Summer Academy is the Positive Youth Development Institute’s signature career, leadership, & college readiness conference hosted at UW-Madison. The event focuses on preparing young people (grades 8-11) for higher education in a way that complements formal education prep programs. Summer Academy offers an immersive college experience; participants will experience life in a residence hall, explore campus, and enjoy the unique elements of higher ed that only Madison can offer.
This year’s theme is The Quest; Summer Academy participants will answer the call to adventure across the UW-Madison campus and explore their next steps in their career and college readiness journey! They will choose between exploratory tracks that introduce them to a variety of different Sparks and activities, core tracks that allow them to explore an area of interest in-depth, or an Advanced Art Track where youth will focus deeply on a specific area of arts.
Program Summary
Event: Summer Academy
Grades: 8-11
Location: UW-Madison
Dates: Sunday, June 14 through Thursday, June 18, 2026
Registration: Registration will open March 6, 2026 via 4-H Online
Cost: The Summer Academy experience fee is $150.
Questions: Contact Annie Lisowski (annie.lisowski@wisc.edu) or Laura Pine (lpine@wisc.edu) with any questions.
More information: Visit our website for more information.
Exploratory Tracks (Grades 8–10) Theme: Experiential Learning Best for first-time delegates. This track is designed for youth who are looking to learn about a number of career pathways and discover new interests. As the name suggests, it is a place where you can explore your future through hands-on learning experiences in a variety of content areas—from Science, Agriculture, and Game Design to Communications, LEGOs, and the Visual & Performing Arts. Each youth will participate in 3 or more different workshops in each track to get a broad taste of what is available. Workshops are grouped into three career areas so that youth will get a variety of experiences. Track Options include:
- Exploratory Track Adventure: Leadership, Performing Arts, Entrepreneurship
- Exploratory Track Expedition: Legos, Climate & Weather, Visual Arts
- Exploratory Track Voyage: Agriculture, Science, Gaming
- Exploratory Track Journey: Dance, Computer Animation/Basic Coding, Education
Core Tracks (Grades 9–11) Theme: Career and College Readiness Best for returning delegates. These tracks are designed for youth who have attended before or who are starting to have specific ideas about their future. Rather than rotating through many topics, youth in Core Tracks will focus on a specific area for 1.5 days, interacting with professionals in the field. Track options include:
- Culinary Arts (Madison College)
- Automotive (Madison College)
- Construction Trades (Madison College)
- Civic Engagement
- Agribusiness
- Artificial Intelligence
- Health & Wellness
This year’s Advanced Academy will focus on the arts.
New! Advanced Academy (Grades 11) Theme: Career and College Readiness Best for youth ready to transition to college or a career. The Advanced Academy is for older youth looking to take a deep dive into career exploration by working alongside professional educators and practitioners. Participants will spend 15–20 hours working hands-on in the field. For example, a group might work in the Textiles Lab at the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology to create a project while studying fabric technology and sustainability. Small groups of 6–8 youth will work with a track leader to build skills and make connections with UW-Madison faculty and students.
Find a comprehensive list of track options and descriptions HERE.