Pre-College and Summer Youth Programs

Calling all future CEOs, innovators, investors and entrepreneurs! Do you dream about starting a business that makes a difference? Join us for an exciting, informative and hands-on summer pre-college program.

Social entrepreneurship (i.e., being a “changemaker”) is about creating goods and services that sell while also making a valuable social impact. Participants will learn how to start up an enterprise and will work in teams to simulate all the stages of business development and launch.

Historically, young people have been the agents of change. Do you want to create a more just and inclusive world? Join Kean University’s Human Rights Institute and the Diversity Council on Global Education and Citizenship this summer for Human Rights in Action, a summer program designed specifically for high school students looking to elevate their voices and build the tools needed to become a more effective advocate and ally. This program will be run at three different Kean locations, our main campus in Union, Kean Ocean in Toms River and Kean Skylands in Jefferson Township.

Creatively Reaching Everyone Artistically Through Equity (CREATE) is a Fine Arts Intensive, pre-college learning experience. It offers young artists a chance to engage in the pursuit of visual arts knowledge with purpose. Students will have the guidance of professional working artists and educators who will assist in the development of their artistic talent, personal discipline, and the tools needed to advance their technique and art career. All students are welcome. Previous art courses are not a prerequisite however art experience is required.

Follow your heART with CREATE!

Register now for Camp Premiere 2024! Visit Premiere Stages at Kean University for more information.

Session 1: Theatremakers
Students translate their creative ideas into brand new, original material for the stage. Through structured improvisation, storytelling exercises, and acting games, campers craft and star in their own, totally original theatrical presentation for friends and family.
Session 2: Actors Studio
Students focus on the craft of acting through physical and vocal warm-ups, improvisation, acting technique, and scene study. Working closely with industry professionals, campers perform scenes from contemporary plays, selected specifically for unique talents and areas for growth.

The Kean Skylands campus in Jefferson Township, NJ serves as the inspiration and backdrop for the SKYARTS pre-college program. Each week finds a way to incorporate the environment into the work in a different context. Week one invites participants to engage with the campus by visiting different sites and selecting natural materials that they will use to create their week-long project. This mixed media project will rely upon the use of multiple skills which will be honed with the assistance of world-class faculty. Week two of the program allows our faculty to instruct students on the skills associated with landscape drawing and painting. Participants will explore the grounds and each find a spot on which to focus their week-long landscape drawing and/or painting. In both weeks, students will have an opportunity to present their work, sharpening their ability to articulate what their art means to them.

The GSSRP is a 4-week, hands-on research experience aimed at attracting and developing talented students who are interested in pursuing an education in a STEM field. Participants will work alongside faculty and staff on cutting-edge research projects in  Scientific Visualization, Cancer Biology, Machine Learning, Bioinformatics, Computational and Molecular techniques.  Participants will gain valuable technical skills and research experience and learn to work as part of a research team.

With topics ranging from climate change to animal conservation and environmental technology, the SKYLAB program held at Kean's Skylands campus in Jefferson Township, NJ has something for every budding science enthusiast. Using our 44-acre natural living laboratory and state of the art facilities, students will learn how to collect, analyze, and synthesize data into a research project that can be used simply to hone their skills or to earn them college credit (depending on the option chosen at the time of registration). Students will learn from several world-class Kean faculty in order to ensure a diverse and enriching experience. There will only be one session of the program. It will run Monday-Thursday, July 8-18 with drop-off at 9am and pick-up at 3 p.m.

Project Adelante was designed in 1988 to address the high dropout rate of Hispanic students. The program started with 83 8th grade students from the Perth Amboy School District. Since then, Passaic (1991 - present), Elizabeth, (1991 - exited in 2012) and Plainfield in 1998 (1998 - present) have participated in Project Adelante. The program currently serves 150 from these districts. English for English Language Learners and the teaching of mathematics, science, technology and counseling are the core courses taught. This program is open to school districts only, if you would like your school district to be part of this program please contact us for more information.

Upward Bound is a FREE federally funded program that helps eligible high school students successfully complete high school and prepare for college. The program helps youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds hone their academic skills.

The primary services provided are academic instruction, tutoring, career counseling and training, cultural enrichment and skill-building in the areas of leadership and college preparation.