Design, Arts, and Media Summer Institutes

Dance as a Healing Art

This one-week commuter dance intensive is designed to allow students to explore the intersections of technique, choreographic process, and dance careers. Each day will consist of technique classes, guest lectures, and choreographic process workshops. The program will culminate in an informal performance. Students enrolled will explore how dance can fit into their careers, featuring Drexel's unique philosophy of Dance as a Healing Art.

Discovering Architecture

For two intensive weeks, you'll experience what it's like to study architecture in college while living on campus at Drexel University. You'll attend classes taught by Drexel Architecture faculty members in studios and labs used by Drexel architecture students. You'll go on field trips to significant architectural sites in Philadelphia, hear lectures by distinguished speakers, and, working closely with an instructor, you'll try your hand at architectural design. Our program will introduce you to this fascinating profession. During the summer, while Drexel architecture students are on vacation, we're opening their studio and other facilities to a group of high school students who want to experience what education and work are like in the field of architecture.

Discovering Interior Design

Drexel University's Discovering Interior Design summer program has been running continuously since 2000. You'll experience what it's like to study interior design in college. You'll attend classes taught by Drexel Interior Design faculty members in studios, just like Drexel interior design students. You'll attend lectures by distinguished speakers and try your hand at interior design while working closely with an instructor. Our program will introduce you to this fascinating profession while helping to build your portfolio.

Discovering Fashion Design

Discover Fashion Design at Drexel with this one-week program open to high school students. This program will introduce you to a carefully curated curriculum consisting of lectures, demonstrations, studio work, guest speakers, and field trips to the local design communities within Philadelphia. You will develop an understanding of the creative process through lectures and hands-on studio classes. The classes focus on innovative projects to expand your portfolio with fashion illustration, technical sketching, draping, print design, natural silk dyeing, and digital applications for machine knitting and CLO 3D design. Lectures and field trips focus on sustainable approaches to fashion design. This one-week residential opportunity will immerse you in the fashion world while offering you an actual preview of our studio fashion design courses.

Graphic Design

An exceptional one-week program in graphic design taught by award-winning faculty, and open to high school students interested in learning about the creative world of visual communications. Through hands-on, studio-based instruction, students will work on projects that explore design process, participate in critiques and discussions, and create portfolio-ready work. These offerings will be supplemented by virtual studio tours and online field trips, speakers, and other activities designed to give students an introduction to the design experience and to get a sense of career opportunities in graphic design.

Industrial Design and Making

Explore the areas of Industrial Design and Making at Drexel University. This two-week, in-person commuter workshop will expose you to a range of possibilities within digital design including 3D printing, 3D modeling, laser cutting, and CNC routing. You will also explore the essentials of prototyping using basic electronics and Arduino microprocessors while attending classes taught by Drexel faculty members in our Hybrid Making Lab and Product Design's Maker Space. In addition, you will try your hand at designing your own prototypes and models. If you are an innovator who has considered industrial design, product design, or product development, this program is for you! It will provide you with hands-on experiences that allow you to bring your own ideas and designs to life.

Music Industry

Drexel's Music Industry Summer Program is an intensive one-week program for high school students who are serious about acquiring a head start on understanding the basics and the nuances of this incredibly competitive and energetic industry. Drexel's faculty of music industry professionals teach the summer program and draw course work from the undergraduate curriculum that addresses music recording, production, marketing, management, publishing, and more. Through practical classroom lectures and hands-on experience, students are ensured valuable insight into this one-of-a-kind program.

Photography

This intensive workshop offers high school students a hands-on exploration of 21st-century photography. Guided by Drexel's distinguished faculty from the Department of Photography, participants will delve into:

• Studio Lighting: Mastering the workflow of still life and portrait lighting
• Digital Lab Work: Harnessing the power of Photoshop and creating stunning large-format prints
• Darkroom Techniques: Experiencing the magic of traditional photography through film development and printing

The workshop includes field visits to working studios and cultural institutions, offering students a unique opportunity to engage with professionals and explore how photography intersects with contemporary art and culture. The program culminates in a student exhibition, which will be open to families and the public.

Starters Summer Camp: Innovate in Entrepreneurship and Fashion

Are you ready to change the world through creativity and innovation? The Rising Starters Summer Camp is an intensive, one-week program designed for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who aspire to become leaders and changemakers through entrepreneurship. Hosted by Drexel’s Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship and Westphal College of Media Arts & Design’s Fashion Industry & Merchandising Program, this camp blends entrepreneurship with the dynamic world of fashion. Participants will dive into hands-on workshops, hear from social entrepreneurship leaders, and learn how to craft innovative solutions to global challenges. You’ll explore cutting-edge topics like AI-powered marketing and influencer strategies while developing an entrepreneurial mindset to address social and environmental issues in industry. The experience culminates with a team pitch presentation, where you’ll showcase your visionary ideas and receive feedback from industry professionals. Whether creating groundbreaking business models or revolutionizing sustainable fashion go-to-market strategies, this camp equips you with the tools to transform ideas into impact. Take the first step towards becoming a trailblazer in fashion entrepreneurship—your journey starts here!

Key Learning Outcomes

• Understand fashion business models and revenue streams
• Develop digital commerce strategies for fashion brands
• Master fashion market analysis and consumer research
• Create sustainable and ethical fashion business plans
• Build fashion marketing and branding strategies

Program Features

• Daily sessions with industry entrepreneurs and executives
• Hands-on workshops in business building and digital fashion commerce
• Site visits to local fashion brands and retailers
• Team-based venture development
• Final pitch presentation to industry panel
• Camp Shirt
• Daily Lunch