Summer Academy is a four day educational experience set for June 16-19, 2025 on the UW-Madison Campus! Youth will participate in a track that will give them the opportunity to learn about potential career and college opportunities within that content area. They will have opportunities to explore different areas on campus, participate in a bunch of different hands on activities, see an original show from the Drama Company, enter the talent show, meet new friends, and much more! Summer Academy is a wonderful learning opportunity for youth.
Registration for Summer Academy 2025 will be open in 4HOnline from March 17-April 27, 2025. Youth in grades 8-11 are invited to register! Register through the events tab or through this Summer Academy registration link.
The cost for Summer Academy is $600 per participant. Registration fee includes overnight dorm lodging, meals, snacks, educational programming, and statewide bus transportation. Statewide scholarships are available for Summer Academy participants! The scholarship application is available as part of the 4HOnline event registration.
Tracks
This year, 8 different educational tracks are being offered at Summer Academy! Check out all the amazing tracks we have to offer:
- Agriculture & Animal Sciences: Explore agriculture and animal sciences with facility tours and hands-on experiences in dairy, livestock, meat science, food science, veterinary science, plants, and more.
- Baking & Decorating: Learn the basics (reading a recipe, scaling ingredients, evaluating for doneness, decorating) while gaining confidence that leads to self-sufficiency while exploring career opportunities in baking and decorating.
- Civic Engagement Through Local Leadership and Community Design: Our track will help you reimagine your community and work to develop a plan that can build the community you want to be a part of now into the future. We want you to be able to not just imagine yourself in local leadership but provide tools so you can make it happen.
- Performing Arts: Get creative while developing your performance skill through sessions in disciplines like Theater, Dance and Music.
- Skilled Construction Trades: Explore a rewarding career in the skilled construction trades with this hands-on educational opportunity! Participants will gain experience in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work through interactive activities led by industry professionals. Participants will also learn about registered apprenticeship programs, the most common form of training in the skilled trades industry. Don’t miss your chance to build, wire, and plumb your way to new opportunities!
- The Transportation Experience: Be ready to experience a transportation career while working with technical college staff and industry professionals to practice industry repairs and experience the transportation industry with some fun competition along the way. You will explore the various systems with hands-on activities including creating electrical circuits, using power tools (and a variety of other tools) to disassemble and reassemble components, and learn about components of a variety of vehicles.
- Visual Arts: Exploring the depths of what it means to be an Artist: Youth will work with artists to develop their creative skills and build a deeper understanding of some of the applications of art as a critical part of any culture.
- The Water Quest: Explore how researchers study the health of Wisconsin waterways using analytical methods and observation. Be introduced to invasive species detection methods, understand the importance of healthy waterways and be exposed to careers in the field.
More information about Summer Academy is available on the Summer Academy website. Questions about Summer Academy? Please reach out to Justin Lieck at justin.lieck@wisc.edu.
