Visual Storytelling: Power of Narrative Design Camp

Prepare to be amazed as you watch your differently-wired kiddo make real friends, explore this unique content, grow under the guidance of this expert mentor, and be seen in all their glory!

Our Promise To You

100% Satisfaction Guarantee:

Due to the unique nature of our fast paced Summer camps, if you’re not 100% IN LOVE with this camp within the first 24 hours, you can either transfer to another camp or get a 100% refund to your family’s YSA account as credit toward a future class.

That’s it! No hassle!

Why Take This Camp?

📣 CALLING ALL cartoonists, comic book artists, game designers, and cinema geeks!

This class will dissect what makes a good story great aesthetically, and how intentional design makes that happen in visual narrative media.

For cartoonists, comic book artists, game designers, and cinema geeks, this is a crash introduction, or excellent refresher, for how to make our stories look AND feel compelling. We will be investigating shape design, costume design, and worldbuilding philosophies to see how these elements come together to create the universes we love so dearly, and learn how to build our own worlds along the way. 

Students will learn to design dynamic characters, costumes, environments, creatures, and props in order to flesh out fictional universes. Students apply what they’ve learned to build their own pitch decks, walking away with a personal, ready to roll IP (Intellectual Property).

This course is recommended for enthusiastic beginners to experienced visual artists.

  • Welcome to Narrative Design: Power of Visual Storytelling, an immersive exploration into the art of crafting captivating stories in visual narrative media. Whether you're a cartoonist, comic book artist, game designer, or cinema enthusiast, this course empowers you to harness the incredible potential of visual storytelling.

    Throughout this transformative journey, we will delve deep into the elements that elevate a good story to greatness, focusing on the power of intentional design in creating visually and emotionally compelling narratives. By understanding the intricate relationship between design and storytelling, you will unlock the secrets behind crafting immersive worlds that captivate audiences and leave a lasting impact.

    In this course, we will delve into shape design, costume design, and worldbuilding philosophies, uncovering how these essential elements converge to shape the universes we hold dear. Through hands-on exercises, you will learn to design dynamic characters, costumes, environments, creatures, and props, breathing life into your fictional realms. By applying the principles and techniques learned, you will develop the skills to construct your own pitch decks, presenting your unique Intellectual Property (IP) that is ready to captivate audiences.

    Whether you're an enthusiastic beginner or an experienced visual artist, Narrative Design: Power of Visual Storytelling offers valuable insights and practical skills to enhance your creative journey. Join a community of like-minded individuals, receive personalized guidance and feedback from experienced instructors, and embark on a transformative exploration of visual storytelling.

    🌟 Course Highlights:

    ✅ Discover the incredible potential of visual storytelling in captivating audiences.

    ✅ Explore the profound impact of intentional design on narrative depth and resonance.

    ✅ Investigate shape design techniques to create visually striking and iconic characters and elements.

    ✅ Master the art of costume design to enhance storytelling and character development.

    ✅ Delve into worldbuilding philosophies and create immersive and believable fictional universes.

    ✅ Design environments that transport audiences to extraordinary worlds.

    ✅ Unleash your creativity in designing captivating creatures and props that enrich your storytelling.

    ✅ Apply your newfound skills to build compelling pitch decks showcasing your unique Intellectual Property.

    ✅ Benefit from personalized guidance and feedback from experienced instructors and fellow creatives.

  • Harness the power of visual storytelling.

    Learn how to confidently express your ideas and captivate your audience!

    Unleash your imagination, elevate your storytelling, and craft worlds that captivate and inspire.

    Get ready to unleash the full potential of your narratives and leave a lasting impression on your audience through the power of visual storytelling.

  • This course requires drawing of some variety, hooray! 🙌🏼

    You’ll need whatever media you’re most comfortable with, pencils, pens, markers, digital art, etc.

    Dry media is recommended over paint, for the sake of turnaround time.

    If working traditionally (not digitally), a ruler and a supply of preferred drawing paper is required.

 

Ages: 12-18

Class size: Maximum- 8 Students

Level: All

Camp Price: $35 per session

How To Enroll

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What Our Parents Say…

  • “My kid won’t stop talking at the dinner table. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them so lit up about a project. I walk in the room and they’re surrounded by paper. This class inspired them.”

    -Barry

  • “My son feels safe in Amy’s classroom, and like his ideas matter. Her class is the one he looks forward to. There’s a nice community there, they all support each other.”

    -Stacey

  • “Amy was able to adapt curriculum to help my daughter grow quickly and stay engaged.”

    -Laura

Meet Your Mentor

Amy Bechtol

Amy Bechtol is a neurodivergent individual, educator, and activist. Six years ago she thought it would be fun to volunteer teach for a week as a break from entertainment design work, and accidentally found her passion. Amy has worked in neurodivergent and twice-exceptional education ever since, covering a wide breadth of topics from the humanities, to the sciences, to the visual arts. Her background as an entertainment designer and storyteller informs her teaching practices, finding ways to make content relevant to human experiences.

Amy loves getting to work with her students, who often share a neurology similar to her own, connecting them to curriculum in a way that is meaningful, novel, and fun. Utilizing a strength-based, talent-focused model, Amy seeks to engage learners by allowing them to connect their best, most authentic selves to the material. She believes that a state of growth is the natural state of a human mind, and it is the purpose of a classroom to facilitate that process, and allow it to be a joyful one.

Explore Other Courses Offered by Young Scholars Academy

Questions Asked By Fellow Parents

  • 4 KEY things:

    1- A focus on the positive! We don’t focus on what students aren’t doing, we support what they are and we know the rest will come. We develop strengths, interests, and relationships. We build students up so they can build a better world! And do it with the new friends they make in our program!

    2- Like-minded neurodivergent peers. Our asynchronous students need one another and YSA is a safe haven for these kiddos to connect around their asynchronies, quirks, and interests. We’re a place where they can be their authentic selves and make friends while doing so!

    3- Passionate, masterful neurodivergent mentors who have walked the walk and can authentically validate and support your child with personal experience and care AND expertise as we all have advanced masters + degrees

    4-Content your students care about taught in a way they love! We offer the courses they need to be taking, not the ones they’re required to take.

    Come by and see for yourself!

  • Please don’t confuse reactive “distance learning” and virtual enrichment programming. After all, a student who is completely fried from a boring zoom class is often quick to pick up a tablet or phone, right?

    Our courses are not at all the same animal =)

  • We offer a satisfaction guarantee!

    If you’re not 100% IN LOVE with your camp, you can:

    1- Transfer to another equal-value class at no charge (space permitting)

    2- Get a 100% refund to a YSA credit

    Refund requests must be received up to 24 hours after the first day of camp. After 24 hours after the first class begins there will be no refund of tuition.

    Note- this is a satisfaction guarantee, therefore your child must attend class to qualify.

  • We do! We have 3 kinds:

    1- Word of mouth: GET UNLIMITED $35 COURSE/CAMP CREDITS!

    We know that the best way to reach new families is word of mouth.

    ❇️ At checkout you will get a CUSTOM LINK that you can share with families

    ❇️ YOU GET A $35 CREDIT TOWARD MORE/FUTURE YSA CAMPS/COURSES every time a NEW family enrolls with your link!

    ❇️ Families who use your custom link WILL GET 10% off their 1st course at YSA!

    ❇️ THERE IS NO LIMIT on how many times you can use this with new families!

    2- Homeroom Social Club 100% off- When the same student enrolls in 2 courses AND Homeroom Social Club you will automatically discount 100% of the tuition for Homeroom Social Club.

    3- Multi-Camp: When you enroll in 3 or more summer camps in the same week, you will receive 10% off of all summer camps!

  • Of course!

    As we like to say, if you’re on our site, you’re in the right place.

    Our programming is for students who are not being supported or challenged enough in school.

    If you have an asynchronous kiddo who you know has strengths and struggles, our courses are for your child.

  • 2e students experience such asynchronous development that it proves difficult to have hard age limits.

    We often evaluate students on a case by case basis =)

    Please email us and we’ll discuss: sam@youngscholarsacademy.org

  • All of our programs are 100% virtual. This allows us to bring together the twice-exceptional/neurodivergent students of the world, connect them, and nurture them!

    Your child may very well enter a 6-person class with 5 other students from 5 different states/countries!

    Cool, right?