Course Information & Sessions

Is it your desire to attend Texas A&M? Want to spend Saturday sawing ’em off at Kyle Field? Want to stroll through campus saying “Howdy” to your fellow Aggies? Dreamed about participating in traditions from Midnight Yell to Muster? If so, this class will help you meet your goal of getting into one of the preeminent universities in Texas and the most prestigious school in the SEC. Especially designed for rising 11th and 12th graders beginning the college application process, this course is structured to educate and equip students with the knowledge, skills, and resources to enhance their college readiness level and plan and prepare for entrance into higher education. This high-impact college readiness course includes: customized writing workshops; assistance with a writing coach in the development of resumes and generation of responses to the “Apply Texas” college application essays; personalized meetings with undergraduate academic advisors from several colleges on the TAMU campus; scholarship information; and in-depth camp activities and events that help students experience the “overall” Spirit of Aggieland.

Have you wondered how companies like 23andMe or AncestryDNA can tell you the story of your DNA using only your saliva? This class is designed to expose students to the modern world of Biotechnology through specially designed laboratories, experiments, and demonstrations. Participants will be introduced to the latest scientific principles behind cutting-edge technologies including genetic profiling, molecular imaging, matter manipulation, and DNA technology – all while obtaining hands-on experience with state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation. This course goes far beyond what can be learned in traditional teaching laboratories and highlights the exciting aspects of a career in Biotechnology.

*Must be at least 15 years old by 7/6/25 to attend this course.

Interested in a career in Kinesiology or Sports Medicine? Working alongside staff and professors in A&M’s Department of Kinesiology and Sports Medicine, the MVParticipants who take this class will connect scientific principles and practices to the Sports Medicine field using the high-tech facilities in the Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance. Clinical, sport, and exercise physiology concepts will be demonstrated as students learn modern techniques of monitoring and measuring health related fitness testing on state-of-the-art equipment (and smart watches!). Gain insight about professional practices in sports medicine while practicing various approaches to athletic training (treatment and rehabilitation). Feed your mind with concepts related to sports nutrition and use this knowledge to “work out” a sports-specific dietary plan that you’ll then consume at the Slocum Nutrition Center. Go for the gold at the end of the week with a case study presentation to TAMU coaches, Aggie athletes, and KNSM faculty on how to train, test, fuel, condition, and coach elite athletes who are prepping for the 2028 Olympic games.

*Must be at least 15 years old by 7/6/25 to attend this course.

Have a “sustained” interest in attending law school? In this class you will take a case from the beginning all the way through trial in front of a real judge in an actual courtroom. Students will learn rules of evidence
and civil and/or criminal trial procedures as well as the substantive law applicable to your case. You’ll learn about the rules of professional responsibility required of ethical lawyers. Finally, be “briefed” on how to
construct opening and closing arguments, interview and cross-examine witnesses, and tell a persuasive story to the jury. The verdict is in … through participating in this class it will be “plaintiff” see if you have what it takes to be a trial lawyer!

Got your head in the clouds dreaming about a career in meteorology? Do you love the ocean and want to sail away? Learn the basics of how the oceans and atmosphere work and how to observe these two related fluid masses of our planet. Students in this course will be immersed with O&M at A&M including a hands-on operation of our Aggie Doppler Radar (ADRAD), launching and interpreting data from weather balloons, reading and analyzing satellite data, and even venturing to Galveston Bay for a mini-cruise featuring oceanography water sampling and marine life observation. Students will be “blown away” with their new understanding of severe and hazardous weather including the combined power of the ocean and atmosphere in nature’s fury: the hurricane. After participating in this course, students will “H2Know” if a career in Oceanography and Meteorology is right for them!

In this class, students’ passions for Engineering will be “sparked” as they are challenged to think outside the box with an introduction to the Engineering Design Process. Through an intensive, hands-on, skill-based learning approach, students will be tasked with defining a problem, designing a solution, making a model, testing that model, and reflecting/redesigning their creations. As a part of their design process, students will be introduced to multiple different engineering skills including designing and creating a prototype, introductory CAD design, 3D printing, laser cutting, soldering, robotics, and more! This course will certainly “lay the foundation” to see if a career in Engineering is right for you!

New for YAP 2025!

Ever wanted to learn more about bees, beetles, butterflies, and other f{ant}astic bugs? Get ready for a journey into the exciting world of insect science! In the Entomology course, students will discover un{bee}liveable ways insects interact with their environments, their significance to human society, and different careers in the field of entomology. Students will “spread their wings” and gain practical, field- and laboratory-based skills through hands-on activities, experiments, and expeditions to distinct habitats. Students will collect, identify, and preserve insects to create their own unique insect collections. Time will “fly” when exploring special topics like honey beekeeping, edible insects, and the fields of forensic, medical, and veterinary entomology. By the end of this course, students will know the basics of insect diversity, biology, behavior, morphology, and ecology, and how to pursue their passion for insects through high school and beyond!

The academic discipline of Performance Studies looks at performance across all aspects of everyday life. This course will help students cultivate their talents and interests in the fine A.R.T.S. (artistic representation and thinking skills). Students with interests in music, theatre, and world cultures will thrive in this course through participation in sessions focusing on music, acting, directing, performance technology, cultural history, choreography, and craftsmanship. Exciting, hands-on sessions include costume design, staging, lighting, music, and movement. All of these experiences will serve to cultivate and inspire a creative and collaborative environment in which participants will devise and develop a unique performance which will be presented at the end of the course.

This program will introduce participants to what it takes to get into vet school, what it’s like once you are in, and what career options you have once you get out. Get a closer look at radiology, see if you can handle herpetology, and get a gut feeling about parasitology fields. Ruminate whether you can stomach a stomach as you get hands-on (and even hands-in) experience with large animals. Sew up your interest in the field by completing a small animal surgery using plush pets as patients. If you love learning about creatures that slither, crawl, bounce, and pounce, this class is for you!

*Must be at least 13 years old by 7/13/25 to attend this course.

The VizKids: Game Design course will give campers the opportunities to design and create their own video game with a small team of partners. Campers will be responsible for developing the game theme, art, game mechanics and interaction design using an easy-to-learn platform. A willingness to embrace technology is essential. Experience as an artist and/or programming skill is helpful, but not required. Students will learn how to use game development software including Unreal Engine, Maya, and Blender. The most important criterion is that the camper be intrigued by the pursuit of making fun and creative interactive experiences.

BioFORCE is a week-long residential STEM summer program of the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM) at Texas A&M University which introduces students to the rapidly evolving biomanufacturing industry. Students will participate in lectures, tour Texas biotechnology research and production facilities, and perform hands-on activities such as liquid chromatography, cleanroom gowning, and bacterial transformation. Lectures and labs build upon biology and chemistry concepts taught in high school curricula to highlight the process of how medical research is translated into new drugs and treatments before being used with patients. BioFORCE is designed to ignite a passion for the biological sciences and encourage students to consider a career in this growing industry.

*Must be at least 15 years old by 7/20/25 to attend this course

Want to learn what the “big idea” is with Entrepreneurship? Have you thought of innovative products or services that you’re eager to develop into multi-million dollar companies? Learn all about business by creating a business of your own in just the course of five days. Whether you already have a “spark” of an idea or not, participants in this course will get an in-depth look at global entrepreneurship and product innovation. Led by Texas A&M faculty and professionals (with backgrounds in Startup Aggieland, the DesignSpark Innovation Center, and the Aggie Angel Network), students will be taught the principles of customer-focused design, marketing, creativity, website development, and more! Students will have unbelievable access to coaches from the “Shark Tank” television show and cutting-edge NASA patents. Their experience will culminate in a “Shark Tank” style pitch to a panel of experienced investors!

Designed to get a true “reaction” from participants as they explore the fun-damental elements of Physics and Chemistry, this class is programmed full of exciting laboratories and interactive demonstrations led by two of the most notable teaching professors at TAMU. Viral TikTok sensation Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova (@tamuphysastr) will magnetically attract students to the Physics domain through hands-on exploration of both cutting-edge and fundamental concepts related to motion, matter, and cryogenics. Dr. Jim Pennington (TAMU Chemistry Road show) will engage participants in explosive activities related to chromatography, color, and alchemy. This class will highlight all of the scientific aspects that “matter” and serve as a “catalyst” for anyone interested in a career in scientific research through direct “interface” with the concepts that form the “base” of these two fields.

*Must be at least 15 years old by 7/20/25 to attend this course

True to the nature of the forensics fields, students will learn to use anthropological, biological, chemical, and mechanical procedures to analyze a crime scene and determine the nature and cause of a crime. Trace evidence collection techniques (dusting for prints, shoe tread and type, document analysis, etc.) will be combined with advanced criminal techniques (blood spatter analysis, black light technology, etc.) to help
students work on a realistic crime scene in which students must piece together all the evidence towards the goal of cracking the case!

The YAP Mechanical Engineering course will give students a Dwight “Look” into the most popular major in the College of Engineering here at Texas A&M University. Students will have the opportunity to explore the systems design process and see their creations come to life. Utilizing the state-of-the-art Fischer Engineering Design Center, students will learn the principles of engineering design while “building” upon their 3D modeling and visualization skills in a series of challenges which will develop both students’ hardware and software skills. Through both individual and team-based projects, at the end of this week, students will have a firm grasp on what it takes to be a “mechanic-cool” engineer at Texas A&M.