The School of Communication and Design is hosting a summer camp to introduce local youth to the creative arts, like writing, film, interactive design, and motion design, according to Daniela Marx, associate director of the school of communication and design. The program is designed to get high schoolers invested in the college experience and broaden their creative horizons.
“You can’t teach them to be writers or designers in one week, but you can certainly give them a portfolio piece,” Marx said. The program is a week-long comprehensive boot camp for regional high school students to help give them a taste of college life and work within their desired fields. Students pick one area to focus on but, they’ll gain experience from a variety of subjects, Marx said.
Marx said she hopes participants have fun and get more comfortable with the college atmosphere. The program costs $450, though fifteen students will be offered full scholarships, Marx said. “We like to give people whose parents can’t afford it an option too,” Marx said.
The program is led by industry professionals and Loyola professors, according to Marx. To help the staff and give the participants a taste of the college vibe, Marx said they usually have around ten paid student workers joining them.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Marx said. “Everyone who participates in it, even the college students, want to come back the next year.” She said she’s excited for the upcoming year and that she wants to eventually see the rest of Loyola create similar programs.
“If every single awesome area had a summer program to get a taste of what directions you’re interested in, I think it would not only help Loyola recruitment, but help students get a feel of things earlier,” she said.
This year’s summer experience is themed “Be like water,” Marx said. She said that they’re trying to look at water from a more abstract and beautiful perspective, as in the Gulf South, we see the water as a way of work and life.
The program concludes with a showcase on Friday, to which the whole campus is invited to. “We just really hope to give them that confidence,” Marx said. The program runs from June 27 to July 1, 2022.
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