Middle School Programs at The Chicago Academy for the Arts
The Chicago Academy for the Arts, 1010 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60642
About
Middle School Programs at The Chicago Academy for the Arts offers weekend classes, seasonal workshops, camps, and summer intensives in dance, media arts, music, musical theatre, theatre, and visual arts for students in grades 6–9. Saturday Classes at The Academy include options such as producing an EP in the Music Program and preparing an audition-ready monologue in the Theatre/Musical Theatre Program. Students in these Middle School Programs study with working professional faculty who are leaders in their fields, including performers from the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, dancers from The Joffrey Ballet, and award-winning filmmakers.
• Ages: 11–15 years old
• Schedule: Saturday Classes run in two sessions during fall 2026, and Summer Camps run in two sessions in June 2026
• Price: Saturday Classes Session 1 cost $250, Session 2 cost $250, or $475 for both sessions; Summer Camps Session 1 cost $995 and Session 2 cost $550, and the Summer Program is $995
Saturday Classes Session 1 runs from September 12 to October 3, 2026, and Session 2 runs from October 17 to November 7, 2026, with classes on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Summer Camps Session 1 runs from June 8 to 18, 2026, and Session 2 runs from June 22 to 26, 2026, with camps on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Saturday Program is for students currently in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade regardless of age, and the Summer Program is for students heading into 7th, 8th, or 9th grade regardless of age.
The Chicago Academy for the Arts has been an independent school since its inception in 1981 and uses a co-curricular educational model that combines a rigorous academic program with immersive, pre-professional arts training. The school has an average academic class size of 15, a student-to-teacher ratio of less than 7:1 with over 50 full- and part-time teachers, and approximately 125 students each year. There are more than 120 student productions per year, including concerts, musicals, and recitals, and Academy students come from 77 ZIP codes.
The Chicago Academy for the Arts is a nationally recognized independent high school for the performing and visual arts, is designated a National School of Distinction by the John F. Kennedy Center, is ranked the #1 arts high school in Illinois (Niche, 2026), and is ranked the #8 most diverse private school in the Chicagoland area (Niche, 2026). The Academy’s mission is to transform emerging artists through a curriculum and culture that connect intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity to impart skills to lead and collaborate across diverse communities. This website is partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.
Leadership connected to Middle School Programs and the broader school includes Sarah Grant, Program Coordinator for installment payments and Director of Middle School Programs; Dr. Ty Chiko, Music Leadership Chair, Music Department, and Director of Community Engagement; Dr. Melinda Zacher Ronayne, Head of School; Sophie Lane Oliver, Director of Enrollment Management; Randy Duncan, Dance Leadership Chair; Patrick Simoniello, Dance Leadership Assistant Chair; Anna Mijalski, World Languages Leadership Co-Chair for Humanities; Andrew Robinson, Musical Theatre Leadership Chair; Sarah Hiatt, Media Arts Leadership Chair; Margy Stover, Visual Arts Leadership Chair; Melissa Metelits, Math Science Tech Leadership Chair; Elizabeth Cunningham, Assistant Principal and Director of Learning Resources; Joseph Hulbert, Director of Strategic Initiatives; Nicholas Roux, English Leadership Co-Chair for Humanities; and Emily Luhrs, Director of Operations and Theatre faculty. Sarah Grant also serves as Manager of Strategic Communications, Director of Middle School Programs, and Theatre faculty.
Scholarships are not offered for the Middle School Programs, but seasonal discounts are offered. Registration fees can be paid in installments by emailing Program Coordinator Sarah Grant, and registrations are refunded up to 30 days before the start date of the program; for later cancellations, payment can be applied to a future class by contacting the program manager at [email protected].
Student perspectives include comments such as feeling secure and supported in the building and describing friends and teachers as feeling like part of a family, as shared by Isaiah from the Dance Department. Sydney from the Dance Department notes that faculty push students toward their path and help identify their strengths while also pushing them to do more. Everett from the Dance Department describes Humanities teachers as passionate, going above and beyond to create engaging classes, and says the coursework has provided a new perspective on literature and art.
Last updated July 30, 2026.
• Ages: 11–15 years old
• Schedule: Saturday Classes run in two sessions during fall 2026, and Summer Camps run in two sessions in June 2026
• Price: Saturday Classes Session 1 cost $250, Session 2 cost $250, or $475 for both sessions; Summer Camps Session 1 cost $995 and Session 2 cost $550, and the Summer Program is $995
Saturday Classes Session 1 runs from September 12 to October 3, 2026, and Session 2 runs from October 17 to November 7, 2026, with classes on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Summer Camps Session 1 runs from June 8 to 18, 2026, and Session 2 runs from June 22 to 26, 2026, with camps on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Saturday Program is for students currently in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade regardless of age, and the Summer Program is for students heading into 7th, 8th, or 9th grade regardless of age.
The Chicago Academy for the Arts has been an independent school since its inception in 1981 and uses a co-curricular educational model that combines a rigorous academic program with immersive, pre-professional arts training. The school has an average academic class size of 15, a student-to-teacher ratio of less than 7:1 with over 50 full- and part-time teachers, and approximately 125 students each year. There are more than 120 student productions per year, including concerts, musicals, and recitals, and Academy students come from 77 ZIP codes.
The Chicago Academy for the Arts is a nationally recognized independent high school for the performing and visual arts, is designated a National School of Distinction by the John F. Kennedy Center, is ranked the #1 arts high school in Illinois (Niche, 2026), and is ranked the #8 most diverse private school in the Chicagoland area (Niche, 2026). The Academy’s mission is to transform emerging artists through a curriculum and culture that connect intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity to impart skills to lead and collaborate across diverse communities. This website is partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.
Leadership connected to Middle School Programs and the broader school includes Sarah Grant, Program Coordinator for installment payments and Director of Middle School Programs; Dr. Ty Chiko, Music Leadership Chair, Music Department, and Director of Community Engagement; Dr. Melinda Zacher Ronayne, Head of School; Sophie Lane Oliver, Director of Enrollment Management; Randy Duncan, Dance Leadership Chair; Patrick Simoniello, Dance Leadership Assistant Chair; Anna Mijalski, World Languages Leadership Co-Chair for Humanities; Andrew Robinson, Musical Theatre Leadership Chair; Sarah Hiatt, Media Arts Leadership Chair; Margy Stover, Visual Arts Leadership Chair; Melissa Metelits, Math Science Tech Leadership Chair; Elizabeth Cunningham, Assistant Principal and Director of Learning Resources; Joseph Hulbert, Director of Strategic Initiatives; Nicholas Roux, English Leadership Co-Chair for Humanities; and Emily Luhrs, Director of Operations and Theatre faculty. Sarah Grant also serves as Manager of Strategic Communications, Director of Middle School Programs, and Theatre faculty.
Scholarships are not offered for the Middle School Programs, but seasonal discounts are offered. Registration fees can be paid in installments by emailing Program Coordinator Sarah Grant, and registrations are refunded up to 30 days before the start date of the program; for later cancellations, payment can be applied to a future class by contacting the program manager at [email protected].
Student perspectives include comments such as feeling secure and supported in the building and describing friends and teachers as feeling like part of a family, as shared by Isaiah from the Dance Department. Sydney from the Dance Department notes that faculty push students toward their path and help identify their strengths while also pushing them to do more. Everett from the Dance Department describes Humanities teachers as passionate, going above and beyond to create engaging classes, and says the coursework has provided a new perspective on literature and art.
Last updated July 30, 2026.
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