UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- As the school year winds down, many young people will soon arrive on Penn State’s University Park campus for youth camps designed for fun, education and a taste of campus life.

New this year, the School of Visual Arts Summer Art Camp (July 7 to 12) will teach high school students who are interested in the visual arts how to create a portfolio of their work. The camp’s theme, “Portfolio Processes,” underscores the goals of the program – to show campers how to create exciting artworks in different media and to develop a digital portfolio. The camp coincides with the 2013 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

Graeme Sullivan, director of the School of Visual Arts, says the camp will put artists from ninth- to 12th-grade in a vibrant studio experience where they’ll learn about drawing, photography, printmaking and sculpture using digital technology.

“We want to provide a safe atmosphere where students can push ideas,” said Sullivan. “We’ve created a supportive learning environment for students to interact with faculty and their peers so they can take a serious approach to their work. This camp will expand their skills and introduce them to new kinds of processes.”

Sullivan reviews student portfolios as part of the application process to the School of Visual Arts and said the camp will help high school students appreciate the importance of a strong portfolio. He says images and ideas are an indication of how an artist thinks and makes decisions.

“There are always new ways to look at information,” Sullivan said. “These high school students have always had an interest in art and we can help them understand their own ways of thinking and apply that to new materials.”

There are scholarships available – two full and two half – for the School of Visual Arts Summer Art Camp. Please click here for more information.

Penn State Outreach will host other youth camps this summer:

• Weather Camp (June 16 to 21 and June 23 to 28): Campers learn how to make weather predictions, launch a weather balloon, present a TV forecast and much more.• Communications Camp (July 7 to 11): Aspiring filmmakers and journalists will learn interview techniques, write stories and shoot video among other activities.• Honors Music Institute (July 14 to 20): This camp gives students a chance to see what it’s like to be a professional musician.• Architecture/Landscape Architecture Camp (July 14 to 18 and July 21 to 25): Hands-on building and model making activities keep campers busy.

Penn State Conferences plans and manages hundreds of programs each year which represent the diversity and strength of Penn State’s academic colleges and provide opportunities for individuals to learn about the latest scholarship, research and developments in their fields or participate in enriching learning experiences. Penn State Conferences is part of Penn State Outreach, which serves more than 5 million people each year, in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states and more than 100 countries worldwide.