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Badger Precollege Classes

Think like a Badger. Badger Precollege offers in-person and online programs in humanities, music, business, psychology, government, STEM, college prep and more — all designed to help students in grades 2–12 find their passion, meet new friends and explore their future.

Use the search filters to find the class, program or workshop that matches your interests.

If you are looking for information about sports camps, field trips and other youth programs offered by our UW–Madison partners — including Badger Sports Camps, Wisconsin 4-H, the Language Institute and others — view campus programs.

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Classes (20)

  • Program

UW Art: Behind the Curtain (Grade 5-8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 7–11, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
  • July 14–18, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Spend each day discovering one of the many art areas on the UW–Madison campus, like theatre, visual art, dance, music or creative writing. Part of our day will be spent delving into the creation of pieces, and the other part of the day will include visits to campus arts hubs.

The Graphic Novel (Grades 7-8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 7–11, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Mix a little bit of reading and whole lot of creativity to dive into the key elements of graphic novels, from character development and plot structure to page layout and illustration techniques. Discover how to blend words and images to craft compelling narratives with a final project.

Classical Mythology (Grade 5-6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 7–11, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Join us for a week of adventure through the tales of Ancient Greece and Rome! In this introductory course you will learn about key figures and features in Classical mythology and analyze its widespread influence on the modern art, literature, and culture. If you're a fan of the Percy Jackson series, or fantasy stories in general, this course is for you! 

A Class of Characters (Grades 5-8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 7–11, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
  • July 14–18, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
In this course, we'll explore the process of how an actor can effectively portray a character. Through scene work exercises we'll dive into the motivation of a character and consider the best tactics an actor can use to communicate that to an audience. We'll unleash your creativity through improv exercises as you set your character loose, creating a story on the fly!

[Week 1 FULL] Introduction to Computer Science (Grades 5 8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 7–11, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
  • July 14–18, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
  • July 21–25, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Learn about object-oriented programming, and how to write and execute code using the Java programming language, via the Greenfoot programming environment. Students will learn programming fundamentals while participating in authentic coding activities that place an emphasis on problem-solving and creativity. Explore coding by examining a set of interesting scenarios, solving coding problems and competing in a fun coding challenge. Then begin to design your own game or simulation!

[FULL] Biotechnology (Grades 7 8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 7–11, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
In this laboratory-intensive course, you will learn how DNA and proteins are analyzed to improve food products, diagnose a disease or identify a suspect. Gain valuable laboratory skills such as micropipetting, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, DNA extraction and protein analysis.

[FULL] A Touch of Business (Grades 5 6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 7–11, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Calling all Entrepreneurs! Or, those who just want to learn about the world of business. This class will give you an introduction to some key concepts of business – product/service creation, marketing, digital creation and finance. We will touch on all sorts of business topics and have plenty of fun doing so. If you are a fan of the show Shark Tank this could be your dream class. 

Themes in Literature: Bravery (Grades 5-6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 14–18, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
Explore written works centered on the theme of bravery. Expect a mix of essays, short stories, speeches, and stories to be discussed. Master literary analysis techniques to help reflect on and confidently articulate ideas on what it means to have courage and "be brave."

The Plant Kingdom (Grades 5-6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 14–18, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Explore plant anatomy, ecology, and their vital roles in the environment. Plan to explore campus gardens and consider the role of agriculture, landscape architecture and other ways human and plant life interact. Gain skills to observe and understand the natural world.

[FULL] World Mythology (Grades 7 8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 14–18, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Mythology means more than just Mount Olympus. In this course, you'll expand your horizons beyond Greece to explore the mythology of cultures from around the world. Join us as we travel from continent to continent to compare different types of mythologies and their influence on history, society and culture. Part literature and part geography, you'll be sure to enjoy this literary tour of the world!

[FULL] Finance Fundamentals (Grades 7 8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 14–18, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
Learn the lingo and acronyms of the financial world, the basics of economic forces and how a wide variety of factors from weather to wars influence money. Analyze market movements over time and participate in a market simulation activity.

The World of Insects (Grades 5-6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 21–25, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
Have you heard the latest buzz? Insects are fascinating creatures that play an important role in the world around us! In this class, we'll explore the challenges with the bee population, monarch migration, insect defense mechanisms (ouch!) and the interdependence of all living things.

Tech Talk (Grades 7-8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 21–25, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
This discussion-based class will teach critical thought and debate about how technology shapes our world and impacts our daily lives. Topics to explore will include the digital footprint, plagiarism, AI vs. creativity and equitable access. 

Storytelling (Grades 5-6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 21–25, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Do you love a good story? Do you enjoy creating characters and setting them loose in a world of your imagination? If so, join us for a writing workshop where you can express your voice through the endless possibilities of fiction. We'll explore what it is that makes for great storytelling and enjoy sharing our ideas with each other.

Lyrics and Poetry (Grades 7-8)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 21–25, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Do you enjoy rhymes, alliteration, beautiful words and picturesque language? In this creative writing class, we'll focus on the elements that make people fall in love with poetry. Students will respond to prompts and explore a variety of poetry forms, including how words and music interact in lyrics.

Human Anatomy (Grades 5-6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 21–25, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
Take a closer look at the main organs and systems of the human body and their important functions. Topics covered are the format and function of major human organs such as the heart and lungs as well as body systems such as the musculoskeletal system, circulatory system and digestive system.

[FULL] Space Exploration (Grades 5 6)

Upcoming Dates
  • July 21–25, 2025
    Tuition: $600
    Application fee: $50
    In-person
This class will ponder the question, "What's next in the field of space exploration?", and will explore the evolution of space exploration, from rockets and satellites to animal explorers and the manned space missions of today. This discussion-based class will utilize space imagery and study recent developments in the field as we continue to ask, "How much farther, and further, can we go?"