Positive reviews, outreach lead to increased enrollment at Career Services’ summer camp

Career Exploration Summer Camp returns for a second year

When asked if she would recommend Career Exploration Summer Camp to another student, Julia Riela had the proof.

“I recommended it to my best friend,” said Riela, a freshman at Edgemont High School who retuned for a second year in the Culinary Arts program. “The camp is a lot of fun and it’s a great environment to learn new things.”

Many young students and their families are clearly in agreement. Director Dahlia Jackson said enrollment in the Career Exploration Summer Camp, which began last year, has more than doubled in size in 2025 compared to last year. When the camp returned to the Center for Career Services for three, one-week sessions beginning on July 7, several sessions were already sold out.  This summer’s camp offers three sessions — July 7-10, July 14-17 and July 21-24 — for students entering eighth, ninth and 10th grade. During the school year, the Center for Career Services serves high school juniors and seniors in two-year programs and helps prepare them for a variety of careers, including training them to earn important certifications.

At the Career Exploration Camp, students have the option to choose from a variety of course offerings, including Automotive, Baking, Construction, Cosmetology, Culinary, Fashion, 3D Modeling & 3D Printing, SoundFX Studios, Computer Coding, Introduction to Architectural Model Building, and Movie Magic: Studio Spotlight.

“I would definitely recommend it to my friends,” said Noah Donnelly, an eighth grader at Westlake Middle School who enrolled in the Baking program. “There are so many different things you can choose from. If you’re interested in Auto Body, you can do Auto Body. If it’s Culinary, you can do Culinary.”

“There are a bunch of different opportunities to learn more about something you are interested in,” added Evelyn Sears, an eighth grader at Dobbs Ferry Middle School. “I chose Baking because Baking is what I like.”

Instructors at the camp introduce campers to the types of skills they would learn if they enrolled in that Career Services program as a junior or senior In Cosmetology, the campers practiced makeup techniques on paper, worked on various hair styling and blowdrying techniques on a mannequin, and were introduced to nail salon treatments.

“My best friend introduced me to this program,” said Mary Capellini, an eighth grader from Scarsdale during a session of Cosmetology. “I thought it would be fun to come here, so I decided to do it with her.”

In addition to relying on those positive reviews, Ms. Jackson said the Career Services staff made a concerted effort to spread the word earlier. Information on the camp was shared on Southern Westchester BOCES social media platforms and directly to component school districts as early as February.

For more information on this year’s camp, visit our website.