Building Great Futures Construction Academy

During this 10-week program participants will work hands-on with construction experts with Habitat for Humanity to refurbish or build homes for families in need. Throughout the experience, they will learn important technical skills related to the construction field, including an OSHA-10 certification, while developing teamwork, communication, and stronger critical thinking skills. This is a great program for those who like to be outside, enjoy physical labor, and are looking to learn skills they can use in their personal lives while helping others.

Summer Manufacturing Academy

This 6-week experience in partnership with MAGNET is for Cuyahoga County students interested in technology, problem-solving, and STEM. Throughout the program, participants will explore career paths related to manufacturing while learning about how things get made in Northeast Ohio. MAGNET will teach youth technical skills through great hands-on activities and connect them with businesses around Northeast Ohio to show what Cleveland has to offer in this growing and ever-changing industry. Graduating seniors who want to pursue jobs with partner companies will be connected to those opportunities.

Young Money Mentors Financial Literacy Academy

Young Money Mentors is a financial literacy work experience in which students will learn positive financial habits and share them with fellow students in a peer-to-peer education model. Participants will engage in discussions surrounding how to manage their own finances, save for the future, budget their money wisely, and manage their expectations, priorities, attitudes, and values when it comes to their money. Furthermore, participants will give presentations on money management to help encourage healthy financial habits amongst their peers.

Richmond Heights Public Service Academy

This 6-week work experience is perfect for youth who are Richmond Heights students or citizens to learn more about their city’s local government. Participants will have the ability to rotate through various city departments to shadow careers in the mayor’s office, as well as police, fire, and recreation departments. This academy is a great opportunity to learn about the wide variety of careers that are possible inside municipal buildings in every community.

Marketing Academy

This 8-week project-based-learning work experience in partnership with the City of Cleveland aims to help students interested in art, writing, digital design, and entrepreneurship to explore career paths related to these disciplines. While students learn more about the principles of digital and physical marketing, they will demonstrate skills in a collaborative project for the City of Cleveland.

Lead Abatement Education

Participants in this 6-week program will learn about the work of the Environment Health Watch (EHW) and the Lead Safe Resource Center (LSRC) and the importance of addressing lead poisoning in the City of Cleveland. Alongside lead-safety education, youth will further develop interviewing, networking, public speaking, and leadership skills. Participants will utilize these skills in developing a capstone project to recount their work experience and serve as youth ambassadors of the LSRC after the program concludes.

Art in Motion Documentary Filmmaking Academy

This program offers youth the unique opportunity to collaborate with award-winning industry leaders to learn the art of documentary storytelling and film production. Through this hands-on experience, participants will gain valuable professional skills to aid them in a lifetime of creative expression and artistic endeavors.

CVS Pharmacy Technician Training Academy

The Pharmacy Technician Academy is a 6-week training program at CVS Workforce Center created for 18-year-old graduates of the class of 2025. Y.O.U. has collaborated with CVS to create a pharmacy technician training program equipped with built-in job shadowing. Participants are introduced to job readiness and HIPAA training in the first 2 weeks of the program. In weeks 3-6, candidates will engage in classroom and firsthand pharmacy training. At the conclusion of the program, participants will prepare for the Pharmacy Technician Certificate Board (PTCB) exam. Participants will then apply for a permanent position at CVS or other pharmacies in Greater Cleveland. 

FoodStrong Ambassador Program

This 8-week program offers teens hands‑on experience in farming, gardening, community engagement, and wellness. Participants will help maintain community garden sites, support events and workshops, create social media content, and learn from local farmers and chefs. Through real-world work in agriculture, nutrition, culinary arts, and community outreach, youth will build professionalism, teamwork, leadership skills, and an understanding of food justice and environmental stewardship. The program blends practical job tasks with mentoring, certifications, and learning experiences designed to grow confidence, communication skills, and interest in wellness and sustainability.

YMCA Leadership Academy

This 8-week program, in partnership with the Warrensville Heights Family YMCA, focuses on empowering and developing our teen leaders. Participants will learn essential life, community development, career-readiness, and interpersonal skills through instruction and hands-on experience. While participating in activities promoting physical, mental, and social wellbeing, this program aims to prepare young people to thrive in their future academic, career, and personal endeavors.

Summer Recreation and Leadership Academy

This 12-week academy is geared for teens who have an interest in careers impacting youth – teaching, coaching, recreation, pediatric healthcare positions, social workers, juvenile justice, and more. Participants will be tasked with supervising children between the ages of 6 and 14, preparing for this role with important First Aid, safety, and group management trainings.

Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship Academy

This 6-week program will teach participants about the mindset and the skills needed for success by aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators who add value to any organization. Participants completing all three modules use Design Thinking, a problem-solving approach, to create business ideas. Participants also learn to transform their ideas into concise, effective, and actionable one-page business plans.

designExplorr Intensive Internship Program

The DesignExplorr Creative Career Intensive Internship is an immersive Six-week professional experience for 9th

through 12th graders. This 25–30 hours-per-week intensive explores the "Six Pathways to a Creative Career" through interactive individual and group projects. Interns explore the Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma while developing top industry skills like business understanding and critical thinking. Participants design collateral, build websites, develop mobile apps and execute social media campaigns. The program builds essential portfolio work, culminating in an office showcase that bridges academic interest with professional design experiences. text

What academy are you interested in?

Business/Finance (Young Money Mentors Financial Literacy Academy; Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship Academy)Construction (Building Great Futures Construction Academy)Environmental sustainability (Lead Abatement Education; FoodStrong Ambassador Program)FIlmaking (Art in Motion Documentary FIlmmaking Academy)Pharmacy (CVS Pharmacy Technician Training Academy)Public Service (Richmond Heights Public Service Academy)Manufacturing (Summer Manufacturing Academy)Marketing/Design (Marketing Academy; designExplorr Intensive Internship Program)Recreation (YMCA Leadership Acadmey; Summer Recreation and Leadership Academy)

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2026 Summer Academies