Pre-College Academic Discovery Program
Rising 9th–12th graders, spend your summer learning from college professors! Our programming, based in River Forest at Trinity High School and Dominican University, gives you the opportunity to learn directly from Dominican University professors, explore real university labs and facilities, and dive deep into subjects you're passionate about. With your choice of 14 different courses across a wide range of fields, flexible morning and afternoon sessions, and content unlike anything offered in a traditional classroom, this is your chance to explore college-level learning!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Course Offerings
Monday, June 8 - Thursday, June 11
List of 3 items.
-
Graphic Design Studio Summer Camp: PhotoShop
9AM – 12PMRead More
What if you could learn the exact software that professional designers use every day, and walk away with a real portfolio to show for it? The Graphic Design Studio teaches the Adobe suite through hands-on creative projects. No prior design experience is required!
Taught by: Nacho Montiel, MFA, Lecturer of Art and Design, Dominican University -
Mathematical Modeling in Real Life
9AM – 12PMRead More
Math is all around us. It hides in traffic patterns, disease outbreaks, sports statistics, climate data, and more. Mathematical modeling is how we use math to make sense of our messy, complicated world. In this course, participants will work in small groups to tackle open-ended real-world problems. Along the way, they’ll develop problem-solving and communication skills that will serve them far beyond the session.
Taught by: Kevin Murphy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Dominican University; Bibek Acharya, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Dominican University; Aliza Streurer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dominican University -
How to Be Well
Read More1PM–4PMHigh school is a lot. Between the pressure of academics, extracurriculars, relationships, social media, and the uncertainty of what comes next, it can be hard to feel like you’re truly “okay.” This course is about changing that. Participants will explore what wellbeing means and discover practical, research-backed ways to support their own mental and emotional health.Taught by: Sophia Hamilton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Special Assistant to the President for Postbaccalaureate Pathways in Healthcare, Dominican University
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, June 15 - Thursday, June 18
List of 3 items.
-
Graphic Design Studio Summer Camp: Illustrator
9AM – 12PMRead More
What if you could learn the exact software that professional designers use every day, and walk away with a real portfolio to show for it? The Graphic Design Studio teaches the Adobe suite through hands-on creative projects. No prior design experience is required!
Taught by: Nacho Montiel, MFA, Lecturer of Art and Design, Dominican University -
How to Be Well
9AM – 12PMRead More
High school is a lot. Between the pressure of academics, extracurriculars, relationships, social media, and the uncertainty of what comes next, it can be hard to feel like you’re truly “okay.” This course is about changing that. Participants will explore what wellbeing means and discover practical, research-backed ways to support their own mental and emotional health.
Taught by: Sophia Hamilton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Special Assistant to the President for Postbaccalaureate Pathways in Healthcare, Dominican University -
Clinical Exploration Summer Immersion
Read More1PM - 4PM
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a doctor, nurse, or clinician? This immersive one-week program puts high schoolers inside Dominican University’s state-of-the-art simulation center. There, they’ll practice real clinical skills (e.g., using a stethoscope, assessing heart rhythms, locating pulses, and more) on professional simulation models.
Taught by: Jonathan Uebelhor, DNP, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dominican University
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, June 22 - Thursday, June 25
List of 3 items.
-
Graphic Design Studio Summer Camp: InDesign
9AM – 12PMRead More
What if you could learn the exact software that professional designers use every day, and walk away with a real portfolio to show for it? The Graphic Design Studio teaches the Adobe suite through hands-on creative projects. No prior design experience is required!
Taught by: Nacho Montiel, MFA, Lecturer of Art and Design, Dominican University -
Microbial World: The Battle Between Bacteria and Antibiotics
1PM – 4PMRead More
Bacteria are everywhere, and some of them are fighting back against the medicines we use to treat them! In this laboratory course, participants learn to grow bacterial cultures, observe them under the microscope, and investigate how different antibiotics affect their growth. Get ready to think like a scientist, work like a researcher, and explore the science that’s keeping us healthy!
Taught by: Zomary Cruz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Dominican University -
Speculative Nonfiction
1PM – 4PMRead More
Your life is full of stories worth telling, and this course will help you tell them in ways you never thought possible! Speculative Nonfiction explores the elastic quality of personal narrative. The genre combines memoir, imagination, and inventive techniques to create writing that is honest and alive. If you’ve ever wanted to find your voice on the page, this is the place to start!
Taught by: Maggie Anderson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English, Dominican University
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, June 29 - Thursday, July 2
List of 1 items.
-
Clinical Exploration Summer Immersion
1PM – 4PMRead More
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a doctor, nurse, or clinician? This immersive one-week program puts high schoolers inside Dominican University’s state-of-the-art simulation center. There, they’ll practice real clinical skills (e.g., using a stethoscope, assessing heart rhythms, locating pulses, and more) on professional simulation models.
Taught by: Jonathan Uebelhor, DNP, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dominican University
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, July 6 - Thursday, July 9
List of 3 items.
-
Mission: Code. Build. Move.
9AM - 12PMRead More
In a galaxy not so far away, the next generation of engineers is being trained. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn Python and build robots that actually move. Over one action-packed week, participants go from cadet to commander, writing real code that controls motors, sensors, and mechanical systems straight out of a science fiction dream. No prior experience required!
Taught by: Tim Bowman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Information Studies, Dominican University -
Financial Literacy for Next-Gen Leaders: Smart Money Decisions in the Age of AI
1PM - 4PMRead MoreFinancial literacy: both a life skill and a leadership skill. Think of money as a tool that can help you reach your goals: college, your first apartment, a car, even your own business! This interactive workshop gives participants practical financial knowledge and the confidence to start using it right away. -
Thinking Like a Researcher
1PM - 4PMRead MoreResearch is a skill that makes every class a little easier, every argument a little stronger, and every life a little richer. In this one-week, college-level workshop, participants go from “I have a vague idea” to “I actually know how to find, evaluate, and use real sources.” Wide-ranging, practical, and immediately useful, this course teaches the research process the way it actually works.Taught by: Ben DeBiasio, MLIS, Assistant Librarian for Community Learning and Outreach, Dominican University
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, July 13 - Thursday, July 16
List of 3 items.
-
How To Be a Psychological Scientist
9AM - 12PMRead More
How do scientists study human behavior, and what does that process look like up close? In this course, participants discover just that. From designing a study to collecting and interpreting real data, this is psychological science as it is authentically practiced.
Taught by: T.J. Krafnick, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dominican University -
Podcasting for Beginners
9AM - 12PMRead More
Have you ever wanted to make your own podcast? This hands-on course takes participants through the entire podcasting process. Using freely available software and the professional recording studio at Dominican University, participants will work with Dominican librarians to write a script, conduct an interview, learn to record, and edit a finished episode.
Taught by: Phil Skurski, MLIS, Assistant Librarian for User Experience, Dominican University -
Build Your Own AI-Powered App. No Coding Required!
1PM - 4PMRead More
What if you could build a real, working app in a week, using AI as your personal developer? In this course, participants use Claude, Anthropic’s AI assistant, to design and launch their own interactive web applications. No prior coding experience needed!
Taught by: Hassan Zamir, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Information Studies, Dominican University
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, July 20 - Thursday, July 23
List of 3 items.
-
Food System Exploration
9AM - 12PMRead MoreEvery meal you eat is the result of a vast interconnected system involving farms, factories, transportation networks, marketing, culture, and policy. In this course, participants explore where food truly comes from, how it moves through these complex networks, and how environmental and cultural forces shape what ends up on our plates. Then, they get cooking!
Taught by: Allyson West, Ph.D., Instructor of Nutrition Sciences and Interim Director of Grants Management, Office of the President, Dominican University -
Voices That Matter: Discovering and Preserving Stories Through Oral History
9AM - 12 PMRead MoreWhat stories from your family or community would you love to capture and keep forever? There is a wealth of information in people’s lived experiences and capturing these for posterity is both an art and a science. This immersive one-week course invites high school students to become storytellers, historians, and interviewers, uncovering the voices and memories that shape their families and communities.
Taught by: Persis Driver, PhD, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, Associate Professor of Psychology, Office of the Provost, Dominican University -
Book Binding Lessons
1PM - 4PMRead MoreIn this course, participants will learn the fundamentals of book layout and binding from Dominican University librarians, working in the WeatherTech Innovation Lab to produce at least two finished books by the end of the week: a softcover notebook and a hardcover picture book. All materials provided.
Taught by: Phil Skurski, MLIS, Assistant Librarian for User Experience, Dominican University
