California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) - Animation
CSSSA's Animation program is a distinct discipline track (separate department and faculty from the CSSSA Film program) within California's official state summer arts school. High school students explore traditional, cutout, and digital animation techniques, producing multiple animated projects over a residential summer session with guest artists, field trips to animation studios, and figure drawing training.
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SUMMERFILM: Documentary Film Production for Teens (CAFILM Education)
SUMMERFILM is an immersive documentary filmmaking workshop for teens run by CAFILM Education, the youth education arm of the California Film Institute (which also produces the Mill Valley Film Festival). Students in grades 9-12 spend a week working with professional filmmakers at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael to learn documentary storytelling, production, and editing, culminating in an original short film.
UC Davis Pre-College Program: Equine Science
A two-week residential pre-college program at UC Davis where high schoolers study equine physiology, behavior, nutrition, disease, and reproduction through lectures and hands-on labs at the Animal Science Horse Barn and Center for Equine Health. Students live in dorms, take college-style classes taught by UC Davis faculty, and observe veterinarians working with horses.
UC Davis Pre-College Program: Forensics
An eight-day residential pre-college program at UC Davis introducing high schoolers to forensic DNA analysis and crime scene investigation, from identifying body fluids and generating DNA profiles in the crime lab to collecting evidence (tire tracks, footprints, fingerprints) at a staged crime scene. The program culminates in a moot court where students testify as expert witnesses about their findings.
Wall Street Academy (University of San Francisco)
A week-long, in-person investing intensive at USF's Investment Lab where high schoolers use industry-standard tools like Bloomberg Terminal and FactSet to study investment fundamentals and global financial markets, including visits to major financial institutions such as BlackRock and Merrill Lynch.
BAVC Media Next Gen
Next Gen is a free semester-long after-school media program at BAVC Media in San Francisco for youth ages 14-17, distinct from BAVC's other youth offerings like Climate Warriors. Students choose a track in DSLR video production/cinematography (Factory) or frame/stop-motion animation, meet twice weekly, and can earn a $300 completion incentive while building a college-application portfolio.
California Student Media Festival
The California Student Media Festival is a nonprofit statewide competition open to any California PreK-12 student (public, private, charter, extracurricular, or homeschool) to submit original work in Film/Video, Animation, Photography, Audio (music or podcasting), or Interactive Media, judged in a Secondary (grades 9-12) division. Finalists are celebrated at an annual awards ceremony, with 2026 entries accepted January 19-March 31 and the ceremony held in May.