Understanding the roots of the Chicano Movement in the 1960's and the impact of its identity

Let’s be honest, writing essays is not the highlight of your week. But just like me and everyone else, for better or for worse, you get that essay done. I hate to break it to you, there is no secret formula for making the formulation of an essay topic, thesis statement, and coherent evidence any easier. What I can say with confidence, however, is that there are concrete and easy ways to make your writing better. Join me in this hour-long course and learn how to make your writing more academic.


Prerequisites
Have an academic essay written prior to this course.

A small and interactive crash course of the art of public speaking. Students will learn optimal ways of reaching their audience and will get to practice it during this time as well!

This class takes a look at the absolute chaos that emerges from something as simple as taking a number, squaring it, and adding a another number to it. We'll be taking a journey through this unpredictability, and through the mind of the man who discovered it. The course should also serve as a gateway into the broad field that is Chaos Theory.


Prerequisites
High school algebra. Preferably, a knowledge of real and complex numbers.

Do you want to earn basic programming skills? Do you want to develop a working knowledge of the scripting language of computer prior to learning high-level programming languages (e.g. python, C, java)? Do not hesitate to join our class and learn more about UNIX: the basic computer operating system!


Prerequisites
no previous knowledge of computing is required!!!

Do you want to be at the forefront of today's development in high-performance computing? Then come learn the fundamentals of quantum computers and how they operate differently than our regular computers! Through this course you will gain an understanding of the basic principles underlying quantum computers and their potential applications. Do not be intimidated by the title of this course! I will make the course accessible to everyone's unique backgrounds.


Prerequisites
Algebra, Programming (Any language is fine, preferably Python!)

This course will introduce some fundamental aspects of what aging is, both from philosophical and biological aspects of where life began all the way to death. It will also look more deeply into why and how humans have been trying to comprehend death from a biological perspective.


Prerequisites
Some introductory high school biology

Food! It's delicious and something that we all enjoy, but why is that? Throughout this class, we will be exploring that fundamental question by looking at a series of case studies about our own bodies, plants, and even the molecular components of what makes food, food!

I would suggest leaving some room in your stomach because some of these experiments will involve eating!

Have you ever wondered how and why you get cavities, or why your stomach hurts? What about the other seemingly unexplained things that make your body work?

Part of that lies in learning about our microbiome, a wonderful field where we think about the microbes - bacteria, fungi, and even viruses - that help to regulate our human health. So if you're curious to learn more about the little residents that live in your body, come join us for the afternoon!

Chemistry has drastically changed over the years and it has influences and roots all over the place because of it. This session will be exploring some concepts traditionally found in Alchemy and its 'contributions' to Chemistry, talking a little bit about how feasible it might be. Kinda like a small Chemistry history lesson!


Prerequisites
I'll try to explain related information as best I can :)

Will discuss the central dogma, and then go into more detail about how we can modify components of the central dogma with CRISPR.

How can we visualize the tissues in our bodies at tiny scales? This course provides an introduction to biomedical imaging modalities, such as X-ray, CT, SPECT, PET, and MRI. We will also discuss recent research and clinical applications of the biomedical imaging techniques, from neurological diseases to cancers.

In this introductory course, learn about the basics of how sugars on the cell surface affect cancers! We will first explore the basics of glycobiology (i.e. the biology of sugars) followed by a dive into cancer biology and the implications of sugars on cancer growth and treatment.

In the early 1980s, doctors in New York and Los Angeles began noticing something strange: young men in their twenties who were previously healthy began developing an extremely rare form of pneumonia from which they would all pass away. It was not for a few years that these doctors and the world identified what was causing these mysterious deaths: the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. This class will share the fascinating yet tragic story of HIV with students, with emphasis being placed on the virus’s biology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis. All students are welcome to register! :)

This class will introduce students to diabetes, a chronic health condition that affects the ability of about 40 million U.S. adults to regulate the amount of sugar in their blood. The class will begin with an overview of the biology of diabetes and transition into a discussion of the complexities and future challenges associated with managing and preventing the condition. All students are welcome to register! :)

Your brain is a sponge that loves learning new information, but how can we most effectively retain that knowledge? How can we ensure that we memorize what we need to know, whether it's for school, sports, work, & more? In this course, we'll go over the best techniques that we can apply to learn most effectively and for as long as we can.

Want to learn about the devastating neurological disease that affects the entire network of the brain? Then come along! Alzheimer’s doesn't just affect memory, but many other aspects of basic human function. We will talk about the impact of the disease from the personal level to the molecular level as well as diagnosis, treatments, and ongoing research!

Will discuss the central dogma, and then go into more detail about how we can modify components of the central dogma with CRISPR and other genetic modification technolgies

Dang, plants are everywhere. Do you know anything about them? Do I know anything about them? No!
How do roots know where to grow? How does photosynthesis work, and why does it involve quantum physics? If Venus Flytraps can grab things, do plants have a nervous system? Come and learn more about how plants work, and how we can engineer them into GMOs to do our bidding. I will offer you a free rooted cutting from my plant (Genghis Khan), if you can pot it yourself!

Biochemistry is a fascinating subject that requires an understanding of the fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry. In this course, students will be introduced to the study of biochemical processes that occur in living organisms, such as metabolism, cellular respiration, and the synthesis of macromolecules like proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. We will also touch on the practical applications of biochemistry, understanding the relevance of biochemistry in everyday life.


Prerequisites
Some background knowledge in biology and chemistry will help but is not needed.

Curious about the origin of "superbugs" and antibiotic resistant bacteria? Interested in how these bacteria gain these abilities and spread? Learn about the underlying mechanisms of how bacteria share genetic information and how these mechanisms can be harnessed in research and biological engineering to help remediate this problem and others!


Prerequisites
Interest in biotechnology, biological engineering, environmental engineering, or public health

Interested in the sort of molecular biology experiments conducted in research and industry settings? This course will begin by giving a quick overview on DNA, RNA, and proteins and proceed to examine the basic theory and method regarding foundational bioanalytical techniques such as PCR, ELISA, gel electrophoresis and the cloning cycle. The course will then explore more technical experiments involving next generation DNA sequencing and common staining procedures performed on clinical samples.

Debit/Credit Cards?
Investing?
Resumes and interviews?
Perhaps these words aren't part of your dictionary, but they will soon be, whether you like it or not.
If you want some help in adulting with your friendly neighborhood freshman, literally fresh into adulting, then seek no further!
We'll walk the journey of life, and it's better being clueless together than clueless alone.

Learn the basics of how to be an effective leader, all crammed into just over an hour.

Learn the basics of making an escape room and all about the processes that go on behind the scenes of the experience.

Are you interested in attending a top-tier college or university like Johns Hopkins? This class will focus on admission tips and tricks to help you succeed. We will focus on finding a suitable college, filling out applications, and advising on courses and extracurriculars to help maximize your time as a high school student. We can also discuss college/student life and anything Hopkins-related. Come with lots of questions! This class will not take the whole 2 hours, but I am leaving plenty of time for questions and one-on-one advising.

How do we determine a "fit" college and major? Where do we make friends? How many student organizations should I join? This course will cover everything in the role change of a high school student to a college freshman, from choosing where to apply for early decision to determining what to pack for move-in day.

You've seen the puzzle game, but have you ever thought of it as a head-to-head tournament? Align blocks to clear lines, send attacks to other players, win points, come out on top. Learn fast pattern seeking, predictive strategy, how to come out of what look like even the most precarious of situations, and even some theory of why games like Tetris can be good for your brain. See you there!


Prerequisites
Please bring a computer! This is how you all will access the brain.