Best Art and Writing Summer Programs for High Schoolers 2022

Creative Writing

Iowa Young Writers’ Studio
Program Dates: Session 1 — June 12th – 25th, Session 2 — July 11th – 23rd
Application Deadline: February 6th, 2022
Cost: In-person $2,500, online $575 (financial aid available)
International Students: Yes

Kenyon Review Young Writers Summer
Program Dates: In-person – Session I – June 26th – July 9th; Session II – July 17th – 30th
Online – Words and Wonders — June 19th – 24th;  Observation Meets Imagination – July 10th – 15th, Writing Across Worlds — July 10th – 15th
Application Deadline: In-person – March 1st, 2022; Online – April 25th, 2022
Cost: In-person – $2,475, Online – $995 per week-long course(financial aid available)
International Students: Yes

Emerson College – Creative Writers Pre-College Program
Program Dates: July 3rd – August 6th
Application Deadline: Rolling until May 6th, 2022
Cost: Credit Tuition – $4,310; Non-Credit Tuition – $3,531; Room & Board – $3314
International Students: Yes

Adroit Journal – Summer Mentorship Program
Program Dates: Online – June 2th – August 1st
Application Deadline: March 15th, 2022
Cost: $450
International Students: Yes

Journalism

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism – Summer Journalism Institute
Program Dates: June 19th – July 1st
Application Deadline: April 8th, 2022
Cost: Free
International Students: No

Asian American Journalists Association – JCamp
Program Dates: July 23rd – 29th
Application Deadline: March 31st, 2022
Cost: Free (travel also paid for)
International Students: Yes

Princeton Summer Journalism Program
Program Dates: July 29th – August 8th
Application Deadline: February 28th, 2022
Cost: Free (travel also paid for)
International Students: No

Visual Arts

Interlochen Center for the Arts – Visual Arts High School Summer Program
Program Dates: Intensives (1 week) June 18th – June 24th; Session 1: June 25th – July 16th; Session 2: July 17th – August 7th
Application Deadline: Priority Deadline – January 15th, 2022 for programs that require audition/portfolio; rolling admissions afterwards
Cost: 1 week programs – $1,675; 2 week – $4,100; 3 week – $6,375; 4 week – $7,250; 6 week – $9,950 (financial aid available)
International Students: Yes

Otis College of Art and Design – Summer of Art Online
Program Dates: July 5th – July 29th (2x/week or 3x/week or 5x/week)
Application Deadline: Scholarship deadline – April 22nd, 2022; Deadline for Early Enrollment (EE) discount – April 29th, 2022, Rolling admissions afterwards
Cost: 5x/week program – $4,050 ($3,950 for EE), 3x/week program – $2,450 ($2,350 for EE), 2x/week program – $1,600
International Students: Yes

These programs are all pretty competitive, and they are some of the best art and writing summer experiences you can have.

For creative writing, Iowa’s Young Writers’ Studio is still one of the best. The University of Iowa has one of the best creative writing programs in the country, and they will be offering both in-person and online instruction this summer. The Kenyon Review Young Writers Online is also a great program with themed week-long programs though they are more expensive. If you’re looking for more depth of instruction and time, look to Emerson College’s Creative Writers Pre-College Program, though again, it will come with a higher price tag. The Adroit Summer Mentorship Program deserves a spot on this list because of the value of the price tag compared to the length of the instruction. Just like last year, we don’t see creative writing programs losing too much quality in experience in the virtual format compared to visual arts and journalism, as much of the value in the experience is getting feedback/edits on your writing through online platforms. These programs do expect you to submit your own writing in the form of a writing portfolio, so make sure to put your best foot forward to demonstrate your passion and skill in the craft. 

The Walter Cronkite Program is well-known, not just because of the name attached to its school/program. Though it is a short experience, students there participate in hands-on experiences from reporting to production to camera work in Arizona State’s state-of-the-art broadcast facilities, as welto learn more about broadcast and digital journalism. JCamp was founded to address the shortage of diversity in the media, emphasizing multicultural perspectives. Students there participate in workshops, field trips, and hands-on instruction from professional journalists in a variety of areas, including writing, photography, broadcasting, and more. Princeton’s Summer Journalism Program is for talented current juniors from low-income households. Students similarly participate in workshops and lectures, tour leading news outlets, and cover real events in preparation for the publication of their own newspaper. One of the best aspects of PSJP is the mentorship that students receive from staff after they return home.

For visual arts, Interlochen and Otis have some of the best experiences. This is certainly debatable, as art itself is quite subjective, but these programs are respected by their peers. Aside from visual arts, Interlochen also has programs in performing arts, creative writing, and music. Otis has a number of programs that culminate in a final exhibition. Visual arts programs are probably the most affected type of summer program in a virtual format, and they are often also some of the most expensive, so you should really evaluate the overall value and cost for you. The arts, unfortunately, are more easily pursued if your family has the means, though each of these programs does have financial aid. Interlochen offers need-based and merit-based financial aid while Otis seems to offer scholarships, though their website detailing these scholarships seems to be down.  Just as in real-life, visual art is a pursuit that is easiest to accommodate if your family has the means to support the interest.