By Elise Ong, April 21, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona has been named the new host of the California State Summer School for the Arts program, which will bring 500 high school students to campus July 4 to Aug. 1.
The CSSSA program is a preprofessional intensive training for high schoolers who wish to pursue a career in the arts, offering a rigorous learning experience led by industry professionals that will enhance student skills.
Previously hosted at CalArts, a private art school located in Santa Clarita, the program is moving to CPP after an in-depth evaluation of the school. CPP currently has a three-year contract with CSSSA with the opportunity to be renewed as the host for an additional two years, according to Camille Johnson, dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.
Following its initial proposal to be the new host school, CPP went under review before sending a revised proposal and an on-site visit to evaluate what the campus had to offer, according to Johnson.
“I think we are good partners,” Johnson said. “We have faculty who also want to work, teach and engage with the program. There’s an opportunity for us to provide them with instructors for the courses as well.”
According to Johnson, CPP was picked due to the appeal of its facilities, available programs and location.
CSSSA offers eight fields of study: animation, dance, film, music, theater, visual art, writing and its newest addition, architecture and environmental design. CLASS has been working with the College of Environmental Design, specifically the Department of Landscape Architecture, to prepare for the participants.
CPP’s “become by doing” philosophy is heavily rooted in the many resources the school will have available during the summer, according to Nell Horowitz, the interim associate dean for personnel and academic resources for CLASS. Spaces such as the University Theatre, MediaVision, Building 1 and rehearsal rooms for both music and dance will be accessible for participants to get the hands-on experience the program desires.
“I visited every classroom that they’re going to be occupying over the course of the summers for the foreseeable future,” said Kevin Moore, an associate professor, interim chair for the Department of Art and the CSSSA campus liaison. “I’m amazed at how high quality our music program is, all of the classrooms with all of the pianos and the recording equipment. Our theater, we have an amazing stage, an amazing stage design and an amazing backstage operation that is working to make props and stuff like that.”
Moore is excited for high school students to get a taste of what college life at CPP could be like for them.
“All of these facilities are something that has been beneficial to the students for years,” Moore said. “Now the high school students get to use them and see what it’s like to come to a college campus where we have an infrastructure for a creativity that will surpass what they are doing at high school levels.”
Faculty and staff involved with CLASS and environmental design see hosting this program as an opportunity to highlight the arts at CPP. Moore is hopeful the program will make the smaller, yet impactful, arts more recognized at CPP.
“This is a great opportunity to bring attention to our quiet programs that have been punching above their weight for a long time,” Moore said. “I look forward to more visibility and more resources that come along with that added respect.”
Horowitz has been partnering with many campus divisions to ensure the school meets the promises made in the contract with CSSSA. Horowitz has been in communication with CPP police, facilities, information technology, enrollment services and registrars, orientation services, housing, risk management, dining services and more to prepare for the summer.
“I think that together, the team and our campus opportunities are really what attracted them to this campus,” Horowitz said. “… This is very much a collaboration of partnership between the College of Environmental Design and CLASS.”
Horowitz is looking forward to the change in reputation having CSSSA might bring to CPP.
Horowitz also believes having students experience college life at CPP for the month will show how beautiful the campus is and all that it has to offer, and is hopeful it will convince some students to attend CPP after they graduate high school.
“The creative space at Cal Poly Pomona is really a hidden gem on campus and in our community,” Horowitz said. “Bringing this program really helps not just build a reputation of both of our colleges but also build a reputation of our campus as a creative hub.”
Students who attend CSSSA at CPP will gain three credit units toward their transcript after completion of the summer program, according to the CSSSA website.
Feature image courtesy of Elise Ong
