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Academic Summer Camps

Plan for Summer 2023

Each June, Southern Adventist University offers a selection of academic summer camps hosted in-person on our 1,300-acre campus. High school students are invited to explore or sharpen potential career interests before even starting college in this immersive learning experience. Each three-day camp includes hands-on learning with some of our top-notch professors as well as a spiritual component, modeling how Adventist education offers both academic rigor and development for the whole person. See below for information about the camps available for summer 2023.

Our 2023 camps are open to those who will be in grades 9-12 in the upcoming fall. Camps are held from June 12 - 14, 2023.


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Academic Camps for Summer 2023

Is delicious food your passion? Our kitchen is the perfect place to try your hand at creating yumminess while building new friendships. Cooking is not only a fun hobby, but an important life skill and an increasingly popular career choice. In the last few years consumers are moving toward healthier meals, and the demand for plant based foods are increasing at an exponential rate! Come put an apron on and learn some new skills that will impress your family and friends!

Capture awe-inspiring images by immersing yourself in the art and craft of photography. Join photo experts from the School of Journalism and Communication for a 3-day in-person workshop. Bring your digital camera or smartphone. Campers may also use our digital SLR cameras with a selection of wide and telephoto lenses. Learn photo editing using Adobe Lightroom in our maclab. Subjects include nature, action, and photojournalism. Create portraits in our photo studio using our professional lighting and grip hardware. Share your pictures with family and friends. No prior photography experience required.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like being a journalist? Well, our summer boot camp is just what you need for hands-on experience. You will learn to develop story ideas, gather the facts and conduct interviews in a dynamic news environment. In the process, you’ll learn to write and publish compelling stories, utilizing digital multimedia technology. The boot camp is designed for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in the communication field. So bring your ideas, your energy, your talents and let’s break some news!

Are you fascinated by the world of web development and eager to learn how to create your own website from scratch? Have you ever visited a website and thought, "I could have designed this better!"? Or are there websites you wish existed, but they simply don't?

Join our summer camp to learn the basics of web development with a focus on HTML and CSS. No prior coding experience is required, but it's a plus. You'll learn how to design and build your own website from the ground up, and by the end of camp you'll have a fully functional website to share your ideas and content with your friends. Who knows—you could be on your way to creating the next big website sensation!


Instructor:
Robert Ordóñez, MS

Do you want to be a physician? This camp is just the thing for rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors who want a behind the scenes view of this profession while exploring Biblical principles for finding meaning in your career. Uncover hidden diseases in x-rays, practice suturing, construct skeletons, and learn how a real scientific laboratory works. Interact directly with actual physicians and pre-medical students.  Camp concludes with a simulated hospital experience incorporating the skills you have learned.  Prerequisites:
Open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors
 Instructors:
Paulo Dias, MD

Do you enjoy being in God's great outdoors?   Are you considering a career in the outdoor industry?  Do you have a heart for helping people become healthier, happier, while being safe? Sign up for the Outdoor Leadership Academic Summer camp and we will introduce you our challenge course, take you white water rafting, rock climbing and caving.  We will show you how you can utilize these fun activities to advance the ministry of our Lord.  The Outdoor Leadership program has undergraduate programs in: Adventure Therapy, Outdoor Ministry, Experiential Education (teacher), Outdoor Recreation and many more.  We look forward to seeing you this summer!

Do you want to make a movie? There’s a name for the place where cameras, editing, and the art of entertainment converge. We call it Storyforge. Gets hands on with the gear that pros use to shoot the highest quality motion pictures. Discover what really engages an audience—how to make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, & even make ‘em sweat. If you want to hear a round of applause for your team when the credits roll and surprise them with a meaningful tale, this is the place. Because being part of a movie crew means living into something bigger than yourself. Storyforge: where the movies we make can honor the Maker of all.

Prerequisites:
Willing to jump in and work hard. Camera or editing experience can help, but is not required.
 

Instructors:
Nick Livanos & Nathan DeWild

We will incorporate lecture and hands-on lab instruction where students can work on their own vehicle or one of the shop’s, doing general maintenance and repair. We will arrange a tour of a parts warehouse/dealership to give students an idea of what goes on behind the scenes (if time allows). This camp exposes students to the day-to-day activities associated with this career path, showing practical application and discussing opportunities they will have once they have graduated, including what they need to think about if they want to own their own business. Together we’ll explore what a Christ-centered approach looks like for those who enjoy working with their hands in a rewarding automotive career.