Summer Springboard
Humanities & Liberal Arts
ACADEMIC TRACK
About This Track
Summer Springboard’s Humanities & Liberal Arts track empowers high school students to build a strong foundation in critical thinking, cultural understanding, and effective written and verbal expression.
Through courses like Communication & Society, participants are guided in unpacking pressing social themes—think race, gender, culture, diversity, and conflict resolution—through discussion, writing, and presentations. These experiences cultivate emotional intelligence, social awareness, and the ability to advocate with clarity and confidence.
Designed to enrich nearly any career path, this track hones transferable skills essential across professions—whether you’re headed into engineering, nursing, business, education, or beyond. Students emerge more articulate, thoughtful, and ready to engage with the complexities of the world around them.
With its emphasis on empathy, communication, and cultural literacy, this track sharpens not just academic prowess but also personal awareness and global perspective.
Courses In This Track
Whatever you do in life, humanities and liberal arts are the foundation towards a successful career path. Integral to being a well rounded person include an appreciation for world cultures and language/writing skills.
Communication & Society
Course
Are you interested in learning how you can make a positive impact on the world through your future career? This course is focused on developing communication skills pertaining to important topics impacting all professions. Topics include gender, race, culture, diversity, and inclusion.
Interpersonal communication on complex topics, dealing with conflict, and the development, maintenance and termination of personal and professional relationships will be discussed. Through writing assignments, class discussions and a final group presentation, students will explore and engage with concepts that encourage critical thinking about identities and a vision for a more compassionate, equitable, and less harmful world.
This course can support all future careers. We live in a world where knowledge of the complexities of social identities is vital to success. Even more important, is the ability to communicate comfortably about these complexities. Students will explore their own social emotional intelligence and how tapping into this can help them in any future career from construction management, to engineering, to psychology, to business, to ethnic studies to a future as a nurse or educator.
Campuses with this course:
Foundations in Literature & Writing
Course
Immerse yourself in the literary heritage of Oxford University, where some of the world’s greatest writers studied, taught, and created their masterpieces. This program combines the magic of Oxford’s historic setting with intensive writing and literature study, allowing you to walk in the footsteps of literary legends while developing your own creative voice. You’ll experience the traditional Oxford tutorial system while exploring the city’s rich literary history and visiting the places that inspired countless famous works. From the medieval halls where Tolkien crafted Middle-earth to the pubs where the Inklings met to discuss their writing, you’ll discover how Oxford’s unique atmosphere has fostered literary genius for centuries.
Through daily writing practice, literary analysis, and exploration of Oxford’s literary landmarks, you’ll develop both your writing skills and deep appreciation for the literary tradition you’re joining.
Campuses with this course:
Future Educator
Course
Great teaching has the power to change lives and it all begins with learning. The Future Educator program gives high school students an inside look at the teaching profession, blending the art and science behind how people learn. Through interactive lessons, hands-on projects, and real-world examples, students will explore what makes teachers effective, how to design engaging lessons, and how to create learning spaces that inspire curiosity and growth. Whether you’re drawn to the classroom, youth development, or shaping the future of education through policy, this program is a strong first step toward a meaningful and impactful career.
Campuses with this course:
Sport & Communication
Course
Sport plays a vital role in culture and society worldwide, with billions invested annually from youth programs to major leagues like the NFL and NBA. This course explores the deeper connections between fans, athletes, media and organizations, examining why people identify with teams and how coverage differs between men’s and women’s sports, while preparing students for careers and academic paths in sport management, communication, media, public relations, journalism, law and beyond.
Campuses with this course:
Summer Springboard
Speak with our Admissions Team
*Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners (with the exception of Cal Poly and NYSID 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.