Founded in 1970, the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) is a highly-competitive summer arts residential program funded by the New York State Education Department and student tuition. The four week, pre-professional summer curriculum includes individual and group instruction designed to help each student explore and develop their talents in ballet, choral studies, modern dance, visual arts, media arts, orchestral studies, or theatre. Students live in a college dorm and take classes from performing and visual artists for 6-12 hours a day, six days a week in their area of concentration. Students are engaged in classes traditionally from 9am to 5pm with a lunch break in the middle of the day. Evening activities vary at each program, complementing and extending the work of classes. Upon completion of the program, students are awarded one high school credit in the arts, subject to their home district approval. Notification is provided to each student’s school in late fall.