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.
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SLEWS Program (Center for Land-Based Learning)
The Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (SLEWS) program engages cohorts of about 30 high school students in hands-on habitat restoration on working farms, ranches, and open spaces across Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Butte counties. Over three to five field days per cohort, students plant native vegetation, build irrigation systems, conduct ecological studies, and hear from natural-resource professionals about careers in agriculture and conservation.
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.
UC Davis Vet Med Exploration Academy (VMEA)
A three-day fall academy at UC Davis's School of Veterinary Medicine, run in partnership with the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) and Breakthrough Sacramento, that gives local underrepresented high school students a first-hand look at veterinary medical education through lectures, clinical-skills labs, facility tours, and Center for Equine Health visits.
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.
Criminal & Forensic Science at UCLA (Summer Springboard)
A two-week residential pre-college course on the UCLA campus teaching forensic investigation techniques - fingerprint, fiber, blood-spatter, and DNA analysis - through crime scene simulations and team case studies, taught by a 36-year veteran Forensic Identification Specialist from the LA County Sheriff's Department. The program includes a field visit to a real police department crime lab and ends in a moot court presentation.
Summer Springboard: Kinesiology and Physical Therapy at UC San Diego
A two-week pre-college immersion in human movement and rehabilitation held on the UC San Diego campus, where students learn manual muscle testing, gait and balance assessment, and sports taping, and visit local physical therapy and sports medicine clinics.