On-Campus Institutes

Artificial Intelligence

Step into the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence, where machines are transforming how we live, work, and solve global challenges. The AI Institute offers high school students a hands-on, immersive experience with cutting-edge AI technologies, while exploring the ethical, social, and economic implications of their widespread adoption.

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Biology Research

From plant hormones and root development in tomato plants to the molecular study of viruses in the ocean, this program will immerse students in the many layers of biology research. Students will engage in hands-on labs and fieldwork, investigating topics like the biochemistry of malaria and mosquitoes and the ecological impact of African grasslands.

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Business

Develop practical skills and the ability to think critically while gaining valuable exposure to important business topics and methods of analysis. In addition to working alongside business professionals and collaborating in teams, this institute ends with a team presentation, in which students pitch ideas to potential investors showcasing the knowledge they gained throughout the week.

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Coding and Computer Science

Whether you’re just starting or have some coding experience, this hands-on program will teach you essential skills like Java, Python, and problem-solving through programming. Guided by industry professionals and academics, you’ll complete coding projects, explore real-world applications, and gain insight into the many career opportunities available after graduation. From app development to machine learning, this institute will give you a glimpse into life as a computer scientist.

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Debate and Public Advocacy

Spend one week this summer with Wake Forest University building confidence speaking, arguing, and learning to passionately advocate for yourself and others. Students will engage in discussion about current events and learn skills such as persuasion, legal reasoning, and the art of communication. Whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or the halls of Congress, students will enjoy applying advocacy skills in whichever environment their future takes them.

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Engineering

Are you a problem solver that wants to explore sustainable solutions to our ever changing society? Do you find yourself asking why to many of the systems we function in?  Prepare to be introduced to the fundamentals of engineering and the variety of career pathways available to engineers. Students will learn the engineering design process and the interactive prototyping method, through hands-on design challenges where students will display their knowledge.

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Entrepreneurship

Gain a 360 degree perspective on the start-up world while planning and launching your own business. Meet and engage with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Tour start-up companies at different stages of development. Learn key principles of innovation, identifying market opportunities, and financing new ventures. Put it all into practice by planning, pitching, and launching a start-up by the end of the week.

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Filmmaking

Learn to tell captivating stories through film and the fundamentals of video production. Students will learn about various forms of film, visit local museums and athletic facilities to see how non-fiction storytelling is utilized in the real-world, and create a short film.

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Finance and Investing

Get ahead of the game. Learn and experience how investing works. Dive into the world of investments – stocks, bonds and mutual funds/exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Explore popular investing approaches, techniques and strategies to confidently learn how fundamental analysis plays a role in valuation.

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Health and Exercise Science

Are you interested in health, and how exercise can help you be healthier? Have you wondered how the body works, and the testing practices used to identify and treat diseases? Gain hands-on experience in the health and exercise science field and insight into the many career opportunities available in the different disciplines of exercise science. Students will learn from Wake Forest faculty about the different systems in the body, practice using technology for health procedures like blood pressure and electromyography (EMG), and tour campus facilities dedicated to health and fitness.

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Law

Your permission to access the bench is granted. Experience an insider’s view of the legal industry and explore the pursuit of innocence and justice. Find out what it’s really like to be a lawyer. This is your chance to investigate a criminal justice case at Wake Forest School of Law’s Innocence and Justice Clinic through the search for what happened. Learn to analyze evidence, make your argument, network with judges and attorneys and dive into the law industry to discover if this is the career path for you!

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Leadership

Enhance your ability to inspire and influence people in reaching a collective goal before college. Personal growth, exploration and reflection promote students who will be prepared to make a difference in their communities and create positive change in the world.

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Medicine

Step into your white coat and discover what being a healthcare professional is really like? Gain hands-on experience in the medical field and insight into the many career opportunities available within the various disciplines of medicine. You’ll visit healthcare facilities, participate in simulations and labs, and learn basic skills like taking blood pressure and suturing.

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Neuroscience

Explore the rapidly growing interdisciplinary field encompassing the study of the nervous system and its role in regulating behavior. Examine the structure of the brain through hands-on dissection. Learn how sensory systems detect stimuli in the environment and how drugs affect the brain. Visit active neuroscience labs as well as conduct exciting neuroscience experiments.

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Policy and Politics

Learn about the democratic republic, your constitutional rights, and the powers that shape current laws. Explore the efficacy of actually being empowered, which comes from the experience of doing politics effectively with others. Practice the art of thinking clearly, speaking persuasively, acting ethically, and working in collaboration with others.

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Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Dive into the structure of the brain through hands-on dissection and learn about how illusions, emotions, and biases affect how we see and interact with the world. Can you really trust everything you see and hear? You’ll conduct your own observational study to get a more in-depth look at the world and people around you.

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Screenwriting

Do you have an interest in screenwriting and the art of a great script? Are you passionate about storytelling? Do you love creative writing and dream about creating the next great movie, documentary, or television series? If so, then the Screenwriting Institute is for you. The Screenwriting Institute is a week-long program designed for high school students to gain an understanding of the art of crafting scripts for film, television and/or video games. Students will learn how to write their own screenplay, visit institutions highly regarded in the film industry, and create two short screenplays by the end of the week.

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Sports Business

Interested in turning your enthusiasm and passion for sports into a business career in one of the fastest growing fields worldwide? This institute provides an in-depth exploration of the many professional options available in the ever evolving global sports marketplace. Students will gain an understanding of the unique ways the sports industry applies business principles and learn about jobs within leagues, teams, athletic departments, venues, media and more. Students will also serve as consultants in a team project offering advice and expertise to a client organization/team.

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Sports Marketing

Step into the exciting world of sports marketing, where the business behind the game is just as thrilling as the action on the field. The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Sports Marketing Institute will provide interested and passionate students a broad perspective on all the key aspects of marketing in sports. There’s a business side and a fun side in sports marketing. Students will be challenged to interpret the concepts on both sides and in turn develop a refined understanding of how to create a creative and strategic marketing plan. Collaborating in teams throughout the week, this institute will culminate with a final presentation, in which students pitch ideas showcasing the knowledge they gained throughout the week.

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Sports Medicine

The program will provide hands-on experiences ranging from the very building blocks of sports medicine to the integration of advanced techniques to injury prevention, rehabilitation, and athletic performance. Students will learn from the esteemed Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Brian Waterman, as well as countless experienced orthopaedic medical professionals, trainers, coaches and, of course, the athletes themselves.

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Technology

Enter the wonderful world of virtual reality and user experience by diving deep into emerging technology. The world’s most rapidly growing industry is an endless frontier of opportunity for those with innovative minds and the ability to turn ideas into reality.

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Writing for Life

What makes writing good? While some might say “clear expression of ideas” or “error-free prose,” what really makes writing good is that it works. The writing does something for us, whether it’s an essay that gains us admission to our first-choice college, a resume that lands us our dream job, a memo that helps us earn a promotion or an article that shares groundbreaking research with the public. By the end of the institute, you’ll have built a portfolio that showcases these newly honed writing and rhetorical skills.

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Women’s Health

Are you interested in pursuing a career focused on women’s health, but unsure what working in this field truly involves? This institute provides hands-on experiences and insights into various healthcare roles, from OB/GYN to midwifery. You’ll visit healthcare facilities, engage in simulations like birthing and ultrasounds, and explore career pathways in women’s health, learning alongside students and professionals in the field.

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