This summer, more than 1,100 middle and high school students from across Georgia connected with University of Georgia academic experts through Summer Academy at UGA to get a taste of possible future professions and better prepare for college. The experiential learning camps were made possible through partnerships between the academy and UGA academic units, including the College of Engineering, J.M. Tull School of Accounting, School of Law, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Augusta University/UGA Medical Partnership, which is slated to become the UGA Medical School.

Summer Academy is a program of the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach. The Georgia Center has been coordinating community summer camps for decades and has partnered with UGA entities, community partners and others to bring together subject matter experts and youth learners, providing educational experiences beyond the classroom. Summer Academy organized more than 60 camps this year with state-of-the-art experiential learning opportunities.

The week-long camps facilitate a workforce pipeline for careers in Georgia in fields such as communications and medicine. 

The partnership with the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication includes four camps: Advertising and Public Relations; Broadcast Journalism; Entertainment and Media Studies; and Multimedia Journalism. Through hands-on learning; participants spend each week creating specialized projects, such as a broadcast news show or a public relations campaign for a non-profit organization. Participants also experience field trips related to there area of study. Trips this year included tours of WUGA radio, the Red & Black newspaper, See.Spark.Go agency and Athena Studios. The camps align with Grady’s mission to emphasize the transformative nature of communication and the importance of using integrity as a guiding principle.

“We are investing in the next generation of ethical storytellers,” said Stephanie Moreno, Grady College’s director of scholastic outreach and recruitment. “We focus on equipping young people with the knowledge they need to carry these professions forward.”

Students in the Broadcast Journalism camp explored experiences connected to the majors offered at Grady, including tours of WUGA radio and the Red & Black newspaper.

Graduate student and camp assistant insructor Karmen Morrison said she didn’t have anything like Summer Academy growing up. She remembers visualizing broadcast journalism as a career path while she was in high school.

“Being involved with this camp is a way for me to pass that connection along to young people so they can have that same growth experience,” said Morrison.

Britney Woods, of Warner Robins, followed her sibling’s path through Summer Academy, and she was excited to meet new friends while engaging in the big campus learning environment.

“I came to camp to get hands-on experience in the field and see the spaces where journalists work. Seeing the broadcasting equipment brings the work to life for me,” said Woods, who attends Feagin Mill Middle School.

Grady College provides need-based financial assistance to a limited number of participants each year.

Students interested in science and the medical field are benefiting from a similar partnership between Summer Academy and the AU/UGA Medical Partnership, which has been supported by Piedmont Hospital this year. The hospital provides tours for campers, flush with hands-on learning opportunities like a tour of the emergency room, interaction with EMT technicians, behind the scenes look at radiology, labs, and the Life Flight heliocopter provide a comprehensive view of the medical field and its varying career paths.

The partnership introduced a variety of mini-med camps designed for learners ages 8-17 to ignite interest in medical careers. This is the third year Summer Academy has worked with the AU/UGA Medical Partnership, encouraging and demonstrating to students that there is more than one way to build a medical career. The camps aim to break down barriers and show diverse learners that a medical career is attainable.

“Data shows better outcomes when patients see a doctor they can identify with,” said AU/UGA Medical Partnership Director of External Affairs Tai Sherman.

UGA medical students finishing their first year act as counselors. The program introduced lessons on ophthalmology and genetics this year. Each counselor brings their own diverse experience, enabling campers to identify multiple pathways into medicine and fostering an inclusive environment where every student feels represented.

“We have a shortage of doctors in Georgia, and these camps inspire students to see a career in medicine as possible and achievable,” said first-year UGA medical student and camp counselor Youssef Mohamed.

For the participating medical students, the camp also teaches soft skills such as compassion and empathy, which are essential not only for medical professionals but also for good citizens.

“Beyond representation or whether learners go into health care, they are going to navigate the field better in their own lives knowing what questions to ask, managing their health and insurance system, and better understanding the health care system in general by what they experience with us,” said camp director Margaret Henry. “We want them to have fun and see the joy in learning. It’s a privilege to bring people into our world and share our resources.”

Community fundraisers help make camps financially accessible for students from the Clarke County School District.

“The Georgia Center plays a central role in connecting young learners from across the state to UGA academic resources as part of its mission within Public Service and Outreach,” said Stacy Jones, Georgia Center director. “Through the Summer Academy, Georgia youth have the opportunity to explore potential career paths in a safe and supportive environment which helps foster the development of Georgia’s future professionals and contributes to the state’s long-term prosperity.”