Middle School Program
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 36 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60603
About
The Middle School Program includes time for students to draw, sculpt, model, mold, sew, and prototype unique toys, stuffed animals, and action figures. Participants work with perspective drawing, drafting, model making, and digital software programs, and they learn principles of animation while exploring techniques such as stop-motion, frame-by-frame methods, digitally modified video, and computer-aided techniques. A typical day can include a welcome, warm-up exercises and morning sketches, a morning check-in and demonstrations, studio time, snack break, lunch, research and reflection with a mid-day critique, a museum trip, and studio time and checkout.
• Ages: 10–13 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., in two-week summer sessions (Session 1: June 29–July 10 with no class on July 3; Session 2: July 13–24; Session 3: July 27–August 7)
The Middle School Program is part of on-campus summer courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), with frequent visits to the Art Institute of Chicago museum. The Art Institute of Chicago museum is described as integral to students’ experiences, and frequent museum visits supplement in-class projects. Faculty in this program are described as mentors and teachers who also have robust artistic practices themselves.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago states that it is the nation’s premier art and design school and that its youth programs focus on self-expression, out-of-the-box thinking, and cultural awareness as students make art. The mission for youth programs at SAIC is for students to learn to explore, imagine, and discover in their own unique ways, and to support them on a path to becoming creators, innovators, and problem-solvers of the future, regardless of where their academic interests lead. In 2026, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is celebrating its 160th anniversary, and it states that since 1866 it has been educating influential artists, designers, and scholars. SAIC reports that its Fine Arts Program is ranked #2 among art and design colleges in the U.S. in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Grad Schools.
The program is described as a two-week on-campus summer course format that allows students to focus on their interests, learn new skills, and bring their ideas to life. Each course is described as an immersive experience that teaches conceptual and technical skills while allowing freedom to explore and innovate. Course subjects and resources are described as not available to young creators anywhere else in the world. The program is also described as a way for students to make new friends who share similar interests, and courses focus on arts-based skill building, concept development, and self-expression within a community of creative peers and mentors. An example daily schedule is structured from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with studio, critique, and museum time.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
• Ages: 10–13 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., in two-week summer sessions (Session 1: June 29–July 10 with no class on July 3; Session 2: July 13–24; Session 3: July 27–August 7)
The Middle School Program is part of on-campus summer courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), with frequent visits to the Art Institute of Chicago museum. The Art Institute of Chicago museum is described as integral to students’ experiences, and frequent museum visits supplement in-class projects. Faculty in this program are described as mentors and teachers who also have robust artistic practices themselves.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago states that it is the nation’s premier art and design school and that its youth programs focus on self-expression, out-of-the-box thinking, and cultural awareness as students make art. The mission for youth programs at SAIC is for students to learn to explore, imagine, and discover in their own unique ways, and to support them on a path to becoming creators, innovators, and problem-solvers of the future, regardless of where their academic interests lead. In 2026, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is celebrating its 160th anniversary, and it states that since 1866 it has been educating influential artists, designers, and scholars. SAIC reports that its Fine Arts Program is ranked #2 among art and design colleges in the U.S. in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Grad Schools.
The program is described as a two-week on-campus summer course format that allows students to focus on their interests, learn new skills, and bring their ideas to life. Each course is described as an immersive experience that teaches conceptual and technical skills while allowing freedom to explore and innovate. Course subjects and resources are described as not available to young creators anywhere else in the world. The program is also described as a way for students to make new friends who share similar interests, and courses focus on arts-based skill building, concept development, and self-expression within a community of creative peers and mentors. An example daily schedule is structured from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with studio, critique, and museum time.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
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