Learn the about how cameras work and the science of taking photography. We will explore what makes a good photo and how you can apply these techniques to your everyday snaps.

Art can be used as a tool to express yourself and feel better about your emotions, even for those without any technical art skill! In this beginner-friendly class, we will experience the uplifting effects of making a collage and experiment with fluid art through an acrylic pour painting (google acrylic pour, it's really cool)! Expect to leave this class with a few watercolor pencils and ideas for how to use art to improve your wellbeing in your daily life.

What are the musical influences of your favorite band? How has "pop music" changed over time? Pop music is the coming together of many vibrant musical traditions. From rock to techno, jazz to hip-hop, the blues to country, zydeco to salsa, (and many more). In this course we will explore the multicultural nature of popular music. Students will learn about how pop music has evolved throughout the 20th and 21st century, from Elvis Presley to Beyoncé. Together we will listen to different "pop songs," discussing rhythm, harmony, form, lyrics, and instrumentation. No knowledge of music theory is necessary.

"When am I ever going to use this in real life?"
This course will examine the philosophy of education over history and the various ideas of what the aims of education should be.

In this course, we will be covering the fundamentals of logical arguments and apply those skills in a debate at the end.

In this course, we will discuss life in Ancient Babylon through a close look at their language. We will look at how and what they wrote and what it meant for the people living there. So, if you ever wondered how to write in cuneiform (the ancient script of Mesopotamia) or where the phrase an eye for an eye came from join us to learn about life and language from nearly 4000 years ago!

One of the oldest conundrums we face (apart from how to plug in a USB stick correctly on the first try) is how to achieve happiness. Throughout history, some of the smartest minds in the world have come up with very different answers. You will find that some philosophies that are the farthest apart in era or culture have come up with strikingly similar conclusions. Other philosophies that arise at nearly the same times have opposite perspectives of the world. In 50 minutes, I will try and explain four philosophies and how each tries to find the true path to happiness. None of these philosophies is objectively correct. However, hopefully, you will be able to find something that resonates with you.

Who are you? Are you the same person as the eight-year-old version of you? Yeah, I know you have grown so much since then; but, are you still you? If you are, what makes you the same person? If not, what are the consequences: are you morally responsible for your past? In this one hour course, we will examine our personal identity and try to answer those questions above. We will also be looking at a famous thought experiment about fission and see what problems we might face with our identities.

Stoicism and skepticism are powerful philosophies that we still see today. We'll talk about how skepticism was used to endure surgery without anesthesia and how one of the greatest Hellenistic philosophers lived in a bathtub.


Prerequisites
None

On September 2, 2015, the lifeless body of three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi washed ashore on the Turkish coast, becoming a symbol of the world’s largest humanitarian emergency of our era: the Syrian Refugee Crisis. With over 13.5 million refugees left searching for a safe haven, the international community has failed to provide sanctuary to those fleeing the deleterious ramifications of the Assad regime. In this class, we will explore and analyze the origins of the Crisis, proxy-war actors, United Nations intervention, resettlement conflicts, and required action. By the end of the class, you will not only have a better understanding of the aforementioned factors, but of the international community and Middle Eastern politics as well.

In 2010, the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi sparked the Arab Spring, a series of protests, rebellions, and uprisings in the Middle East. Beginning in Tunisia, anti-government sentiment spread to the people of Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain, and so the world watched as the people of the Middle East organized unprecedented events. In this class, we will analyze the overarching themes of the Arab Spring, and focus on the details of the Egyptian revolution as well as its aftermath. By the end, you will not only have a better understanding of the specifics of the Egyptian revolution, but of Middle Eastern politics as well.

Have you ever looked at a silicon circuit board and thought, "I wish there was a way to do this using a nicer material, like fine mahogany?" In fact, there is. In this class, we'll discuss a method for building logic circuits as positions in a three-dimensional chess game. You'll learn about logic gates, Boolean circuits, and models of computation. This concept was invented by the instructors, so there is literally no other place to learn this. No prior knowledge of computer science or chess is required.

In this class, you'll learn the basics of programming in Python. We'll start with an introduction to the basics of Python syntax and usage, and work through a few examples as a class. You'll have access to a sequence of programming challenges that revolve around writing a program to play chess. The tasks will start simple, like moving a pawn, and progress to greater difficulties, so you'll be able to move at your own pace. When you're finished, or whenever you're done, you can play the game based on the code you wrote. Everything will be web-based, so you can view your work at home, or even continue it.


Prerequisites
None

In this class, you'll learn how to program a dynamic website using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. We'll start with an introduction to the syntax of each language, and how they all interact on a single webpage. You'll get a personal page for yourself, which you can design and fill with any content you like. There will also be a sequence of tasks in which you develop your skills by building a user interface for a chess game.

In this class, you'll learn how to use computer programming to solve complex decision problems using artificial intelligence. We'll start with a review of the scope of artificial intelligence and the types of methods used, and then start with self-paced project work. You'll use Python to solve several small problems, which together create a program which plays chess. You'll be able to test your program by playing against it yourself. It would be helpful to attend the Python Programming class before this class, but this is not required.

Have you ever wanted to learn to solve equations, plot solutions, design matrices, or write scripts/functions that can help you in math class? This course gives a brief introduction on how to do that.

We will first introduce the concept and the formal definition of a derivative, along with some basic techniques for determining whether the derivative exists and finding derivatives of functions. We will then introduce the integral and some basic integration techniques. If time permits, we will also preview how these techniques extend to different coordinate systems and/or functions in multiple dimensions.


Prerequisites
Comfortable with basic algebra and graphs.

This course will teach students about the basics of the Java programming language, also giving the students a better sense of Object-Oriented Programming. Then, students will apply this knowledge into making various graphical designs/animations via Java Applet to run locally on the computer.

This course will introduce students to DID, one of the most complex and stigmatized mental disorders. DID refers to the presence of two or more identity states, commonly referred to as alters, in a single individual. This is typically due to extraordinarily traumatic experiences as a child, along with genetic, cognitive, and biological factors.


Prerequisites
None

Trends in beauty have been defining features of generations past, and thanks to Youtube and a booming cosmetics industry, makeup is more prevalent in our society than ever before. But how is it that the classic red lip has transcended decades of trends? And why do present-day Instagram models blind the haters with beaming highlighter? In this class, we will turn to evolutionary and social psychology research to answer these questions, covering topics such as physical attraction, conformity, and self-esteem.

This course will delve into the science of waves and frequencies to create music. We will look at how instruments differ in terms of this and also why certain music sounds good to our ears and others does not.

Introduction to the anatomy of the nervous system, from individual neurons to brain structures and cerebral lobes; expand on this knowledge of the brain to discover how the mind works


Prerequisites
None

The course introduces a few chemical reactions behind everyday cooking. We will talk about Millard reactions behind braised pork, the reason why we need to fry the tomatoes first before we cook the tomato soup, and probably more! The course will introduce you to some very interesting organic reactions and also tell you how to cook better. So if you are interested in chemistry or cooking or both, please come to this course!


Prerequisites
I think it would be great if the students taking this course have at least some background in chemistry(like one semester of chemistry course in high school, etc.); it's okay if you don't, but the chemistry part of the course might be a little bit hard to follow.

In this course we will be discussing Apoptosis which is the process of programmed cell death present in multi cellular organisms.
Topics Covered:
- Overview of apoptosis as a whole
- How apoptosis makes us, us!
- Why it is a necessary process
- What happens when there are complications with this process

What makes us happy and how can we practice the art of happiness in our daily lives? This course will explore happiness through a psychological lens, while exploring ways we can reconnect back with ourselves and practice mindfulness to find happiness within.

Ever wanted to learn more about Einstein's famous theory of Special Relativity? In this course, we'll be going over the basics and exploring the odd, mind bending consequences of this theory. We'll cover reference frames, time dilation, length contraction and what the heck $$E=mc^2$$ means. All of this will be covered assuming minimal knowledge of physics and math. If you know how to 'solve for x' then you should be able to understand what's going on in this course.


Prerequisites
Basic algebra skills, and understanding how to read a graph. Ideally, some basic knowledge of physics might be helpful but it is not necessary.

This course will navigate all things pregnancy. From the diagnosis of the pregnancy and labor and delivery to complications that can arise during the pregnancy and postpartum, you will learn the ins and outs of pregnancy through visuals and hands on activities. Set the baby bearing storks aside, and join me to test your knowledge on how you really came to be.


Prerequisites
Health Course

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that manifests itself during a vulnerable time: adolescence. It is defined bv the presence of debilitating hallucinations and/or delusions. Here, we examine portrayals of schizophrenia in pop culture and media, and contrast them with current scientific understanding. What are 'schizophrenics' really like? What causes the disorder? Is there a cure?

Game theory is a really cool branch of applied mathematics which helps one make an appropriate decision by weighing the various costs and benefits. It’s been applied everywhere from games like rock paper scissors to studies of how tennis players play at Wimbledon. A lot of theoretical analysis has gone into it and it’s also had a rich history full of interesting stories.

This class will introduce the topic of game theory in a variety of ways. First off, there are lots of fairly simple games that illustrate key game theory concepts well, games like the prisoner’s dilemma and various Keynesian beauty problem variants, which the students will play. From these, we will discuss core theoretical concepts. Additionally, we will touch on the historical points of game theory, notably the infamous Monty Hall Problem. We will conclude by looking at applications of game theory to real life.

This course is designed to be very interactive. Games will be played with small subsets of the students. A Projector is needed, whiteboard/chalkboard is desired but not critical.

Do you want to be a leader? Everyone has the potential to be one! Join us in this interactive workshop that will explore what it means to be a leader and how you can take that first step towards leadership!