Age Group

Kids

Registration for Summer 2024 will open in October!

FAQs

Register and make payments online. Our registration page includes illustrated enrollment help guides. We accept VISA, American Express, Discover or MasterCard and e-checks. Completed applications must include the $50 application fee and the per-course deposit to ensure placement. The deposit is applied toward tuition. If you are applying for financial aid, we encourage you to register early. If you cannot afford to pay the deposit, you can choose “Pay by Check ” as your deposit method on the billing page and your application will remain in Applied status. Your enrollment will not be confirmed until a scholarship is awarded or a deposit is paid. Scholarship applications in applied status will still be required to pay the non-refundable $50 application fee.

Enrollment status is confirmed upon payment of application fee and deposit. Enrollment (class placement) is not guaranteed until the balance is paid in full. Auditioned workshops also require acceptance before enrollment is confirmed.

The complete balance is due by June 1st. A $100 late fee will be assessed to past due accounts.

Click here for the updated Summer 2023 Enrollment Agreement

Below is a breakdown of our Kids & Teens Program costs based on the length of the program. Fees vary by program.

Multi-Arts (ages 5-7) and Artist Discovery (ages 8-10)
- **Application Fee: $50 per summer session
- Health & Safety Fee: $30
- Lab Fees: $30
- Day Tuition 2022: $410
1 Week*
- **Application Fee: $50 per summer session
- Health & Safety Fee: $75
- Lab Fees: Varies per program
- Resident Tuition 2022: $1,765
- Day Tuition 2022: $1,040
2 Weeks*
- **Application Fee: $50 per summer session
- Health & Safety Fee: $150
- Lab Fees: Varies per program
- Resident Tuition 2022: $3,550
- Day Tuition 2022: $2,080
3 Weeks*
- **Application Fee: $50 per summer session
- Health & Safety Fee: $300
- Lab Fees: Varies per program
- Resident Tuition 2022: $6,500
- Day Tuition 2022: $3,540

*Pricing for Kids & Teens Programs for ages 9-17.

**Application Fee:
There is a non-refundable $50 application fee. Only one application fee is charged per summer season, per child. If your child enrolls in more than one program, you will not be charged a second application fee.

Health & Safety Fee:
The Health and Safety Fee is $75 per week for Junior Artists and Teen programs and $30 per week for Children’s day-only programs. Idyllwild Arts has a professional Health Care center on site and trained staff are available 24 hours per day.

Lab Fees:
Lab Fees cover the materials and supplies necessary for each student to participate in the program. The Lab Fee varies from program to program based on the amount of materials and supplies provided to the students. Please see the course description for the cost per program. You may still need to purchase and bring additional materials not covered by this fee for your child’s program.

Residential tuition covers all meals, housing, and the intensive or workshop, program instruction, concerts, student performances, student life, private instruction, and art showings. Residential options are only available to students who are at least 10 years of age at the time of the program.

Day tuition covers lunch, intensive or workshop, program instruction, concerts, student performances, student life, private instruction, and art showings.

General Daily Schedule

Below is the general schedule. Exact times vary, depending on the program they are enrolled in.

Multi-Arts & Artist Discovery – ages 5-10

Day Camp Only – Students are supervised at all times

Drop off students at Children’s Center between 8:20-8:30am

8:30 am: Morning Sing/Greeting
9:00 am -11:30 am: Morning Classes (snack provided)
11:30 am-12:00 pm: Lunch
12:00 pm -12.30 pm: Supervised activities in Children’s Center
12:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Afternoon Classes (snack provided)
3:00 pm: Classes End

Pick up from Children’s Center at 3:00pm

Students will be allowed to use the pool from 3:00-5:00pm with the supervision of a parent or guardian. (Enrolled children only, please. No siblings or friends.) The pool is open Tuesday-Friday and is #A03 on the campus map. Lifeguards will be present.

Final culminations are every Friday at 2:45 PM and parents are encouraged to attend. Students are free to go home with their parents when it is finished.

Junior Artists – ages 10-13

Students are supervised at all times

Day and Residential

6:30 am – 7:30 am: Wake up and get ready
7:30 am – 8:30 am: Breakfast (Residential Only)
9:00 am – 11:30 am Morning classes
11:30 am – 12:00 pm: Lunch is served
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm: Supervised break time at dorms or children’s center
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Afternoon Classes – some classes will go later, end time is at teacher discretion
End of class – 5:00 pm: Supervised free time (swimming or planned activity)

Day Students should be picked up from Krone Library at 5:00pm, unless they have a rehearsal or other late afternoon/evening event that is a part of their program.

Residential students (10 – 13 years)

5:30 pm – 7:15 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm – 8:45 pm: Supervised evening activity
9:00 pm: Check into dorms/curfew
9:30 pm: Lights out

Teens /High school: ages 14 – 17

Day and Residential

7:00 am – 8:00 am Teens are responsible for waking up themselves and getting to class on time
7:30 am – 8:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am – 12:00 Morning classes – some classes will start as early as 8:30 am
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch is served
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm Afternoon Classes – some classes will go later, end time is at teacher discretion
4:30 – 5:30 pm Free time and planned activities

Day Students in teen programs are allowed to stay for dinner and evening activities but must be picked up from Krone Library by 8:30pm.

Residential students

5:30 pm – 7:15 pm Dinner
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Evening activity – Some programs may have evening rehearsals
9:30 pm – Check into dorms/curfew
10:00 pm – Lights out

Weekend

Example of both Junior Artist and Teen weekend schedules

Saturday:
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Half day of classes – Some classes do not meet, it is at the discretion of the teacher
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch
1:00 pm & on: Planned afternoon and evening activities

Sunday: Free Day with planned activities

Meals times on the weekend follow a similar schedule to weekdays

Examples of Evening activities for Kids & Teens
From 7:15 pm – 9:00 pm, campers will be able to choose from a variety of planned social activities for each age group. Activities include hiking, field games, swimming, pool parties, dances, basketball, game nights, movie nights and many other fun social activities. Each Wednesday night we have a BBQ dinner outside by the stage with music and open mic.

Residential opportunities are available for students aged 10 and up. Students 9 and younger must enroll as day students and have a parent or guardian bring them to and from campus daily. Below is a list of skills that are needed in order to be successful as a residential student at Idyllwild Arts.

Can independently follow a schedule
Requires minimal support to organize and prioritize their daily schedule and commitments
Able to eat meals with the dining hall schedule without reminders/supervision
Able to perform personal hygiene without assistance (showering, cleaning after using the restroom, etc.)
Can handle living in a dorm, in a building that can have up to 120 other students
Can follow various dorm rules (curfew, quiet hours, etc.)
Can live with roommates and maintain a friendly relationship with the roommates
Can maintain a friendly relationship with neighbors
Can follow instructions and can take constructive criticism from dorm staff
Can maintain their side of the room in a clean and tidy manner
Can handle social situations in a boarding school environment with 280 other students
With minimal support, is able to manage stress and anxiety, and has understanding of appropriate self-care
If a musician, can practice their instrument independently and without personal supervision in the practice room
Can overcome disappointments and setbacks
Can handle the stress and rigor of a day that often goes from 8 AM to 8 PM
Responsible use of the internet

The Idyllwild Arts dormitories are designed to provide our students a “home away from home” and a welcoming, comfortable, and friendly environment in which to relax between classes, rehearsals and other student life activities. Each dormitory on campus also has a common room or outdoor social gathering space so students can enjoy social interaction with fellow dorm mates. Each dorm room has a maximum capacity of three students and each room has their own en suite bathroom.

We do our best to provide a family-like atmosphere in our dorms. There is close interaction between students and residential life staff, fostering an atmosphere of care and mutual understanding.

Here is a link to some pictures of our dorm rooms and facilities on campus. Here is a link to our website with some general information about our campus and facilities.

Dorm Parents and Counselors

Residential life staff reside in or next to the dormitories. They are visible, available, and approachable for students. They are responsible for the well-being of students and the implementation of dormitory policies.

Other information regarding Student life and Dorms

How many students are there per room?

Each room has a maximum capacity of three students.

What is dorm housing like?

Our campus has a variety of dormitory-style housing options for residential students. Our dorm rooms have attached private bathrooms and have a maximum capacity of three students. Students can attend as a residential student starting at ten years old.

How do you decide who gets what bed in the room?

Beds are chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. Each student chooses their own bed upon arriving in their room.

Is my child responsible for getting themselves up in the morning?

Junior Artists: Students living in Junior Artists dorms will have a counselor making sure that they are awake on time. Students will walk to breakfast with their counselor and have enough time to get to class on time.

Teens: Teen students are expected to set an alarm on their phone or alarm clock in order to get to class on time. If they do not arrive to class on time, our counseling staff is informed by faculty and will check on them.

What are the expectations for the condition of the room? Do you make students keep their rooms clean?

Dorm Staff encourage their students to maintain a certain level of tidiness in their rooms. If a dorm parent or counselor believes a room needs to be cleaned up a bit, they will let the students know and provide them with the proper cleaning supplies to address the issue. Roommates are each assigned a specific chore (vacuuming, trash removal, cleaning the sink, toilet, etc.) at the end of the session, and they will not be permitted to check out if their designated chore has not been completed.

Campus Facilities and Services
The campus features several residence halls/dormitories and a large dining hall. The Health Center, The Krone Library, campus bookstore and laundry facilities are also available for summer students. Indoor and outdoor art studios and exhibition areas include the Parks Exhibition Center and the Eymann Sculpture Garden. Performance halls include the William M. Lowman Concert Hall, IAF Theater, Stephens Recital Hall, Holmes Amphitheatre, and the Junior Players Theater. Dance studios, rehearsal halls, film studio and practice rooms are located across the campus.

Margaret A. Cargill Commons, located at the heart of campus between Lowman Concert Hall and the IAF Theatre, offers areas to relax, converse, and mingle. Smoking is prohibited in all campus facilities.

The Idyllwild Arts campus is rustic with several steep hills. While we make every effort to keep our campus accessible to students, we recommend that you visit campus and assess the terrain with respect to your specific mobility needs and comfort. If you would like to schedule a visit to assess campus accessibility for your specific workshop, please contact the Summer Registration Office for more details.

Food Service and Dietary Accommodations

Food service is provided by CulinArt Dining Services. Whenever possible, CulinArt caters to specific student needs and student food preferences (e.g., vegetarian, food allergies, etc.). Our dining hall staff are used to dealing with specific diets, it is the same staff who feed the 300 teenagers that attend the Idyllwild Arts Academy for 9 months out of the year. There are always vegan and vegetarian options and gluten-free choices as well.

There are plenty of food options in the dining hall for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is always a salad bar at both lunch and dinner as well. Our dining hall can accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies.

All meals are provided to residential students. Options include:

Healthy hot and cold options for each meal
Fruit and salad bar
Gluten-free options (students will need to ask for these)
Vegetarian options
Allergens like nuts, honey, etc. consistently posted for meal selections
Hot and cold beverage station

*Medical meal accommodations can be made if needed*

How do I let Idyllwild Arts know about my child’s food allergies and dietary restrictions?

All campers are required to complete a Health History Form, this form will ask about allergies and any other medical conditions the nursing staff will need to know. Any food allergy information will be given to our Dining hall. Our dining hall is able to accommodate these dietary needs.

We suggest that your child speaks to the Director of Dining Services when they go to dinner the first night or have them talk to their RA or dorm parent. This way the dining hall can let your child know the food options available to them. Our dining hall is really good about labeling any food in the salad bar that contains an ingredient that someone on-site is allergic to, for example peanuts and shellfish.

Health Center & Services
See Idyllwild Arts Health Center and Services page for information.

Mail
Students may send outgoing mail from the school. Mail for Kids and Teens is delivered to dorm offices Monday through Friday, and students can stop by during office hours to collect mail and packages. Postage stamps are available at the campus bookstore or the campus mailroom.

All student mail should be addressed to:
(Student’s Name)
Dormitory name and room number
Idyllwild Arts Summer Program
P.O. Box 1682
Idyllwild, CA 92549

UPS and FedEx packages should be sent to:
(Student’s Name)
Dormitory name and room number
Idyllwild Arts Summer Program
52500 Temecula Drive
Idyllwild, CA 92549

UPS and FedEx pick up and deliver packages daily. If students need to ship belongings, they may do so in the mail center across the street from Nelson Dining Hall.

Student Book Store
There is a student store on campus that sells books, snacks, clothing and apparel, personal supplies, water bottles, school, and art supplies, Idyllwild Arts memorabilia, and more.

Student I.D. Badges
All students and employees are issued an ID card which must be worn on a lanyard or clipped to their clothes and clearly visible any time they are outside of their dorm.

Idyllwild Art Summer Program does allow the use of cell phones and personal electronic devices by students. Please be aware that as we are located in a remote mountainous area and cell phone reception is extremely limited on campus. WIFI is shut off daily from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM to ensure that students are not on their devices throughout the evening. Students who do not bring a personal device can check out a chromebook from the dorm office if they wish to contact their parents through email, or use the landline located in the dorm office to call home at any time.

The current circumstances regarding Covid-19 are ever-changing and best practices for safety are constantly evolving. The following guidelines have been used in past years to keep our community safe. Guidance from state and local authorities will determine actual policies for the upcoming summer season.

We ask that students start exercising increased precautions (stay at home as much as possible, wear masks in public spaces, increased hygiene practices) two weeks before arriving on campus, and to continue to exercise as many precautions as possible while traveling to Idyllwild. Depending on the situation during the current summer, safety regulations may include:

Requiring students to provide COVID test results immediately upon arrival on campus.
Holding smaller classes in well-ventilated or outdoor spaces.
Change from 3 students per dorm room to 2 students per dorm room.
Staggering Dining Hall meal times to accommodate smaller groups of students at a time.
Daily Health Symptom screenings.
Social distancing rules and wearing masks while in indoor spaces.

Students who do not follow all health and safety guidelines will be subject to school discipline, up to and including being immediately dismissed from the program and sent home.

Idyllwild Arts Summer Program is committed to supporting arts education for students from a wide variety of backgrounds, regardless of a family’s ability to pay the full tuition amount. We encourage any family interested in an Idyllwild Arts Summer workshop to apply for a financial need-based scholarship. Idyllwild Arts Summer Program now uses the FAST (Scholarship for School Tuition) Program to produce an unbiased analysis of your family’s financial need.

Scholarships specifically for San Diego residents are available! When registering, it will ask if you are interested in a scholarship. Mark that you are a San Diego resident and upload proof of residency (such as a letter from a utility company) and you will be eligible for $250 off per week attending, while funds are still available.

Music students who participate in regional, state and national honor groups qualify for a discount of $1,200 for a two-week program and $600 for a one-week music program. When registering, you will be asked if you participate in any honors ensembles. Select ‘yes’ and upload proof of participation (such as a concert program or letter of acceptance) to receive the award. After April 15, the Honor Discount is reduced to $800 for a two-week program and $400 for a one-week program so get your auditions in early!

Click here to learn more about scholarships for kids and teens.

The Bring A Friend Discount allows students to receive a discount for referring a friend who has never applied to or attended any program at Idyllwild Arts. During the application process, you can add the name of a friend who you have referred, or add the name of the friend who has referred you. When both students are enrolled, both families will get $50 off for each week that they attend (up to a $200 value for a 4 week camp.) Students can refer multiple friends and receive up to $500 per season! Idyllwild Arts will not contact the referral automatically – please be sure to invite your friend to apply and remind them to add your name as a referral! Referrals must be new to Idyllwild Arts and not live in the same household as the returning student. Siblings do not qualify as referrals.

View the refund policy here.

Click here to see the “What to Bring” list for kids programs.

Yes, Idyllwild Arts offers Airport pickup and drop off. Click here for more information on Airport Pickup and Drop costs and General Travel Guidelines.

Click here for our Teen Programs FAQ, which has even more common questions and information.

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