Summer Springboard
ON THE CAMPUS OF
Cal Poly
PICK A 2-WEEK PRE-COLLEGE COURSE OF YOUR CHOICE; OR PICK TWO COURSES FOR A 4-WEEK EXPERIENCE.
Program Highlights
- Engage in hands-on courses taught by industry professionals, emphasizing Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” philosophy.
- Earn 3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from Cal Poly Extended Education, enhancing your academic credentials.
- Receive a letter of recommendation from an active Cal Poly professor to support future academic endeavors.
- Participate in weekend excursions exploring California’s Central Coast, including hiking, beaches, and local attractions.
- Stay in on-campus dormitories, experiencing university life and building lasting friendships.
- Explore diverse courses such as UX Design, Branding & Design, Political Science, and more.
Summer Springboard on the campus of
Cal Poly
Campus Overview
Established in 1901, Cal Poly SLO is California’s first polytechnic school that launched with its renowned Learn by Doing education. For the last 30 years, it has been named the best public, master’s-level university in the West by US News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges guidebook.
Cal Poly has one of the largest, most picturesque college campuses in the US and is set between beautiful rolling hills and the Pacific Ocean with perfect weather year-round (they average 315 days of sunshine). San Luis Obispo is consistently ranked in the top 10 happiest towns in the US.
It’s home to a charming downtown center, award-winning restaurants and a vibrant cultural scene, and outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy SLO’s expansive dunes, turquoise waters and adventurous hiking trails.
*This program is run in partnership with Cal Poly Extended Education. Instructors are Cal Poly faculty and provide access to the same facilities that Cal Poly students enjoy.
RESOURCES
Apply Now
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Download Infosheet
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Schedule a Call
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Summer Springboard on the campus of
Cal Poly
Dates & Tuition
| 2026 Dates |
|---|
| Session 1: July 5 – July 17, 2026 |
| Session 2: July 19 – July 31, 2026 |
Click here to enroll in this program using our online enrollment form.
| Tuition |
|---|
| Residential Tuition: $5,398 |
| Commuter Tuition: $2,998 |
| Application Fee: $99+ |
Tuition Protection Plan: Allows for cancellation for any reason up until the day of the program.
| Location |
|---|
| City: San Luis Obispo |
| State: California |
| Campus: Cal Poly |
*Learn more about our campus partners and their relationship to our programs.
Two-Week Summer Program
Residential Students
- Includes: all meals, lodging, excursions, academic course, weekend excursions
- Excludes: optional airport pickup and drop-off service (available for an additional fee)
Commuter Students
- Includes: lunch, academic course, excursions, programming from 9am to
5pm, Monday-Friday - Excludes: lodging, breakfast, dinner, weekend excursions (can be added on for $125 per day)
Supplements
- $250 tuition extra (mandatory) for Innovation & Entrepreneurship course
Summer Springboard on the campus of
Cal Poly
Academic Courses
Branding & Design
Students will learn the essentials of branding, from defining what a brand is to creating a striking visual identity. Through engaging lessons, they’ll apply graphic design principles to craft impactful designs and discover their role in the branding process. By participating in peer critiques and designing their own personal brand with foil finishing effects, students will build collaboration skills and create a unique final project.
They’ll also gain practical experience using design software to bring creative ideas to life as polished visuals. Whether interested in graphic design, marketing, or entrepreneurship, this course helps students build essential skills and a standout portfolio.
Communication & Society
Are you interested in making a positive impact through your future career? This course builds essential communication skills around topics like gender, race, culture, diversity, and inclusivity. Students will learn to navigate complex conversations, manage conflict, and explore the dynamics of personal and professional relationships through writing, discussions, and a final group presentation.
Designed to benefit any career path, the course helps students develop social-emotional intelligence and comfort discussing social identities. These skills are valuable across fields—from engineering and business to healthcare, education, and beyond—promoting a more compassionate and equitable world.
Digital Advertising
Are you interested in the impact and design of digital public relations and advertising storytelling? From video commercials, content marketing, social media advertising, and influencer marketing to billboards and sponsorships — advertising and public relations messages are everywhere! This course is designed to provide students with an understanding about the marketplace of attention and create effective narratives of their own creation.
Students will be exposed to higher-level thinking as media consumers and have the opportunity to test their theories by designing and producing a strategic communications campaign, a video commercial, and social media content for a real client.
Energy for a Sustainable Society
Students will examine sources of energy, how it is used, and how food and agricultural waste can be repurposed or transformed into renewable energy. Through engaging lessons, daily energy-awareness activities, and guided field experiences, participants will connect global sustainability challenges to personal choices and community action.
Environmental Science
This program introduces students to environmental science and natural resource management; beginning with an introduction to core aspects of environmental management, including goals, stakeholders, tools, and trade-offs, and a survey of various environmental problems across urban and natural systems (air quality, forestry, waste, water, biodiversity, energy, and land use). Students will learn about natural resource valuation techniques and environmental policy analysis to compare solution pathways.
Experience Design
This course explores human-centered experience design, focusing on how intentional design shapes emotions, behavior, and meaning across events, tourism, hospitality, recreation, and community settings. Using Designing Experiences (Rossman & Duerden), students will collect qualitative user data, build personas, and apply positive psychology to design engaging, purposeful experiences.
Readings and activities draw from the Stanford d.school/IDEO, Martin Seligman’s positive psychology, the Heath Brothers’ Moments, and Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, with hands-on practice in empathy mapping, journey mapping, and touchpoint design.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Students will dive into innovation and entrepreneurship through hands-on projects, forming teams to develop new products for the dairy sector. They’ll receive feedback from the California Milk Advisory Board and compete for top honors, with winners announced at the end and all participants earning certificates.
This immersive course emphasizes teamwork and professional communication, giving students practical experience in turning creative ideas into real business solutions and making a tangible impact on product development.
Marketing Bootcamp
This course is perfect for students interested in launching their own online business. They’ll learn to create marketing campaigns for any industry, covering the full marketing process from ideation to distribution channels.
Students will also develop a consumer persona, calculate their Total Available Market (TAM), and perform targeting analytics. The course wraps up with students producing personalized marketing materials using Adobe InDesign and variable data campaigns.
Nutrition & Food Science
Dive headfirst into the data and science surrounding the multi-billion dollar business that encompasses diet and exercise. Learn what makes us grow, thrive, and evolve to be in optimal health. Get the facts on fuel and nutrition while examining myths surrounding Macronutrients like Carbs and Proteins. Explore the importance of smaller nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Consider the myriad of influences that impact our food choices everyday. Discuss food, fitness and stress as part of our overall health and wellness.
Political Science
This class introduces students to key elements of constitutional law and the founding of the Judicial Branch, helping them understand how the court system functions, the concept of judicial review, and the limits of judicial power. Students will learn how these principles shape legal decisions and influence government actions today.
As part of the course, students will participate in a legal simulation, such as a mock trial or mock Supreme Court case, to experience the legal process firsthand. In addition to building practical skills, students will explore a wide range of internships and careers in politics, law, and government, gaining insight into possible future pathways.
Public Health
Get excited about one of the most important topics in lives and our world! Blending public health and psychology principles, will learn how to identify trustworthy health information, understand the psychological and social factors that shape access to healthcare, design impactful public health messages, and explore career paths in psychology and public health. This program invites students to explore topics that are especially relevant to young and emerging adults, including stress, mental health, physical activity, relationships, financial wellness, and technology use. Whether a student is interested in pursuing a health-related major, or wants to feel more empowered about their health, this course will equip them with essential skills in/out of the classroom.
Robotics
This program introduces students to the mechanics, electronics, and intelligence behind autonomous machines. Students learn to build, wire, and program robots capable of sensing and reacting to their environment. Through daily hands-on challenges, they gain a foundation in motors, sensors, microcontrollers, and autonomy.
US History
How do we evaluate evidence and to determine what we believe and what we deem as truth? Through an in-depth examination of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and enduring controversy, students will review how it happened, who was involved, and the plausibility of a conspiracy to cover-up truth surrounding the crime. Students will examine an array of written, physical, and photographic and video evidence, along with eye-witness accounts.They will consider the impact or memory, perception, and other external events on a singular moment in time. The activities will culminate with a judged mock trial conducted by students-each in a defined role-of the one suspect officially named as the lone assassin by the federal government.
Web Development
This course explores the development of websites in a client-based scenario. Students will use a variety of web development production tools and processes, following the best practices in the industry, to build websites that are accessible, user-friendly, and responsive for usability on different devices.
Group and individual activities will guide the exploration process, and students will exhibit learned skills through developing their own basic website in which they will upload files and generate a URL for sharing with others.
Summer Springboard on the campus of
Cal Poly
Activities & Trips
Located right off Highway 101 on the beautiful Central Coast of California, students will get a chance to experience why the laid-back locals of San Luis Obispo (known by most as “SLO” and pronounced “slow”) consider it to be one of the happiest cities in the US.
With over 80 miles of dramatic California coastline, awe-inspiring green landscapes, stunning rolling hills and vistas, students will get to experience why learning by doing at Cal Poly attracts tens of thousands of students every year.
San Luis Obispo, CA
Cal Poly SLO has nearly 23,000 students in a town of 269,000. The campus includes six colleges focused on the Learn by Doing ethos and spans 9,178 acres, making it California’s second-largest and one of the nation’s largest campuses.
San Luis Obispo, located on Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco, sits between rolling hills and the coast. With a mild Mediterranean climate averaging 70°F, students can enjoy hiking trails, nearby beaches like Morro Bay and Avila, farmers’ markets, and surrounding vineyards and ranches.
Morro Bay
Known as the Gibraltar of the Pacific, Morro Bay is a neighboring coastal city that is known for a giant rock formation called the Morro Rock (“Morro” is Spanish for “hill”). The rock sits within Morro Bay State Park and is home to lagoons, trails and a bird-rich saltwater marsh. It is home to excellent beaches and a number of tourist attractions along the shoreline and the streets closest to the Embarcadero, including restaurants, shops and parks.
Ravine Water Park
Ravine Water Park in beautiful Paso Robles, CA featuring the Calypso Bay wave pool, winding lazy river, and a bunch of super fun water slides like the 7-story high Thunder Run and the Quadzilla, a 5-story supersponic liquid track to help students beat the summer heat!
Vista Lago Adventure Park
Immerse yourself in nature and adventure at Vista Lago in the lush and sprawling Lopez Lake park. Test your agility and ability on the ropes course (4 levels of difficulty). Take in the view as you zipline across the lake. Hang with your friends and challenge yourself while enjoying the fresh mountain air.
Course-Specific Excursions
Each academic course may also take subject matter specific excursions to help round out the student experience. Excursions may include: touring local and alumni-run businesses, exploring the Cal Poly student-managed commercial printing and digital enterprise, Cal Poly Creamery and Dairy, visiting the SLO Courthouse, and more.
Summer Springboard on the campus of
Cal Poly
Student Life
Get a head start on college life by diving into the lively student experience at Cal Poly during your Summer Springboard program. From enjoying meals in the dining hall to settling into your university dorm, you’ll experience true campus living. Explore Cal Poly’s beautiful grounds, meet fellow students, and soak in the welcoming spirit of this close-knit and vibrant community.
Whether you live on campus enjoying social events or commute while joining daily activities, your Summer Springboard experience will be packed with fun and memorable moments. Both options offer great opportunities to connect, grow, and build lasting friendships. Get ready to start your unforgettable college journey at Cal Poly!
TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE
8:00am Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast with your fellow students as you get ready to start your day on-program. Most meals will be in the on-campus dining hall.
9:00am Academic Course
Take part in your selected academic course. This college-style learning experience is designed to give high school students hands-on exposure to a specific field of study.
12:00pm Lunch
Enjoy lunch in the campus dining hall, which offers a wide variety of fresh and flavorful options. The menu is designed to accommodate all kinds of dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, halal, and common food allergies—ensuring every student can find something satisfying and safe to eat while connecting with friends over a great meal.
1:30pm Recreational Activity or Academic Excursion
At Summer Springboard at Cal Poly, academic excursions are off-campus field trips that connect directly to each course, giving students real-world insight into their chosen field. Recreational activities offer fun and social ways to unwind, explore the area, and build friendships through beach outings, campus games, local attractions, and more. Together, these experiences enrich both learning and student life in a vibrant, hands-on way.
3:00pm College Readiness Workshop or True You
At Summer Springboard at Cal Poly, College Readiness Workshops help students prepare for life after high school with practical tools for navigating the college admissions process—covering topics like essay writing, interview skills, and application strategy. The True You curriculum focuses on self-discovery and personal growth, encouraging students to explore their strengths, values, and goals. Together, these sessions empower students to make confident, informed decisions about their future—academically, professionally, and personally.
5:00pm Commuter Students Depart
For those students that have selected the commuter option, they will depart campus for the day while residential students prepare for dinner and evening activities.
6:00pm Dinner
It’s been a long, eventful day! It’s time to head to the dining hall or other dining location and eat well to restore your energy reserves before taking part in clubs or other nighttime activities.
7:00pm Clubs for Residential Students
Residential students will participate in clubs or other evening activities based on the specific itinerary for the day. It’s a great way to cap off another exciting day with Summer Springboard at Cal Poly!
10:30pm Dorm Checks for Residential Students
Residential students will turn in for the night to rest in their dorm rooms and get ready for the big day ahead tomorrow.
Housing
Just like a college student at Cal Poly, students share a dorm room with roommates and use a common bathroom. Floors are gender-segregated and rooms contain an extra-long twin size bed, desks, drawers, mirror and a closet.
Your residential staff (Mentor) will live on your hall floor to create a community, provide support, plan activities and help you get the most out of your stay at Cal Poly. Other members of the Summer Springboard staff also live on campus and are available to support students and tackle emergencies, 24 hours a day.
Security
All dormitories have 24-hour security and uses electronic keys to enter each building and dorm room. University security is on 24-hour patrol and available to any student that may need assistance during the Cal Poly summer program for high school students.
Facilities
Your dormitory is part of a complex of buildings around a courtyard. Each building has laundry facilities, lounges and high speed wireless internet throughout.
The university is committed to providing a healthy, smoke-free environment for students, faculty and staff. Accordingly, no smoking is permitted in student rooms or inside buildings, including lounges and balconies.
Dining
Cal Poly Campus Dining is focused on serving a variety of delicious options to fuel our campus community. Vista Grand has a variety of daily options as well as a fresh salad bar. Or visit the Balance Cafe for gluten and allergen free options. Whatever you are in the mood for, you’ll get the extra satisfaction knowing that Campus Dining is committed to local fresh sourcing and other sustainable practices.
Summer Springboard on the campus of
Cal Poly
Testimonials
Please note that activities, courses and other items on the itinerary for this program are subject to change. This video may reflect an older version of this program. Please refer to the program infosheet and this website page for the most up-to-date information on this campus-based program.
“My experience was unforgettable. I enjoyed all the activities, classes, and friends I met. With that being said, Summer Spring Board really served as an eye opener for me. SSB has taught me what college will be like, from home sickness to adapting to new environments. In all this was an unforgettable experience and I have no regrets coming. Thank you for having me!”
– Michael T. | Alumni Student
“I showed up a little unsure about majors, and still am. However, this program introduced me into a whole different field of study, which I thoroughly enjoy! The program delivers not only a college experience, but a life one with the excursions. Thank you!”
– Audrey A. | Alumni Student
“Summer springboard was such a great time. I believe I have met some lifelong friends here. I really got to know the career path I chose and also got to explore the local area.”
– Sophia W. | Alumni Student
*This program is run in partnership with Cal Poly Extended Education. Instructors are Cal Poly faculty and provide access to the same facilities that Cal Poly students enjoy.
*Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners (with the exception of Cal Poly, NYSID and UW Foster which are run in partnership with SSB). Universities and their affiliated departments and partners do not control and are not responsible or liable in any manner for any part of the Summer Springboard program.