Summer Youth Academies

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Students will practice during the class, and they will learn tips, tricks, and exercises to take away and keep using. Students will learn new skills and have new ways to arrive at answers. They will learn how to analyze and evaluate. The skills learned in this course will transfer to all parts of life from reading and writing to conversations, college, and the workplace.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Sarah Hancock

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Explore the world of outdoor drawing, from buildings to nature, on the beautiful Sacramento State campus. Students will create a personalized sketchbook around daily outdoor themes using various mediums to enhance their favorite sketches.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Michelle Steen

1 – 5 p.m.

Stencyl is a powerful game creation toolset, centered around an intuitive block-snapping interface. With Stencyl, students can produce their own 2D video games without programming, play them on their computers and mobile devices, and distribute them for anyone to play on the web, iOS App Store and Google Play.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Cheng-Chi Lee

1 – 5 p.m.

Through written and spoken practice, students learn to argue effectively using their voices. Students will learn to write clear and powerful arguments for school and beyond in various genres, including formal essays, letters, and poetry.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Sarah Hancock

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Dive into the vibrant world of acrylic painting in this immersive week-long course! Over five days, students will learn fundamental acrylic painting techniques, from blending colors and building texture to mastering brush control and layering. Each day will introduce a new painting genre, allowing students to apply their skills across various styles.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Michelle Steen

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Students will create their own illustrative story, learn plot and story structure, build rich characters and explore the discipline of chunking – the art of incorporating daily writing. Students will also learn to edit by working collaboratively to peer critique each other’s work.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Matt Johnson

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Have you ever wondered why some people commit crimes and others don’t? Gain an understanding of the causes of crime (related to biology, sociology, psychology, and social factors), be able to discuss the origins of modern criminology and make connections between theories of crime causation and programs/policies.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Daniel Templeton

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Whether you are looking to become a professional actor or become more comfortable presenting in public, this course (taught by the Executive Director of the NorCal Arts) will give you the confidence and skills to make you a success in front of an audience!

Cost: $330

Instructor: Michele Hillen-Noufer

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

In this course, students are introduced to Python, which will empower them to create desktop applications, websites, and web applications. In addition to learning how to program in Python, students will learn algorithmic thinking applicable in other subjects such as science and math.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Gary Garot

8:30 a.m. to – 12:30 p.m.

Explore the fundamentals of game theory, game platforms, and genres. Students will design their own game using Stencil. This course will provide students with a knowledge of digital graphic design, project planning and analytical work.

Cost: $330 per section

Instructor: Cheng-Chi Lee

Please note that when registering, there are two sections available for this academy — one is online, and the other is in-person. Please only select one.

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Students will learn about six illustrators and discover how these artists use different tools and techniques to tell stories through pictures. Students will experiment with the methods that make each illustrator’s style distinctive, then explore their own artistic voice using pastel, watercolor, and mixed media. Along the way, they’ll build important art skills like drawing, using color effectively, and creating textures that help illustrators bring their ideas to life.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Rebekah Ybarra

8:30 a.m. to – 12:30 p.m.

Explore the fundamentals of game theory, game platforms, and genres. Students will design their own game using Stencil. This course will provide students with a knowledge of digital graphic design, project planning and analytical work.

Cost: $330 per section

Instructor: Cheng-Chi Lee

Please note that when registering, there are two sections available for this academy — one is online, and the other is in-person. Please only select one.

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

This course introduces students to financial concepts, tools, and best practices for saving money to achieve short and long-term goals.

Cost: $205

Instructor: Manuel Morfin

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

This course will help students to clarify their core values, interests and strengths, and develop a fluid plan for assessing majors and career paths as well as common myth-busting around the links between careers and majors. Students will learn how to identify student internships or part-time entry-level positions related to potential careers as well as how to network and connect to people in career fields of interest.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Jennie Chalios

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Build and program your own robot to perform tasks. Learn about careers in engineering and artificial intelligence. Plus, design and build a popsicle stick bridge, then compete to see whose bridge can withstand the heaviest load.

Cost: $520

Instructor: Rustin Vogt

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

In this hands-on course, students will learn basic fashion product development, merchandising, and design. Students will explore the educational and career opportunities in the field of fashion. Guest fashion photographers, merchandisers and entrepreneurs will offer presentations.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Esther Amato

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Explore the rigors of fire station life, academy training and physical fitness requirements, while discovering career pathways in emergency and medical services. Students will complete this academy with an earned CPR certificate.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Adrienne Bisharat

1 – 5 p.m.

Creating and running a mock online business will teach students the unique opportunities and challenges in this field of entrepreneurship, as well as assist them in developing analytical, project planning, problem-solving, and presentation skills.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Cheng-Chi Lee

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

So, you want to write a story, eh? You come up with characters, conflict, and a setting. You type up a draft. You proofread it and clean up any spelling or grammar errors, and you bask in the satisfaction that comes with telling a complete story. But you are not done yet. Unless you’re a modern-day Ernest Hemingway, your story will need revision, edits, and possibly even restructuring to be the best story it can possibly be.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Matt Johnson

1 – 5 p.m.

In this course, students will learn how to share stories using digital platforms such as podcasts and videos. Students will be exposed to core journalism skills and techniques that allow them to develop fact-based storytelling that captures the audience’s attention.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Fernando Gallo

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

This workshop will introduce participants to 3D modeling and additive fabrication for rapid prototyping. They will be able to access the Sacramento State maker space to build a 3D solution to a design challenge and take home their creation.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Preston Tobery

1 – 5 p.m.

In this hands-on course, students will learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to create professional and engaging digital advertisements. Through practical projects and guided instruction, they will explore essential design principles, including typography, color theory, composition, and branding. Students will also develop skills in photo editing, layering, and special effects to enhance their ad designs. By the end of the course, they will have a portfolio-ready digital ad and a strong foundation in graphic design for online marketing and social media platforms.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Kristina Duncan

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

This hands-on class introduces students to coding and drone technology using the micro: bit and Air: Bit 2 drone kit. Students learn block-based and Python programming while exploring flight control, sensors, and autonomous behaviors. The course emphasizes problem-solving, teamwork, and real-world applications of robotics.

Cost: $520

Instructor: Garima Bhandari

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

What does it mean to be an entrepreneur? Gain valuable insights into what it takes to turn a great idea into a reality through interactive classroom discussions, field trips, guest speakers, and a “Shark Tank”-like pitch event.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Cameron Law

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Designed for students with prior Python experience, this course builds on foundational programming skills to explore more advanced problem-solving techniques. Students will work with functions, data structures, file handling, and modular program design while developing more complex and efficient Python programs. Emphasis is placed on algorithmic thinking, debugging strategies, and writing clean, readable code applicable to real-world scenarios.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Gary Garot

1 – 5 p.m.

Learn the basics of computer coding and how professions – from information technology to science and the arts – value coding and computer science skills. Gain a solid understanding of how programming languages are used to build applications.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Devin Cook

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Do you know what a clinical lab scientist does? What about a radiologist or a physical therapist? Explore traditional and non-traditional health professions, earn a CPR certificate, and develop a plan to reach your health career goals!

Cost: $330

Instructor: Amanda Morris

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Join other young local innovators in this exciting, hands-on creative technology camp. Young innovators will learn product design from start to finish. Using creative tools such as sewing machines, embroidery machines, laser cutters, 3D printers, vinyl cutters, and button presses. Learn the basics of graphic design and turn your imagination into a product! From crafting a custom textile design to using high-tech tools, this camp offers an engaging experience that will spark your imagination and teach real-world skills.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Preston Tobery & Erin Gottis

1 – 5 p.m.

This course introduces students to the core data structures used in computer science to organize and manage information efficiently. Through interactive activities and hands-on labs, students explore how data structures affect performance, problem-solving, and real-world applications such as social media, search engines, and games.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Brian Bhatti

1 – 5 p.m.

Come and explore how the cyber world becomes vulnerable to hackers, what “weapons” can be leveraged by attackers, and how we should protect and defend ourselves. This is going to be an interesting and inspiring course! Students will see the various abstract concepts illustrated through concrete demos and interactive apps while being guided to investigate some famous security incidents in class.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Brian Bhatti

1 – 5 p.m.

Artificial Intelligence, or machine learning, is what powers many tools and services in our everyday lives. This course introduces fundamental AI concepts while delving into diverse career opportunities that leverage AI services and solutions. Students will identify and explore the implications of AI systems in everyday use in areas such as social media, commerce, health, medicine, environmental issues, and consider the emerging areas where AI will be applied. By the end of this course, students will have not only a foundational understanding of AI but also a vision of the diverse career pathways it opens up.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Anna Baynes & Chia Jung Chung

1 – 5 p.m.

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of web development through a hands-on project. Over the week, students will build a complete interactive website, gaining experience in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, responsive design, and deployment. By the end, students will have a polished web project to showcase or continue improving.

Cost: $330

Instructor: Brian Bhatti

Summer Youth Academies are noncredit courses for youth to explore different academic disciplines and career pathways. This collection of courses brings together the historical offerings from both Academic Talent Search (ATS) and Summer Academies for High School Students, which were youth programs offered through Sacramento State in prior years. Summer Youth Academies brings these two programs together under one umbrella in order to offer diverse and enriching opportunities for youth.

Summer Youth Academies are open to students entering 7th grade through graduating 12th graders. We do not require placement tests in order to enroll. Currently, instruction is in English only; therefore, participants should be proficient in written and oral English.

We have offered summer youth programming in the past for 4th and 5th grade students. Currently, our Summer Youth Academies are for students entering 7th grade through graduating 12th graders.

Patricia Gomez is the coordinator for the Summer Youth Academies. You can reach her through the program contact form.

We are offering a variety of courses in our Summer Youth Academies series. Please see the Courses section above for more information.

Some of the courses are online, and some are in-person. Please see the Courses section above for more information.

The instructors will use Zoom software for live classroom instruction and interactive projects. In some classes, students will work on projects at their own pace using Canvas or Adobe Connect software. Specific software instructions will be provided prior to each class.

Summer Youth Academies are taught by university professors, community college faculty, industry professionals and other educators.

Homework assignments vary by course. Please refer to individual course listings

Students participating in remote academies will need access to a computer and reliable internet connection.

For in-person academies requiring computer access, computers will be provided in campus computer labs. No equipment is required for these courses.

All students who participate in the Summer Youth Academies should follow their school district or organization’s COVID-19 policies and regulations. Currently, students are not required to wear face coverings while inside campus buildings and classrooms. However, face coverings are recommended. More information can be found on Sacramento State’s COVID-19 Information for Students page .

Schedule and pricing can be found in the course information section and registration portal.

Registration will open on Monday, March 1, 2027.

Please note that our more popular academies may fill quickly. Waiting lists are available for academies that reach capacity. If an academy is full and you would like to add your student to the waitlist, please email the Summer Youth Academies coordinator.

Payment is due at the time of registration. We offer a secure credit card payment link for your convenience. If needed, we also accept payment by check.

Yes! Scholarships are available for Summer Youth Academies.

Please note: 

• Only one scholarship application may be submitted per student.
• Multiple students from the same household may apply.
• Scholarships are applied directly toward academy registration fees and are not issued as a monetary award.
• Students selected to receive a scholarship will be notified and asked to complete a short survey.
• After the survey is completed, scholarship recipients will receive instructions for registering for their academy.

Yes. If you need to cancel your registration, your request must be received at least two (2) weeks before the first class to be eligible for a refund or transfer.

• You may transfer your full registration payment to another Summer Youth Academy.
• If you prefer a refund, it will be processed to the original form of payment. A $10 processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

Requests received less than two (2) weeks before the first class may not be eligible for a refund or transfer. Please email the program coordinator with any questions or concerns.

• Programming, marketing and engagement will reach broad and diverse audiences of the Sacramento region to provide and deepen access to underrepresented groups.
• Eligibility to enroll in academies will be rooted in the university’s commitment to fostering an inclusive learning environment, with a focus on providing clear course information and appropriate learning support to participants to ensure success, rather than selective placement assessments.
• Develop and deliver contemporary curriculum that is academically challenging and enriching, uses hands-on and project-based learning to engage students, focuses on providing experiential and applied learning opportunities, sparks curiosities and is self-discovery led, and is interdisciplinary.
• Develop and promote effective pedagogical approaches to engage diverse youth audiences and foster a culture of collaboration and peer mentoring within the professional learning community of Youth Academy instructors.
• Continue to be responsible fiscal stewards of the program to ensure sustainability and quality programming for youth, while working to reduce and remove financial barriers for participants.
• Recognize and appreciate the impact of providing youth and their families with a positive experience on, and exposure to, a university campus and continue to serve as a resource for the community related to college and career preparation.