School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions

"On a scale of 1 to 3, our teen rated all aspects of his program a 10!"
— Mary Horvath, Concord, Massachusetts

CAU Summer Youth & Teen Programs

Big Reds, and Junior Cornellians

All youth programs are offered during 4 one-week sessions:

July 6-12 (Week I)
July 13-19 (Week II)
July 20-26 (Week III)
July 27-August 2 (Week IV)

Big Reds & Junior Cornellians

Big Reds are ages nine and ten.
Junior Cornellians (JCs) are ages eleven and twelve (and thirteen year olds entering seventh grade).

Morning enrichment programs taught by Cornell students emphasize demonstrations and a hands-on approach to learning while introducing youth and young adolescents to college and career opportunities within a field of interest. Register your child for one course each week. There’s plenty of healthful, kid-friendly food for meals and snacks. Afternoons and evenings feature field trips to places of interest on and off campus and plenty of things to do. Choose from among outdoor games, arts and crafts, acting, swimming, bowling and, of course, take time to meet great new friends at Cornell!

Morning Courses for Big Reds and Junior Cornellians Together

Horses and Riding

Certified instructors at Cornell’s Oxley Equestrian Center will introduce Big Reds and JCs to horse care, grooming, use of equipment, and riding. This course, for both beginners and riders with some experience, covers the basics of horsemanship, such as control, learning to post to the trot, and cantering. It will also include correctly leading and handling horses, grooming techniques, saddling and bridling, and all sorts of useful information, such as how to give horses a bath and how to tell their age from their teeth. This is an up-close, fun, and extremely safe introduction to horses. Additional fee: $135. (This course will not be offered during the week of July 13–19.)

Outdoor Adventures

Led by instructors from Cornell’s Outdoor Education Program, Big Reds and JCs will sample group-challenge facilities including the Lindseth Climbing Wall and the Hoffman Challenge Course. All five mornings are filled with physical activities for kids who like to be on the move, including ground-level games, lessons on safety and technique, and rappelling. Additional fee: $130.

Sailing

An introduction to sailing with practice on Cayuga Lake, this beginner’s program is supervised and taught by instructors from Cornell’s Department of Athletics and Physical Education’s Aquatics Program. Young sailors will learn about the parts of a boat and how to tie knots and get hands-on practice in setting sail and navigating through water. The indoor rainy-day demonstrations and outdoor fun on the lake don’t require any previous sailing experience, but everyone must know how to swim. Additional fee: $130.

Morning Courses for Big Reds Only

Ages nine and ten

Cartoons and Drawing

Learn to see the world with the imaginative eye of an artist. Get out your pads, pencils, weird characters, and fanciful drawings and sketch on! You’ll learn styles and techniques, create comics and posters, meet cartoonists, visit a studio, and develop your own creative portfolio to take home at the week’s end.

Rockets, Robots, and Rovers

Nothing fires up the imagination of scientists young and old more than these technological wonders! Learn how the complex ones work, what they do, and where they go. Build and launch your own rocket, meet scientists at work and get a first-hand look at their new discoveries, conduct fascinating experiments, and learn how technology will transform the future. Materials fee: $25.

Morning Courses for Junior Cornellians Only

Ages eleven and twelve (and thirteen year olds entering seventh grade)

Among the Animals: Careers in Field and Clinic

If you love animals and are considering a career as a veterinarian, farmer, zookeeper, trainer, or pet-shelter technician, this course is for you! Through field trips, films, demonstrations, and discussion, you’ll meet people in many different professions and observe them at work with their animals. They’ll share their training, skills, and daily responsibilities. You’ll come away with an up-close and personal view of animals and the experts who care for and handle them.

Cooks A-Poppin’!

This course is for everyone who likes the chemistry of cooking and the special role of chief chef. You’ll learn to create enticing menus, turn out fabulous dishes with just ordinary ingredients, and dazzle your friends and family at week’s end with a buffet display at lunch. You’ll visit professional kitchens at Cornell and in town, and take home an appreciation of good nutrition as well as a book of the recipes you prepared while here on campus. Requires enough maturity to handle basic equipment and cooking utensils. Materials fee: $30.