The West Virginia University College of Creative Arts and Media is offering several summer educational opportunities for youth, teens and adult students to learn about various forms of art and media, as well as two unique opportunities for music educators.
Acting
The Summer Acting Academy will take place June 23-28. The professional training program is open to young actors who wish to explore and develop their skills in all areas of performance. The youth academy is open to ages 8-11, while the teen academy hosts ages 12-17.
Art
The WVU School of Art and Design will host a residential Visual Arts Academy June 8-13 for students entering grades eight through 12. Participants will get the full WVU art student experience by staying in dorms and participating in painting, printmaking, ceramics, drawing, intermedia and sculpture workshops taught by WVU School of Art and Design faculty. A separate Visual Arts Academy day camp will be held July 21-25 for grades K-7, where they can explore different art forms in studio workshops.
Dance
The 2025 Summer Dance Academy is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a partnership with New York’s Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC). The academy is split into two groups. The teen academy, which will be held July 6-12, is an in-residence dance program geared toward dancers ages 12 through college interested in furthering their dance training. The youth academy running July 7-11 welcomes dancers ages five to 11 with little to no dance experience and allows them to explore different styles including ballet, jazz, hip-hop and tap.
Media
The WVU Media Camp welcomes high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to the Reed School of Media and Communications for a residential camp June 23-26. The camp focuses on exploring new and innovative ways to tell stories with workshops focusing on writing, photography, video, broadcasting, social media strategy and other storytelling methods. Students will also get to explore WVU’s Advertising and Public Relations, Journalism and Sports and Adventure Media programs.
Music
There is no shortage of summer opportunities for music lovers. The School of Music is offering its Summer Brass Academy June 9-13 for grades eight through 12, Summer Choir Camp June 11-15 for ages six through 12, Viola Bootcamp June 11-14 for ages 15 and older, Summer Percussion Academy June 23-27 for ages 14-18, the Summer Harp Academy June 13-14 for all ages, and the String Chamber Music Intensive June 14-18 for all ages.
Professional
The School of Music is offering a World Music Pedagogy certificate program June 16-19. Participants will engage with music in daily workshops featuring music traditions of Appalachia, West Africa, Northeast Brazil, and Trinidad. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive documentation of 30 clock hours and a certificate from Smithsonian Folkways for specialized study in world music pedagogy.
Band directors and music teachers are invited to a Brass and Woodwind Maintenance and Repair Workshop from June 9-13. This week-long, hands-on workshop allows professionals to develop valuable skills in preventive maintenance and common repair issues to save time and money for their school’s brass and woodwind instruments.
For more information about these opportunities, visit creativeartsandmedia.wvu.edu/community-engagement.
