A one-week residential summer program for Iowa's most talented 7th- and 8th-grade students, nominated by their schools.
The Blank Summer Institute for the Arts & Sciences (BSI) is an intensive one-week residential summer program for Iowa’s most talented 7th- and 8th-grade students, nominated by their schools. BSI provides curious and talented students with an intensive educational experience designed to enhance their intellectual and social growth. Every student selected for BSI will receive a $900 scholarship to cover the majority of the Institute's $1,300 cost. Each student will pay a program fee of $400 to cover the remaining costs. Additional financial aid is available if cost is a barrier to attendance.
Spend time on the University of Iowa campus, immersing yourself in one of your favorite subjects, in a class full of other kids your age who share your level of interest and ability. Experience a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet Iowa's brightest and most promising middle school students. For the duration of the program, you will live together in a residence hall and experience life as university students. Evening activities include seminars, cultural and recreational activities, and off-campus field trips.
Without having access to a lab science in junior high, my son did not know what to expect. He came home with a new found love of chemistry because of the experiences gained at this camp. Truly trajectory changing. Thank you!
BSI <<rewind>>
BSI Week : capped off with the legendary Wacky Olympics. Big shoutout to the blue, green, red, and yellow teams for taking home 🏆 best chee…
Current middle schoolers, future engineers. 😎
Creativity abounds at the Belin-Blank Center. 🎨
"Life is but a stage" at the Belin-Blank Center. 🎭✨
A special shoutout to this year's Blank Summer Institute (BSI) Resident Assistants! We literally couldn't have done it without you. 💛🖤
Our Blank Summer Institute (BSI) Lab Science students were (figuratively) on fire last week! 🔥
Today was officially the last day of the 2025 Blank Summer Institute (BSI). These students worked hard to get into the program, gave their a…
...and the winner of last night's BSI Wacky Olympics? The "Dark Red" team! 🏅
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See more ›BSI students are nominated by their schools. Teachers and counselors who know of talented 7th- and 8th-grade students should contact us for nomination information.
Through laboratory experience and hands-on learning, students will have an opportunity to examine advanced concepts from a variety of science disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, earth science and more.
In this course, students will use their mathematical and critical thinking skills to explore data and solve real world problems. The ideal student for this course is curious about the world around them, enjoys collaborative problem solving, and is excited by the messiness of mathematics outside the traditional textbook.
An in-depth exploration into the world of theatre. Students will study playwriting, acting, and directing as they focus on the collaborative aspects of theatre.
Students will expand on their talents through studio-based experiences and exposure to multiple genres in the visual arts. Genres may include painting, drawing, sculpture, and multi-media.
This course will be devoted entirely to the craft of writing. We’ll explore multiple genres and we’ll look at how other writers approach their work. Much of our time together will be devoted to your own writing and there will be lots of prompts to help inspire you. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or wanting to develop a writing practice, this might be the course for you!
This program will build on students’ engineering talents through a fast-paced curriculum that includes computer-aided design, 3d printing, and other inventive tools.
Meteorology, the study of the earth's weather, is important in ecology as it helps us understand how climate affects living ecosystems. This course will explore measurements including temperature, rainfall, wind and soil moisture and how they influence the world around us. Students passionate about the environment and the impact of our changing climate will enjoy using different sensors and instruments to observe changes on the landscape in real time!
In Graphic Arts class, we will explore graphic design with digital applications along with physical and print media. We will cover the Gestalt principles of design, the art of typography, video production, and digital illustration.
Schools must first nominate students, then students must submit a complete application. Here's all the information you and your school will need to complete the process.
You must be nominated by a school official in order to apply for the Blank Summer Institute. Parents may not nominate students and each school is limited to eight nominations per course to ensure availability for students across the state.
All current 7th- and 8th-grade students enrolled in Iowa are eligible for nomination. Students do not have to be identified by or enrolled in a talented and gifted program to be nominated.
All nominated students should be highly motivated and possess high levels of task commitment and emotional maturity.
In order to extend the opportunity to as many students as possible, first preference will be offered to students who have not previously attended BSI.
All nominations must be made by school officials, not parents.
Nominations open: December 1, 2026
Students must have all application materials submitted online by February 2, 2027.
Excited and curious students! Students DO NOT have to be enrolled in a talented and gifted program. This program is a great opportunity for students who are passionate about a subject area to connect with peers and instructors who share their interests. To ensure availability for students across the state, each school is currently limited to nominating eight students per course.
Consider nominating students who are highly motivated in the area of nomination and would benefit from having a community of peers who share that interest. Ideally, nominate different students for each subject area, since students can only attend one class. Students will be spending a week away from home, so it is beneficial for them to have the emotional maturity to handle such an experience. Most importantly, students should be open to growing and learning in a community of their peers and expert instructors. This is a program that can truly ignite a learner’s interest and leave them with the skills and enthusiasm to continue pursuing it on their own. This flyer can give nominated students a starting point for thinking about whether the program is a good fit for them.
Once a student is nominated, they must apply for the class. When applying online, they will need to submit the following:
Faculty and staff from the Belin-Blank Center will evaluate completed applications. Selected students will be notified by February 16, 2027.
Each student selected for BSI will receive a $900 Blank Scholarship to cover most of the Institute's $1,300 costs. Each student will pay a program fee of $400 to cover the remaining costs. Additional financial aid is available if cost is a barrier to attendance.
Together, the scholarship and the program fee cover all instructional costs, room, board, books, and admission to all regularly scheduled activities. The program fee does not include transportation to and from the University of Iowa or incidental expenses, such as souvenirs and snacks. You and your family are responsible for these expenses.
You must either pay in full or have arranged monthly installments by June 1 in order to participate. All fees are payable to the Belin-Blank Center.
Once you are accepted into the program, you may apply for financial aid. Financial aid may cover up to 50% of the remaining cost of the program. Awards will be applied directly to your program fees. After your information is reviewed, a decision will be made, and you will receive an email regarding the amount of your award. Awards will be applied directly to your program fees. Additional scholarships may be available.
You will attend classes from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and Friday morning (Friday afternoon is reserved for the closing showcase).
The typical schedule for each day looks like:
Evening activities include special seminars, on/off-campus field trips, and recreational activities. We carefully select activities to complement the program. For this reason, all activities are required.
You will be supervised at all regularly scheduled events and activities. Supervision at the residence halls will be provided by a Belin-Blank Program Coordinator and a residence hall staff specially selected and trained to work with and supervise students. There is approximately one resident advisor for every ten students. You are expected to live within the policies of the residence halls, the university, and the program.
You will be housed in a residence hall located near the Blank Honors Center on the University of Iowa campus. Most program activities will take place within brief walking distance of the residence hall. According to University policy, students will be assigned to separate floors based on gender and students should plan to share a room with at least one other student. Students who have medical conditions or other unique circumstances may share concerns or request a single room by emailing summer@belinblank.org.
We ask that your family inform staff of their plans so that arrangements can be made to facilitate any family visits. Because the program is dedicated to the development of a cohesive community, you may not have non-family visitors during the program.
Students will move into their rooms from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. on Sunday. Program check-in will begin at 3:30 p.m. followed by a brief opening event at 4 p.m. where resident assistants will assume supervision duties. All students should be accompanied by a responsible adult until the 4 p.m. opening event.
If you are unable to check-in during these times, please contact the Belin-Blank Center by emailing summer@belinblank.org.
Check-out for the program will be held after the closing on Friday. The closing for students and families will begin at 1 p.m. and will conclude by 2 p.m. Students should pack all their belongings prior to the closing.
If you must cancel, email summer@belinblank.org as soon as possible to decline your acceptance so a student on the waitlist may attend.
You may request a roommate once you have been accepted to the program and are asked to fill out enrollment forms. If you do not have a specific request for a roommate, you will be matched with another student from the program. Students who have medical conditions or other unique circumstances may request a single room by emailing summer@belinblank.org.
Questions? For the fastest response, please email summer@belinblank.org.
