[3] The goal of CSSSA is to provide a supportive environment in which students acquire experience and training that extends beyond the practice and improvement of aesthetics and technique.

Its purpose is to provide a training ground for future artists who wish to pursue careers in the arts and entertainment industries in California.

The main criteria for admission is an applicant's potential for further professional development in the arts or creative fields after the end of the program.

[5] During the early 1980s, California was facing increasing competition from other states in the arts and entertainment industry, which is its third-largest source for tax revenue.

[6] In 1982, a three-year effort by the state's legislature began to create an educational environment for California's young artists.

In 2010, the original name CSSSA (California State Summer School for the Arts) was reinstated as the official name for the program and is commonly used today.

CSSSA students stay in separate male and female dormitories of Chouinard Hall at the California Institute of the Arts.

The CalArts campus has spacious lawns with shade trees, open fields and large hillside areas, providing room for informal team sports and relaxation.

card for authorization, food service in the cafeteria, recreation equipment, access into the library and supervised study and work areas.

[7] Former art scholars include, James Franco, Zac Efron, Hayley Marie Norman, Kirsten Vangsness, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Lautner, Jeff Soto, Isabelle Fuhrman, Craig McCracken, Alex Hirsch, Martine Syms, Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Condor, and Amandla Stenberg.