High school students complete university-level project at UW-Stout Polytechnic

High school students complete university-level project at UW-Stout Polytechnic, creating spaces that inspire

Interior design camp, industry-standard software introduces campers to career paths in residential, commercial design

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2026

Menomonie, Wis. – Every space has its own function, whether it’s an educational studio calling on students to advance their design skills and create a space optimal for learning, or a residential studio where they’re tasked with designing a cozy living room inviting friends to sit and stay awhile. For four days in June, area high school students created their own spaces in the Interior Design: Creating Spaces That Inspire Camp at University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic.

In three interior design labs within the Applied Arts Building, the campers discovered how design influences the way people live, work and connect. From sketching, mood boards and space planning to color, lighting and design conceptualization, they created projects inspired by album covers, designing great rooms that encompassed kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms for clients of their choosing.

“This is a similar project that I give to my second-year students in their first interior design studio course. The young campers practiced exactly what the college students learn. They chose their album cover and drew from the visual or emotional aspects to design their space,” said interior design Assistant Professor Nicolette Brehm, the camp instructor.

They also explored both residential and commercial interiors and gained insight into the numerous career paths in interior design. “There are many career pathways outside of residential design – this is what many students come in thinking of. But there are so many great opportunities in commercial design, furniture and more,” Brehm said.

The interior design campers are just some of the more than 500 youths from around the region and country who are traveling to UW-Stout Polytechnic to join the Middle School STEAM and High School STEAM experiences this summer.

Introducing young campers to career paths in science, technology, engineering, and art and design fits hand-in-hand with UW-Stout Polytechnic’s mission of preparing its students for the workforce, as 99% of recent graduates were employed or furthering their education within six months of graduation.

Using music to create spaces that inspire

With interests in architecture and design, the high school students enjoyed creating floor plans, space planning and selecting color palettes. “I was surprised by how learning that interior design is more than just choosing paint colors. It involves a lot of technical work. You also have to think about the aspects you don’t see, like electrical and plumbing,” said one of the campers.

For their unique spaces, campers drew inspiration from the following album covers:

• The Alchemist’s “Yacht Rock 2,” which pictures a bird’s-eye view of a white boat floating in a sandy ocean cove. Their great room reflected feelings of calmness, with marble countertops, sea-blue tile backsplashes and a boat-shaped bookshelf. A large sofa faced a ceiling-to-floor indoor water feature and overlooked panoramic ocean views.
• SZA’s “Good Days,” where the artist is sitting on a diving board over a choppy, blue sea. Their great room featured a seating area with a fireplace adorned in deep blue tiles, with a pattern that mimicked the waves. The contrast of fire and water – warmth blended with cool colors – was striking.
• Drake’s “Iceman,” in which Drake is wearing Michael Jackson’s iconic white glove. Their great room’s kitchen featured stark white countertops, ice-blue wallpaper and light-colored wooden cabinetry.
• “The Normal Album” by Will Wood features the photo of a man waving from an open window. The photo is set against a pattern of 1980s-style pastel zigzags. Their great room felt playful, with a center terrarium of tropical plants, a rounded green sofa covered in colorful pillows, statues of various animals and a piano against a brightly patterned wall.

As the campers thought about their great rooms, they first needed to sketch out their floor plans, practicing drawing in 1/4 scale, in which 1/4 inch on paper is equal to one foot in real life. With access to the interior design Materials Lab, the campers selected tiles, flooring, wood and fabric samples to add to their materials palettes, or mood boards. Items within the lab are donated by interior design vendors and alumni.

With Revit, an architectural design software used by university students and industry professionals, they created 3D renderings of their floor plans. Through Architextures.org, they selected digital materials to represent items on their materials palettes. The website allowed them to select tints, tones, shapes and patterns of tiles, wood, stone, wallpaper and more to integrate into their Revit models. They also referred to industry websites, such as Bernhardt Design, Haworth, Herman Miller, and BIM Object, to search for furniture and décor accessories and downloaded 3D models of the pieces to bring into their own models.

Teaching Assistant Colby Greene, a human development and family studies student, joined the campers in creating her own great room, learning interior design skills alongside them. “I’ve worked as a nanny for eight years, and I like working with kids. This is my internship, and I’ve learned a lot of new skills,” she said.

The campers presented their digital floor plans and materials palettes to each other, learning to communicate their ideas clearly with their peers, before presenting to families and supporters during the Camper Showcase, which concluded the camp.

Additional STEAM camps this summer include experiences in:

• Science & Health: Freshwater science, fish conservation, anatomy, molecular ecology, psychology and gardening
• Technology: Construction, 3D printing, robotics and virtual reality 
• Engineering: Packaging and plastics engineering
• Art & Design: Claymation, comics, game design, fashion, cinema production and drawing.

The STEAM programs are sponsored by the Menomonie, Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire school districts, the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, the National Science Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Xcel Energy and the UW-Stout Foundation & Alumni Association, in partnership with Continuing Education & Conferences.

UW-Stout Polytechnic’s interior design program is part of the School of Art & Design, which also offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production; and an M.F.A. in design. UW-Stout also has a new program in game and media studies.

UW-Stout Polytechnic, a member of the Universities of Wisconsin, focuses on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes. Learn more via the FOCUS2030 strategic plan.