Join Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA) for a design challenge during a Pre-College Summer Academy! At Rutgers, IDEA is an undergraduate program that integrates design and entrepreneurial thinking into the student experience and allows them to explore the innovation process by thinking about what problems they would like to solve.
This academy is an intensive experience to introduce design thinking to high school students. During the week, students will learn design methods for problem solving and how they can be used to pursue an idea related to one of the United Nations Sustainability Goals or other areas of mutual interest.
Students will take part in a fast-paced design challenge that will enable them to be able to:
- Explain how the design process can be used for problem solving a problem area of interest
- Use journey maps to visual a process
- Practice select design research methods such as
- Secondary research
- Brainstorming
- Question generation (HMW)
- Ideation
- Idea Prioritization
- Creating / Making
- Pitching
For a look at the full range of topics addressed, view the sample schedule for the IDEA Design Summer Academy.
Program Overview
What is the IDEA Design Summer Academy?
A commuter, in-person summer program for pre-college students to learn about design thinking for problem solving
Who can apply?
High school students completing their sophomore and junior year, ages 16 to 18 by Summer 2025
When is the IDEA Design Summer Academy?
This one-week commuter academy will run Monday, July 28 to Friday, August 1, 2025
Where will the IDEA Design Summer Academy take place?
Students will attend classes, eat lunch, and engage in activities on the Rutgers–New Brunswick campus in New Jersey
Academy students will attend daily academic workshops, lectures, tours, and activities, taught by Rutgers faculty and supervised by program assistants (PAs), and resident assistants (RAs).