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Extracurriculars for a Career in Graphic Design

Graphic designers create logos, layouts, and visuals that communicate ideas. Art programs, design contests, and making graphics for school groups help build a portfolio.

32
programs
8
online or hybrid
7
open enrollment, no application
14
states with in-person programs

Find programs that fit you

Format
Admission
Focus
Showing 32 of 32 programs

Programs for a Career in Graphic Design

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers · Multiple
SelectiveGrades 7th - 12th

Why it fits: Visual art submissions develop design sensibility, composition, and personal artistic voice valued in design careers.

Congressional Art Competition
The Congressional Institute · Multiple · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Students create original visual artwork across multiple mediums, directly building design and artistic composition skills.

High School Summer Art Intensive: Studio Practice
NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development · New York, NY · In-Person
In-PersonHighly SelectiveGrades 10th - 12th

Why it fits: Students create visual artwork using studio practices, materials, and technologies directly applicable to graphic design work.

UConn Pre-College Summer
University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT · In-Person
In-Person

Why it fits: Visual Arts coursework directly builds design and artistic composition skills.

Early College Program Online Summer Institute
School of the Art Institute of Chicago · Virtual · Virtual
VirtualGrades 10th - 12th

Why it fits: Students build portfolios and develop design skills under acclaimed faculty guidance, directly preparing for graphic design careers.

Summer at Columbia
Columbia College Chicago · Chicago, IL · In-Person
In-PersonOpen EnrollmentGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Design courses taught by professional designers explore visual creativity and creative industry skills.

Interlochen Summer Arts Camp
Interlochen · Interlochen, Michigan · In-Person
In-PersonGrades 3rd - 12th

Why it fits: Visual Arts programs develop foundational design and artistic skills under professional guidance.

National High School Game Academy
Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 10th - 11th

Why it fits: 2D and 3D art classes teach visual design skills essential to game development and digital design.

Day of AI Festival
Day of AI USA · Cambridge, MA · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 3rd - 12th

Why it fits: Winning projects displayed at MIT Museum demonstrate visual art integration with AI technology.

Teen Studio
Art Students League of Denver · Denver, CO · In-Person
In-PersonOpen EnrollmentGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Students develop artistic skills and explore visual creation with professional guidance, foundational to design work.

Springboard to Design
Unknown

Why it fits: Students develop visual design skills and creative problem-solving directly applicable to graphic design work.

Museum of Arts and Design Artslife
Museum of Arts and Design · New York City, NY · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 10th - 11th

Why it fits: Interns create artwork and design projects with artists and museum professionals.

Governor's School for the Arts
Governor's School for the Arts · Norfolk, VA · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 8th - 11th

Why it fits: Visual Arts department with professional gallery exhibitions develops artistic vision and visual design skills in conservatory-style study.

Animation Summer Program for High School Students
Interlochen Center for the Arts · Interlochen, MI · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Digital animation software and visual storytelling techniques directly support motion graphics and visual design work.

National Art Honor Society
National Art Education Association · Multiple · Hybrid
HybridSelectiveGrades 6th - 12th

Why it fits: Members develop visual art skills and receive recognition through juried exhibitions and national awards.

Washington University Summer Programs for High School Students
Washington University in St. Louis · St. Louis, MO · In-Person
In-PersonGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Portfolio Plus program includes Communication Design studio concentration with college-level art and design courses.

Indigenous Youth Media Workshop
Northern Arizona University School of Communication · Flagstaff, AZ · In-Person
In-Person

Why it fits: Students learn visual design and content creation using professional design labs and tools.

Inspiring Girls Expeditions
Inspiring Girls Expeditions · Multiple · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Art component of expeditions builds visual composition and creative expression skills.

Norwich University of the Arts FREE Creative Summer Workshops
Norwich University of the Arts · Norwich, UK · Virtual
VirtualOpen EnrollmentGrades 9th+

Why it fits: Workshop on advertising idea development and visual merchandising directly builds core graphic design competencies.

Art Academy of Cincinnati: Teen Academy
Art Academy of Cincinnati · Cincinnati, OH · In-Person
In-PersonGrades 8th - 12th

Why it fits: Students explore visual composition, color, texture, and design principles across painting, illustration, textile, and print courses.

Youth Fashion Show
East Texas State Fair · Tyler, TX · In-Person
In-PersonOpen EnrollmentGrades 3rd - 12th

Why it fits: Design embellishment and redesign divisions require visual composition and aesthetic decision-making skills central to graphic design.

Brain Awareness Video Contest
BrainFacts/Society for Neuroscience · Virtual · Virtual
VirtualSelective

Why it fits: Students develop visual presentations and whiteboard animations to illustrate brain concepts effectively.

RISD Pre-College
Rhode Island School of Design · Providence, RI · Hybrid
Hybrid

Why it fits: Students develop artistic foundation and design principles directly applicable to graphic design work.

National Portfolio Day
National Portfolio Day Association · Multiple locations (Virtual and In-person Events) · Hybrid
HybridOpen Enrollment

Why it fits: Students present portfolios to design school admissions officers and receive direct feedback on their visual work.

River of Words
Saint Mary's College of California, Center for Environmental Literacy, Kalmanovitz School of Education · Moraga, CA · In-Person
In-PersonOpen EnrollmentGrades K - 12th

Why it fits: Students create original visual artwork exploring environmental themes and place-based observation.

Youth Art Connection (YAC)
American Folk Art Museum · New York, NY · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 11th - 12th

Why it fits: Students create their own art and view museum exhibitions, building foundational visual design skills.

The Wooster Group Summer Institute
The Wooster Group · New York, NY · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 6th - 12th

Why it fits: Students explore lighting, sound, scenic, and costume design elements as part of their creative technical training.

Summer Academy – Global (Online)
Boston Architectural College · Virtual · Virtual
VirtualOpen EnrollmentGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Students develop sketching, drawing, digital design, and presentation skills through individual and collaborative design projects.

National High School Design Challenge
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum · New York, NY · Hybrid
HybridSelectiveGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Students create sketches and visual designs to communicate ideas, core to graphic design practice.

Octavia Project: Summer Institute in Brooklyn
Octavia Project · Brooklyn, NY · In-Person
In-PersonGrades 9th - 12th

Why it fits: Students develop digital media and visual art skills while creating work for public showcase and publication.

Taiwan Fashion Design Awards (TFDA)
Unknown · Taiwan · In-Person
In-PersonHighly Selective

Why it fits: Students develop visual design skills through creating technical drawings, fabric photography, and presentation materials for design submissions.

Summer Arts Institute 2026
NYC Public Schools' Arts Office · New York, NY · In-Person
In-PersonSelectiveGrades 6th - 12th

Why it fits: Visual arts track develops technical skills and creative expression with professional artists and venue visits exploring design careers.

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