Summer Springboard
Media & Design
ACADEMIC TRACK
About This Track
This track unleashes your creative potential with a bold focus on the core of visual storytelling, from slick branding and magnetic graphic design to immersive 3D modeling and next level prototyping. It is all about hands-on invention, creative process, and learning by doing: crafting personal identity through design, experimenting with emerging tools, and building standout branding that packs a punch.
The curriculum emphasizes the synergy between technical mastery and imaginative flair, equipping you to bring ideas to life in high impact, visually compelling ways.
What makes it truly buzzworthy is its immersive, real world vibe. You are not just learning theory, you are actively designing, iterating, and receiving feedback in a collaborative, creative setting. It is about strengthening your creative instincts, sharpening your visual communication skills, and making your voice heard through design.
Whether prototyping, branding, or exploring visual media, this track powers up your creative toolkit and leaves you ready to think and design like a pro.
Summer Springboard
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Courses In This Track
Media and design are crucial elements everywhere we look – the ad copy we read in a magazine, the visual effects in the top box office movie, and more. In these courses, an emphasis is placed on craft, imagination, invention and the use of techniques and devices.
AI Design & Media
Course
This course explores the emerging collaboration between human creativity and artificial intelligence through hands-on practice with text-to-image tools. Students will develop their artistic voice while working with original ideas, learning the full creative process from concept to final artwork. Emphasizing AI as a tool for augmentation rather than replacement, the course encourages critical thinking and creative experimentation. By the end, students will have begun a portfolio of AI-assisted art and explored career paths in digital art, creative technology, and AI ethics.
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AI Lab
Course
The AI Lab course prepares high-performing students to lead the future of communication in the age of artificial intelligence. Through immersive, hands-on workshops, participants use professional AI tools in journalism, marketing, and media while exploring creativity, bias, and ethics. Focusing on how AI reshapes storytelling and persuasion, students learn to prompt effectively, think critically, and apply ethical reasoning to real-world challenges. By the end, they’ll not only master AI as a creative and analytical tool but also be ready to lead conversations about its impact on business, media, and society.
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Animation
Course
This pre-college course immerses high school students in the art and craft of animation through hands-on studio work and creative exploration. Students learn core principles, timing, movement, exaggeration and storytelling, while turning ideas into dynamic visual narratives.
Based in Los Angeles, the center of the animation world, the program connects classroom learning to industry practice through guest speakers, studio insights, and museum visits. By the end, students will create a short animated film that highlights their skills, creativity, and understanding of the animation process.
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Architecture
Course
The Summer Springboard architecture course for high school students introduces architectural ideas, design principles, and methods of exploring problems of the built environment in a collaborative studio setting. While working on a design project you will learn about the academic path to an architectural degree, the day-to-day work of an architect, and the career opportunities.
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Art and Design Portfolio Workshop
Course
Guided by a professional designer, students will learn layout, composition, and portfolio presentation skills to prepare for college art and design applications. The course covers a range of disciplines, including 2D composition, graphic design, drawing, collage, and digital tools like Photoshop and Canva. In the first week, students will explore different design areas to identify gaps in their portfolios, then focus on two disciplines in the second week to create portfolio-ready projects. By the end, they’ll have new or refined pieces and a polished portfolio format for college submissions.
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Audio Production
Course
This intensive two-week program, hosted on the campus of Georgia Tech, is designed for students fascinated by the intersection of music creativity and rigorous engineering science. We move beyond simple software tutorials to explore the fundamental scientific principles, including Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and acoustic science, that form the backbone of all professional audio. You’ll gain a technical understanding of the entire signal chain, from the initial conversion of sound waves into electrical energy (microphones) to the final electronic mastering process.
The curriculum is a practical deep dive into modern production. Students who complete this program will leave with a polished, technically proficient portfolio piece and a clear insight into the academic and career paths that link music, media, and engineering within the dynamic Atlanta creative scene.
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Branding & Design
Course
Students will dive into the essentials of branding, learning how to define what a brand truly is and the fundamentals of creating a captivating visual brand identity. Through engaging lessons and resources, students will apply graphic design principles that will empower them to create visual impact by crafting effective and stunning designs.
As budding designers, students will discover their vital role in the branding process, while honing their skills in peer critique—an invaluable experience that fosters collaboration and improvement. Each participant will have the chance to design their own personal brand, and output with eye-catching foil finishing effects, culminating in the creation of a unique project that beautifully extends their brand identity.
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Experience Design
Course
This class invites students to learn about human-centered, end-user focused, experience design. Students will learn how experiences are intentionally designed to shape emotions, behavior, choices, and create meaning and learning in events, tourism, hospitality, recreation, and community settings. With excerpts from the text Designing Experiences (Rossman & Duerden), students will learn to gather end-user qualitative data, create a user persona, and apply positive psychology principles, map, and create intentional experiences to engage diverse audiences for desired, positive outcomes.
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Fashion Merchandising
Course
Uncover your passion for fashion and explore diverse career opportunities in one of the world’s most iconic fashion cities: NYC. Renowned for their rich history of top fashion events, leading designers, and a thriving fashion culture, these cities are legendary and exert tremendous influence in the fashion world. Prepare to use these cities as your living classrooms for an exciting journey of discovery.
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Filmmaking
Course
This course focuses on the fundamental elements of visual storytelling that enables students to direct their own projects. Whether you have little experience, or are a Steven Spielberg in the making, gain experience in the entertainment capital of the world.
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Industrial Design
Course
Step into the world of industrial design, where creativity meets functionality to shape the products of tomorrow. In this hands-on course, you’ll explore how designers balance form, materials, manufacturing, and sustainability. Through projects and collaboration, you’ll gain real experience with professional tools and techniques, and leave ready to turn your ideas into real-world products.
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Interior Design I
Course
Students will learn the fundamentals such as drafting, color theory, and materials, the course takes a practical approach by starting with a topic close to everyone’s heart – home. Through hands-on projects focused on apartment/home design, students will gain insights into furniture dynamics, spatial flow, and the psychology of interior spaces.
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Interior Design II
Course
This course introduces a dynamic shift towards the hospitality sector, incorporating the designs of hotels and restaurants.
Throughout the two-weeks, participants will explore the world of hospitality spaces by visiting some of the city’s premier campus hotels, as well as exploring various restaurants and cafes. The experiential learning extends beyond observation as students are encouraged to select a client and craft a designated space tailored to their needs, fostering a deeper understanding of design application.
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Music Production & Management
Course
The Music Production and Management program provides high school students with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the creative and business aspects of the music industry, with the added benefit of being based in Los Angeles, one of the world’s premier music and entertainment hubs.
Photography in the City
Course
This 2-week prep course offers high school students the opportunity to visit New York City’s iconic architecture while learning the fundamentals of photography from award-winning photographer Keith Williams. Students will use their smartphone or digital camera to capture interiors and exteriors at locations such as Hudson Yards, the High Line, Central Park, and the World Trade Center.
Students will acquire basic knowledge of photographic vocabulary, learn how to evaluate photographic images, and become familiar with digital photographic equipment and techniques. Discussions and assignments will also explore composition, styling, and lighting.
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Sports Broadcasting
Course
Sports broadcasting is a dynamic field that combines storytelling, analysis, and live performance. This two-week program is perfect for students passionate about sports and media who want to dive into the world of sports journalism and broadcasting. Throughout the course, students will learn the fundamentals of play-by-play and color commentary, master hosting for TV and podcasts, and practice calling games for different sports. They will also explore the emotional connection between fans and sports, gaining a deeper understanding of storytelling in sports media. By the end of the program, students will have developed essential skills for success in the sports media industry.
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UX Design
Course
Dive into the world of user experience (UX) design in this hands-on Summer Springboard course, where students apply the design sprint framework, conduct user research, and build digital products that solve real-world problems. From concept to prototype, participants explore every stage of the UX process with a focus on ethics and inclusive design, culminating in a portfolio-ready project and insights into UX careers through industry speakers and field excursions.
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Summer Springboard
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*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.