Summer Institute: Ages 14–18
8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? Looking to prepare for college entrance exams? Do you want to level up your babysitting business with a Red Cross certification? Summer Institute — Durham Academy Summer's programming for teens — offers campers expanded exploration in specific areas of interest.
Top-notch educators from Durham Academy and area universities, as well as experts from our broader community, serve as Summer Institute instructors. Campers who are curious about new interests and those seeking mastery of academic concepts will find confidence — and have a lot of fun and make new friends along the way! We aim to challenge learners to take control of sometimes-stressful topics — such as test-taking, essay-writing and driving — and also guide learners toward a deeper love and mastery of Shakespeare, technological skills, math, literacy and writing, storytelling and so much more. Explore our offerings below, and check back as we continue to add to this list over the winter and spring.
Summer Institute Daily Schedule
|
Time |
Activity |
|---|---|
|
8:15–8:30 a.m. |
Camper Drop-Off |
|
8:30–8:45 a.m. |
Attendance |
|
8:45–9 a.m. |
Institute Meeting |
|
9–10:30 a.m. |
Institute Programming |
|
10:30 a.m. |
Snack & Break |
|
10:40–11:30 a.m. |
Institute Programming |
|
11:30 a.m.–12:10 p.m. |
Lunch |
|
12:15–1:15 p.m. |
Institute Programming |
|
1:15–1:25 p.m. |
Clean Up, Pack Up and Transition to Car Line |
|
1:30 p.m. |
Car Line Begins |
*Exceptions to this schedule: Archaeology is an overnight program, and Driver's Education runs until 3:30 p.m. each day.
DA Summer 2025
(Summer Institute is not offered Week 1 of DA Summer)
Week 2: June 16–20
June 19 (Juneteenth) is optional for campers.
Week 3: June 23–27
Closed: June 30–July 4
Week 4: July 7–11
Week 5: July 14–18
Week 6: July 21–25
Week 7: July 28–Aug. 1
Explore Our 2024 Summer Institute Offerings
2025 Institute offerings will be available soon!
Filter By Interest
Archaeology Overnight Camp
Participants in the Archaeology Adventures Institute work alongside professional archaeologists in Morganton, N.C., to uncover the buried remains of the 16th-century Native American village of Joara and the ill-fated Fort San Juan.
Astrophysics Camp
Join us for a week of learning and the ultimate discovery and future field of space! This camp features building solar telescopes, analyzing with computers aging stars, calculating distance in space, and understanding spectroscopy.
CPR/Babysitting Camp
Are you ready to start your own babysitting business? Get prepared with our American Red Cross-approved course!
Driver’s Education Camp
Upon completion, students receive a Driver Education Certificate of Completion, which is part of the required paperwork to go to DMV for the NC Limited Learner Permit.
Pen to Paper Creative Writing Camp
Young wordsmiths come together to explore the magic of storytelling, ignite their creativity, and bring their imaginations to life through the power of words.
Top Score: ACT/SAT Fundamentals Camp
With two test options for college admissions, the paper-based ACT and new digital SAT, identifying where a student’s skill set is best rewarded should be the first step.