organized, and executed. From weddings and concerts to sports tournaments and community celebrations, this course walks through every stage of event planning—concept development, budgeting, logistics, marketing, risk management, and evaluation. You’ll collaborate on a hands-on project to plan a local event, applying creativity and professional standards in real time. Build leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills while bringing ideas to life.
Disney, Pop Culture & Digital Media
Examine Disney’s impact on pop culture through technology, music, film, and media trends. Explore how marketing, design, and storytelling shape global audiences while creating your own digital projects inspired by current trends. Through discussion and hands-on activities, you’ll analyze how economic, technological, and social forces influence today’s media landscape. A creative deep dive into one of the most influential brands in entertainment.
Star Wars: Lightsabers, Lasers & Science
Step into a Star Wars–themed lightsaber duel and Death Star superlaser challenge to explore the science of light refraction and lasers. Conduct interactive experiments to see how light bends and behaves. Combine physics and fandom in an exciting, hands-on learning experience.
Zoology: The Science of the Animal World
Get ready to dive into the wild world of animals! This exciting Zoology course takes you on an adventure through the fascinating realms of animal development, evolution, and classification. From the tiniest critters to the largest creatures on Earth, you’ll uncover the secrets behind their anatomy, physiology, and survival strategies.
Foundations of Leadership: Lead the Way in Business
Build the confidence and skills to lead in business and everyday life. Through team challenges and real-world scenarios, you’ll practice communication, decision-making, and problem-solving while learning the foundations of professional behavior and workplace expectations. Develop strategies for motivating others and leading with integrity. Leadership starts here.
Reading Between the Lines: Writing for College Success
Strong college writing begins with strong reading. This course teaches strategies for analyzing academic texts, identifying key arguments, organizing ideas, and developing structured written responses. You’ll practice study techniques that support learning across subjects while building clarity and confidence in written communication. Ideal for students preparing for college-level coursework.
Mobile Photography
Turn your smartphone into a powerful creative tool. In this hands-on course, you’ll learn how to capture high-quality images using composition, lighting, and visual storytelling techniques designed specifically for mobile photography. Explore how framing, perspective, and editing can transform everyday moments into compelling visual stories. By the end of the course, you’ll build a polished mobile photography portfolio that showcases both technical skill and artistic vision.
The Psychology of Sports: Resilience, Mindset & Performance
Discover how mindset shapes athletic performance. Explore motivation, focus, emotional regulation, teamwork, and leadership in both individual and team sports. Through applied activities and real-world examples, you’ll examine how athletes perform under pressure and how psychological strategies build resilience. Create a professional portfolio artifact that showcases your applied learning and career exploration in sport psychology and leadership.
Independent Living Skills Course Options
Financial Management
Dealing with the financial independence that comes with college can be challenging. Many students aren’t prepared for the consequences of overspending or know how to create a college living budget. This seminar focuses on money management “best practices” to build your awareness of smart spending and teach you the fundamentals of financial literacy. (Cannot be combined with Personal Finance Day by Day.)
The Basics of Cooking
You don’t have to turn to the Food Network to learn to cook! This seminar series will explore easy recipes that the whole family can enjoy. You’ll look at food safety fundamentals, learn meal preparation tips and tricks, and see cooking demonstrations to enhance culinary creativity.
Emotional Self-Care
The transition to college can be stressful and can challenge your mental well-being. This seminar series looks at strategies around emotional self-care. You’ll learn helpful mindfulness techniques, new ways of processing your thoughts and emotions, and prosocial behaviors to enhance your personal well-being.
Essentials of Community Living
Learn the fundamentals of creating an organized and clean living space in a college residence hall. You’ll participate in practical strategies and learn to better understand how to independently manage your own living space.
Group Workouts
Staying active is key to mental and physical well-being at every stage of life. You’ll participate in daily fitness classes and explore different ways to work out and remain healthy. Classes will range from cardiovascular exercises to yoga and Zumba.
Mastering College Relationships
Socialization and establishing age-appropriate relationships are some of the biggest worries of both students and families in the transition to college. Mastering College Relationships focuses on techniques and practical experiences to overcome this concern. It includes active role playing, challenging tasks, and reflections.