OSA Summer Arts Academy
Oakland School for the Arts Summer Arts Academy provides a safe and creative space to explore new and familiar art forms to students ages 9-16 years old. Join us this June for a fully immersive arts experience in the heart of downtown oakland!
OSA 's Summer Arts Academy runs daily from 9:00 - 3:00 PM. Academies are led by trained adult educators who are also working artists in each respective field.
Each session is a 9 or 10 day program that will educate learners of all levels in an engaging hands-on arts experience. At the end of each session, we invite friends and families to a culminating arts showcase for performances and exhibiting of student work.
Session One is Monday, June 2nd- Friday, June 13th.
Session Two is Monday, June 16th- Friday, June 27th
*This is a 9 day session. No session Wednesday, June 19th to observe the Juneteenth holiday
OSA Summer Art Academy sessions range from $1150-$1275 per session or $2300 for both sessions.
*This does not reflect the cost for students who qualify for reduced tuition.
Please note that offerings are subject to enrollment; if the academy arts pathway is canceled by OSA prior to the start of the session, an alternate arts pathway may be taken or refund issued.
how to register:
how to register:
how to register:
STEP 1: There is a 20 student maximum capacity in each class, so please fill out this application to reserve your space.
STEP 2: Make your payment(s) via your ProCare account.
*After submitting the registration form, you will receive an email from ProCare (within 2-3 business days) inviting you to create an account.
Please note- registration is not complete until both step one and two are finalized and you receive confirmation.
Contact OSASummerAcademy@oakarts.org with questions!
2025 Course offerings:
2025 Course offerings:
2025 Course offerings:
- Art of Narrative - College Application Essays: In this course, students will develop their narrative and essay writing skills in preparation for their college personal statements. Through brainstorming activities, targeted prompts, peer edits, and instructor feedback, we will demystify the college essay process together. By the end of the course, each student will have developed a personal essay that will be representative of their own unique story and point of view.
- Audio Production & Engineering:(Session Two only): The Music Production summer course will take you from the introduction to the advanced functions of the MIDI music making process. Working with MIDI gives individuals the freedom to take control of their entire project, controlling instruments and arrangements, right down to the individual notes. MIDI or Musical Instrument Digital Interface is a music industry standard computer language that communicates the information contained in a musical performance. We will be looking at the tools, methods, ideas and some helpful tricks used in creating an original song as well as music production techniques. This course will be using Logic Pro X as its main Digital Audio Workstation. Within Logic Pro X we will cover the program basics, as well as the plug-ins and built in processing available on the workstations. Spanning from basic audio signal processing to original audio synthesis we will create and manipulate audio withMIDI.
Course Topics
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- Recording Studio etiquette
- Basic Logic Pro X operations
- Signal Flow and Synthesis
- Creating MIDI performances
- Editing/Manipulating MIDI performances
- Sound Design
- Using Microphones
- Songwriting
- Mixing and Bouncing project
- Creative Writing: In this two-week summer academy, Students will unlock their imagination and dive into the world of creative writing! Through fun prompts, interactive exercises, and storytelling techniques, students will explore writing short stories, poems, and even their own fantasy worlds. They'll develop skills in character creation, plot development, and descriptive writing, while gaining confidence in their unique voice. By the end of the course, students will share their work in a final reading, showcasing their creativity and newfound writing talents!
- Dance Academy : 2 week training program for middle school and high school age students who are ready to dive into intensive dance training. This summer's training will focus on students becoming well rounded movement artists. Areas of study will include Ballet, Modern/Contemporary, African Diasporic movement, Hip Hop fundamentals, pelvic and spine exploration, Pilates for dancers and choreography development. This summer's offering is for young artists looking to become fully aware of their body mechanics and possibilities, as well as training in other forms of dance.
- Instrumental Music - Combos & Band (all levels welcome)
- Intro to Screenwriting: Students will learn the structure of screenplays, how to write compelling scenes, and, finally, how to write their very own short films.
- Fashion Design: Calling all Fashonistas! Designers will learn how textile and material play a central role in the design of a fashion collection. They will develop mood boards and explore fashion sketching, upcycling and sewing. Designers will learn basic construction techniques while pushing the limits of each material.
- Filmmaking: In this two-week summer academy, students will step behind the camera and learn the art of filmmaking! From brainstorming ideas to writing scripts, directing scenes, and editing footage, students will get hands-on experience in every stage of the filmmaking process. They'll explore camera techniques, sound design, and storytelling, all while working on their very own short film. At the end of the course, students will showcase their finished short films in a mini film festival for friends and family!
- Making A Podcast: Welcome to Making a Podcast! In this class, students will learn how to make podcast projects from beginning to end, using the audio editing software, SoundTrap. We will pick a theme for the podcast at the beginning of the semester, and then everyone will pitch stories under that theme and work on them throughout the two week course. This will include learning how to write pitches, outlines, and scripts; how to conduct interviews; as well as how to record, edit, and produce your final audio project!
- Photography: In this two-week summer academy, students will discover the art of photography while learning how to capture amazing images through their camera lens. Students will explore the basics of composition, lighting, and editing, with plenty of hands-on practice both indoors and outdoors. They’ll experiment with different styles, from portraits to landscapes, and gain skills in both digital and smartphone photography. By the end of the session, students will have their own mini photo portfolio to share in a final gallery showcase!
- Visual Arts: Traditional drawing, painting, mixed media: The Power of Painting is a dynamic workshop where we explore the power of art to inspire positive change in the world. This course aims to empower students to become agents of change through their artistic practice, fostering empathy, understanding, and action. Emphasis will be placed on experimentation, encouraging students to find their unique voice using a variety of hands-on, 2-dimensional art activities such as drawing, zines, collage, painting, and mixed media. In addition to developing your own artistic style, you’ll have opportunities to collaborate with fellow classmates in a fun, supportive environment. We’ll also look at how other artists affect the world, through videos and tours of our own diverse local art community.
- Theater-Acting: Sanford Meisner, a great acting teacher once said," Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances."- In this session we will be looking at the A,B,C' s of Acting ("An Actor prepares, Building a character and Creating a role.") We will learn physical and vocal warm ups along with theatre activities and games. We will apply various acting techniques from Stanislavsky's System to Strasberg's "Method", along with Stella Adler's approach and more. We will be exploring scenes from a theatrical play, using our skills and tools to make those scenes come alive and performing as an ensemble. People are Theatre!
- Musical Theatre/Acting/Improv: In this two-week summer academy, students will step into the spotlight and explore the exciting world of musical theatre! Through singing, dancing, and acting, students will learn the basics of performance while rehearsing scenes and songs from popular musicals. They'll develop their skills in stage presence, vocal technique, and choreography, all while building confidence and teamwork. By the end of the session, students will perform a mini musical showcase for friends and family, making this the perfect introduction to the magic of musical theatre!
- Vocal Music & Songwriting: Explore your voice and songwriting skills, while growing in your vocal abilities and your agility. Youth will have an opportunity to write and sing their own songs, as well as sing some of their favorites either as a solo or as a group. Come find the voice that lives inside you and let it sing!
- Animation: In this two-week summer academy, students will explore the exciting world of animation through hands-on learning and creativity. Students will dive into character design, storyboarding, and animation techniques like 2D hand-drawn animation and digital tools. They'll develop their own animated short by the end of the course, gaining skills in storytelling, design, and technology along the way. With fun group activities, individual projects, and a final mini film festival to showcase their work, this course is the perfect introduction to the art of animation!
Please note that offerings are subject to enrollment; if the academy is canceled by OSA prior to the start of the session, an alternate session may be taken or refund issued.
Contact OSASummerAcademy@oakarts.org with questions!
about OSA
about OSA
about OSA
Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) is a nonprofit public charter school founded by Governor Jerry Brown – then Oakland’s Mayor – in 2002. Now in its 20th year, OSA serves 800 students in grades 6-12. OSA is housed in Uptown Oakland’s historic Fox Theater and Newberry Building. Our mission is to blend immersive, robust arts with comprehensive academics, providing integrated opportunities for collaboration, expression and personal growth. Our notable alumni include Zendaya, Kehlani, Tati Gabrielle, Angus Cloud, Ari'el Stachel, Zachary Fernandez and former Oakland Youth Poet Laureate, Leila Mottley.
Non-Discrimination Statement
OSA is a free, public school chartered by Oakland Unified School District. OSA does not discriminate in hiring or in admission on the basis of academic history, academic preparation, citizenship, color, creed, English proficiency, ethnicity, disability, gender expression, gender, home language, home living situation, immigration status, learning differences, national origin, parental/guardian marital status, political affiliation, race, religious or spiritual practice, or sexual orientation.
