Film & Media programs for high schoolers.
34 programs indexed in film & media. 10 are free or pay a stipend. 1 prioritize under-resourced or underrepresented students. This page updates whenever we add a new film & media program.
All film & media programs
- ModerateThe College of New Jersey2D Animation Camp
Students create an animated short while learning professional animation techniques. 2026 cost: $800 commuter/$1,200 residential.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateUniversity of Georgia3D Animation
Students learn modeling and animation in Autodesk Maya and build original 3D assets while exploring applications in film, game development and design.
📍 GA🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateIndiana University Cinema AcademyActing for the Camera
High-school students learn screen-acting techniques and work on camera in collaboration with the academy's filmmaking program.
📍 IN🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModeratePurchase College, SUNYActing Intensive
Conservatory-style acting training with scene work and performance development.
📍 NY🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModeratePurchase College, SUNYActing on Camera
Students learn screen acting, audition technique and on-camera performance.
📍 NY🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateUMBCActing Techniques for High Schoolers
Students practice acting techniques in a high-school-focused course.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateIndiana University Cinema AcademyAdvanced Filmmakers Academy
Students work through pre-production, production, and post-production as a filmmaking cohort and collaborate on a short film using professional equipment.
📍 IN🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveMaine Community FoundationAgnes Freyer Gibbs Scholarship Fund
Graduating Maine high-school students intending to pursue journalism or related print, broadcast, or electronic-media fields can compete for renewable support.
📍 ME🎓 Grade 12 - SelectiveAAHSFFAll American High School Film Festival
Largest film festival exclusively for student filmmakers.
📍 New York, NY⏱ 4 days📅 Not yet announced — check official site for next cycle🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateIndiana University Cinema AcademyAnimation Academy
Students use professional software and equipment to explore digital animation techniques used in film, television, and games.
📍 IN🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateMontclair State UniversityAnimation and VFX
Pre-college intensive in animation and visual-effects production.
📍 NJ🎓 Grades 10–12 - SelectiveAAJAAsian American Journalists Association JCamp
Free six-day multicultural journalism program for high school students.
📍 Rotating (US)⏱ 6 days📅 Winter🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveMississippi Scholastic Press Association / University of MississippiBest of Mississippi Student Media Competition
Students at MSPA-member publications compete for individual and publication awards in newspaper/magazine/site, yearbook, broadcast, and literary-magazine categories. All MSPA contests are free to enter.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveLas Cruces Public Schools FoundationBieri Family Broadcast Journalism Scholarship
$1,000 scholarship for an LCPS senior majoring in broadcast journalism at NMSU.
📍 NM🎓 Grade 12 - SelectiveLA County Department of Arts and CultureBloomberg Arts Internship — Los Angeles County
Students work at arts and cultural organizations while completing intensive college-readiness training, professional development, mentorship and career preparation.
📍 CA🎓 Grade 12 - SelectiveC-SPANC-SPAN StudentCam
Annual student documentary competition on public policy.
📍 Online⏱ Annual📅 January🎓 Grades 6–12 - ModerateCSSSA FoundationCalifornia State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA)
Multi-disciplinary arts sessions for young artists to collaborate and learn from professionals.
📍 Valencia, CA⏱ 4 weeks📅 March 15🎓 Grades 10–12 - ModerateArizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass CommunicationCamp Cronkite
Students learn interviewing, news and feature writing, visual storytelling, videography, podcasting, producing, weather reporting, social media, and personal branding.
📍 AZ🎓 Grades 9–11 - ModerateUniversity of South Carolina (successor site)Carolina Journalism Institute
Residential journalism/reporting/media experience; USC's own sc.edu page for this program is now dead, this successor site is the live source.
📍 SC🎓 Eligibility not confirmed - ModerateUniversity of South Carolina (successor site)Carolina Sports Journalism Institute
Sports reporting, media and communications track within the Carolina Journalism Institute.
📍 SC🎓 Eligibility not confirmed - ModerateBall State University College of Communication, Information, and MediaCCIM+ Summer Workshops
High-school students choose specialized workshops such as student-media leadership, post-production and visual effects, esports, or speech and communication.
📍 IN🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveCalifornia Coastal CommissionClimate Storytelling Contest
Middle- and high-school students communicate their experiences and feelings about climate change through a podcast, photo essay or personal narrative essay.
📍 CA🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateArizona State University School of ArtComics and Storyboards Camp
Students create original comics, anime, manga, characters, storyboards, figures, poses, and visual narratives while learning illustration techniques.
📍 AZ🎓 Grades 9–12 - Highly SelectiveWashington University in St. Louis Pre-College ProgramsCreative Immersion Institute
Two-week residential institute built around intensive creative, college-level work in small classes, combined with college-readiness and academic enrichment. The 2026 fee was $3,985 and need-based scholarships are available.
📍 MO🎓 Grades 9–11 - ModerateLoyola University New Orleans College of Music and MediaCreative Summer Experience
High-school students choose intensive creative tracks while gaining hands-on experience in areas such as graphic design, motion design, photography, book arts, game design, film, theatre, and music. Need-based scholarships are available.
📍 LA🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateJacksonville State UniversityCreative Writing — Gamecock Arts & Sciences Program
Participants work on creative-writing forms that include poetry, fiction, play or screen writing, and story development.
📍 AL🎓 Grades 9–12 - Highly SelectiveNorth Dakota State University Department of EnglishCreative Writing Camp
Students develop fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, songwriting and other creative work with university writers and instructors.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateUniversity of Nebraska at KearneyDigital Expressions Media Camp
Students use professional video and audio equipment to produce news programming, DJ on campus radio, learn videography/editing and visit broadcast organizations. The 2026 camp cost $200.
📍 NE🎓 Grades 9–12 - SelectiveUniversity of PennsylvaniaDigital Journalism Academy
Learn the skills of modern journalism, including digital storytelling, investigative reporting, and media production.
📍 Multiple🎓 Eligibility not confirmed - ModerateUMBCDigital Storytelling
Students explore digital techniques for creating and communicating stories.
📍 MD🎓 Grades 9–12 - ModerateUniversity of North Dakota Department of CommunicationDigital Storytelling Summit
Students spend several days reporting, filming and producing multimedia stories while learning journalism and media production from UND faculty and professionals.
📍 ND🎓 Grades 9–12 - Highly SelectiveThe New York TimesDiverse Voices Scholarship Program (for NYT Summer Academy)
Scholarship program offered to provide affordable educational opportunities for qualified applicants to the NYT Summer Academy, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.
📍 Multiple🎓 Eligibility not confirmed - ModerateDelta State University Delta Music InstituteDMI Summer Camp
High-school students ages 14–18 choose audio engineering, performance, or singer-songwriter tracks and work in professional studios with faculty and music-industry professionals before a final recording session and showcase.
📍 MS🎓 Grades 9–12 - Highly SelectiveChapman UniversityDodge College Summer Film Academy
A 3-week immersive program in film production, screenwriting, and cinematic history.
📍 Orange, CA⏱ 3 weeks📅 May 1🎓 Grades 11–12