Learn how to many your own friendship bracelets! We will go over different types of knots and how to read bracelet making patterns for exciting and fun bracelet designs. All levels welcome.


Prerequisites
Must have your own friendship bracelet thread!

Ever wonder what the vikings did when they weren't busy raiding and pillaging? In Iceland they created a free society of independent people where law, culture, and creativity flourished. Who were these first Icelanders? What was their daily life like? And how did they resolve conflicts in a land with no king or government? We'll answer these questions and many more as we explore the fascinating history of Viking Age Iceland.

From the Black Death to COVID-19, we'll cover some of history's most deadly diseases. Why do plagues occur? How do they spread? And what have we done to try and fight them? Find out as we cover this not at all timely topic!

Dive! Dive! Batten down the hatches and prepare to explore the fascinating history and technology of submarines through the ages, from ancient submarines that barely worked at all to modern nuclear submarines with enough firepower to end the world as we know it.

Do you ever wish you had a class in which you discussed your favorite TV shows in as much depth as you discuss novels in English class? This is the course for you! We will go past the surface level of TV shows and discuss the artistic content of some of the greatest drama and comedy series of all time. You'll come out equipped to impress your friends when you discuss the nuances of TV writing and cinematography with them!

Jewish humor has long been a staple of the American comic scene. In 1978, Time Magazine went as far as to estimate that 80% of professional American comics were Jewish. In this class, we will examine the deep, hilarious, and odd history of Jewish humor in the United States.

Is there such a thing as truth? In the first half of class, we will explore different views on knowledge, the nature of being, and the limits of language. In the second of class, we will unpack the relationship between power and truth and its implications for philosophy and life. Students are expected to share their ideas and contribute to discussion!

What does it mean to be a person? We will be examining the boundaries of personhood by considering non-human animals, humans in various stages and states, and future generations. This is an elementary philosophy course.

In this course we will listen to songs and movie excerpts to explore the meaning and significance behind the work of one of the most influential artists of the 90s: Tupac Shakur.

This workshop introduces students to the concept of gender as an identity and to several genderqueer identities. It introduces students to how cisgender people are oftentimes incorrectly viewed as "the only 'normal' way to be" and the reasons why this assumption is harmful. It also teaches cisgender students ways to be good allies to their trans/genderqueer peers.

This workshop introduces students to key moments in queer history around the world. It teaches students about how gender and sexual orientation was thought about in various cultures. The goal is to show students that queer identities have a long and diverse history that spans every time and every continent.

What do you think of when you hear the word “tragedy”? While most people immediately think of sadness, there is much more to the genre. Explore the nuances of tragedy with us through short films, discussions, and interactive activities!

This will be an interactive overview of the Electoral College, the system in which we select our President! We will be discussing how it works, why the founders chose it, and the arguments for and against it in modern times. To do this, we will be playing "270", a Presidential Election simulator game that is great for teaching about the Electoral college and campaigning in general! With the 2020 election around the corner, come find out how we REALLY pick the President!

In this writing workshop, we will examine works of poetry and spoken word performances by writers of color and/or with an immigrant background. We will then do some writing of our own—poetry, prose, spoken word, and genre-defying works—and exchange feedback. This workshop is open to students of all backgrounds!

How does language work? What makes it special? In this class, we dive into the world of linguistics: the scientific study of language. We’ll look at how children are able to learn language so quickly, how words came to be, how words come together to make meaning, and how we seem to know the rules of language even if we don’t realize what those rules are. The scientific study of language will teach us how we communicate, how we work, and even how we think. And linguistics is becoming more and more applicable in the world of computers: as Google Translate seeks to convert from any language to any other, and Siri and Alexa try to listen to you and understand what you’re asking, understanding language and how it works is becoming more and more important.

This course describes the Syrian Refugee Crisis with special attention to the COVID-19 pandemic and intervention. We will discuss the history, impact, and politics of the crisis as well as effective ways to engage.


Prerequisites
None

Did you know that about 80% of English words are borrowed from Latin? If you've ever wondered why someone would want to learn a "dead" language then this class is for you! We will learn basic Latin phrases and sayings and also discuss the enduring importance of classical languages in the modern world. No prior knowledge of Latin is needed. Carpe diem!

Ever wanted to learn about where different colors of paint came from? Come join us to learn about the history of pigments and the chemical mysteries behind pigments and painting.

What does it mean to be “on the left?” Who is oppressed and who is oppressing? How do we free ourselves and our marginalized relatives from the systems that cause them harm around the world? We will discuss all these questions and more in this introductory class in leftist politics in the world in which we live today! In this class, we will develop a deeper understanding of socialism, anarchism, and democratic structures, as well as how they manifest themselves in contemporary political, economic, and social struggles. With nothing but a pen, some paper, and a curious mind, be prepared to delve into an entirely new political imagination than the one given to you on the nightly news!


Prerequisites
None

Double negatives (e.g. “there ain’t no justice”) are a feature typical of African American Vernacular English and Southern English. When people say double negatives “don’t make sense” or “sound dumb”... what do they really mean? The purpose of this class is to investigate linguistic prejudice: prejudice toward someone’s particular dialect or language. We will look at linguistic prejudice toward nonstandard accents and nonstandard grammar, examine our implicit biases and address misconceptions, illustrate why linguistic prejudice is a serious problem, and discuss how we can begin to address linguistic prejudice.

In this course, we will examine poetry as a vehicle for storytelling, specifically through the form of Narrative Poetry. We will read, discuss, and learn from several narrative poems. Then, we will write our own narrative poems and share them with each other in a workshop style setting. No prior experience in writing poetry is needed.

Computers can now beat the world’s best chess players and the world’s best Jeopardy players. They can diagnose some diseases more accurately than doctors. They can drive cars. And they can predict what product you should buy next on Amazon, what TV show you should watch next on Netflix, and more. How did computers learn to do all this? In this class, we’ll explore the domains of artificial intelligence and machine learning. We’ll look at strategies we use to teach computers how to teach themselves, and we’ll talk about what lies in the future in this fast-growing world of machine intelligence. No prior computer science experience required!

Gosh, aren't you SO EXCITED to take a class about being careful and methodical? Such a gripping and germane topic, I hear you think.
Well, it's important to know what you're doing when you think about probability. Did you know lots of people have trouble telling the difference between someone having a ninety percent chance of winning an election and them having ninety percent of the vote? Did you know how the chance that you will take this class given that you finish reading this sentence is related to the probability that you finish reading this sentence given that you will take this class? Did you know that 87% of all statistics are made up right there on the spot? How about that despite the chance of someone not having heard that joke before being zero, it's still not impossible that you found that funny?
If you take this class, you will learn all of this and more. No longer will you be forced to think in vague terms about chances, no longer will you be taken in by the prosecutor's lies, no longer will you be predictable in your randomness.
You will be glorious in your understanding of statistics, and slightly more knowledgeable about common tricks used to take advantage of your statistically uninitiated brethren.
Welcome, and be entertained!


Prerequisites
Algebra. You gotta know algebra. Otherwise you will be lost and have no fun. Don't have no fun. Know algebra. I might also talk about infinite sums and limits, but there probably won't be rigor there, and if you get confused by something ask and I shall explain.

Do you want to get a taste of the data analysis world? Do you want to get started on learning a skill that is extremely valuable for your future career? Then come join us with an introduction to the programming language R! In this course, we will briefly survey the basic principles and fundamentals of R and why it's such a valuable skill to have in pretty much any career path. Hope you'll join us!

Learn about the scientific principles that allow sailboats to move using nothing but the wind. We'll talk about how all the parts of a sailboat, both above and below the water, work together to propel a vessel. We'll spend most of our time focusing on the high tech features of today's modern racing sailboats which help accelerate boats up to 50 knots (60mph).

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the world. However, the mechanism of how cancer is initiated remains elusive. The development of sequencing technology sheds light on the genetic factors that promote cancer. This course will introduce the basic concepts of cancer genomics and how modern sequencing technology is used to reveal the characteristics and the development of cancer.


Prerequisites
None

This course will be a basic introduction to the field of neuroscience! We will cover how the brain functions, parts of the brain and what they do, ways we study the brain, and things that can happen with brain damage.

Everything around us can be studied, quantified, theorized and understood. Physics is a branch of natural science that studies nature! This one-hour class will explore what physics is and how it's intertwined with our daily lives in ways you may not expect. From electricity to X-rays this class will discuss the amazing application of physics in our daily lives. By exploring major discoveries that led to the present age, this class will open up your eyes to the amazing and fascinating world of physics.

Why do we grow old? Do we suffer from certain conditions like allergy, asthma, or cancer more than our ancestors did? We'll talk about how modern civilization has changed the kinds of health problems we face, as well as our deep past and potential future evolution with respect to disease. Cutting-edge research at Yale is using insight from evolution to design smarter treatments for the most deadly diseases.


Prerequisites
high school biology is helpful

What is cancer? How do we prevent, diagnose, and treat it? Did you know radiation can be harnessed to target tumors? We'll explore the exciting field of oncology and work together through an interactive activity exploring radiologic anatomy.

In this course you will learn about the evolution and history of dogs and the unique cognitive abilities they acquired along the way that helped them become "man's best friend." We will touch on key areas of research done with dogs and what they indicate about dogs inner world such as social cognition and theory of mind. At the end, there will be some useful take aways about dog behavior that might help improve your relationship with dogs.

This course is all about how individuals behave within the context of groups!! Why is it that we tend to see the world as us vs. them? Why do we like people who are in our groups more even when the groups are arbitrary? How does group thinking lead to discrimination? If you want to hear what psychology has to say about these questions and more, this class is for you!!

An introductory course in the functions and applications of regenerative medicine. Specifically, we will be looking at the exciting and evolving worlds of tissue regeneration and engineering, stem cells, and artificial organs.

The course will begin with a discussion of the centrality of music in early scientific thought via Pythagoras. The design progression of early instruments will be discussed in terms of the intersection of geometry and aesthetics that arose from a mathematical concept of the natural order. Following the progression of historical designs, we will discuss the standard design of the modern violin and the physical mechanics of bowed sound production. Demonstrations will be given to show how physical principles function as tools for artistic expression. The mechanics and sound of modern instruments will be compared with those of earlier baroque instruments to illustrate the feedback loops between composers, musicians, and craftsman that drove instrument design and innovation

We often think of science in terms of conclusions and facts, but that's not science at all. Science is a highly successful method of thinking used by subjective creatures to make sense of an objective world that we cannot clearly see. From this method, humanity has uncovered countless discoveries and built advanced technologies. But this method be useful in our everyday lives? How do we think like scientists?

This course is a discussion-based seminar between the teacher and students.


Prerequisites
Students must be willing to think critically; challenging their own beliefs and those of the teacher. Otherwise, you may never know what wisdom can be found in a carton of milk.

Want to learn about how information is transmitted throughout the nervous system? The human brain is a fascinating and complex topic to understand. In this class, we will dive through the basics of information transmission and also explore why human brains have evolved to become proportionally larger relative to other species.

Life has drastically changed across the globe over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Now more than ever, it has become important for us to understand the complex function of our immune system. In addition to biomedical research, public health measures are essential to mitigate the spread of disease. In this class, we will not only discuss the basic biology of how our immune system protects us from disease, but also look back in history at past pandemics as case studies to understand effective public health measures.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge in biology is recommended to better understand the class.

During World War II, the United States incarcerated roughly 120,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps in California, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas. These Japanese-American prisoners—the vast majority citizens—lost their jobs, dignity, and livelihoods in what would become one of the greatest civil rights abuses in American history. Japanese internment occurred under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chief Justice Earl Warren, and a slew of other progressive politicians. So—how could this happen?

In my course, we'll discuss the stories of my incarcerated relatives, the broader struggle of Japanese-American prisoners, and the Japanese Americans who chose to serve in the Army during the war. In today’s fraught political climate, we'll also explore what it means to be a patriot, what it means to be a citizen, and how we can move forward socially in American society.

Along the way, we’ll discuss the connections between internment and modern-day immigration policy and incarceration practices. We’ll also brainstorm solutions—ethically, politically, and socially—that could prevent future periods of reckless incarceration.

No matter your race or your familiarity with social justice issues, I hope that you’ll join this conversation. We need all of your minds to solve these issues. Candid discussions are a first step to a brighter future.

If you are curious about my studies in internment or want to learn more, feel free to visit my website at www.witnessestointernment.org. This course assumes no prior history knowledge and all students are encouraged to join.

What should we do with thousands of tons of toxic nuclear waste that will be dangerous long past our lifetimes? How do you design a warning message that can be understood 10,000 to 100,000 years into the future? And how do you combat human’s natural tendency to do exactly the opposite of what you tell them to do?

This course will have students brainstorm possible solutions to these questions and learn what experts have to say on the matter too.


Prerequisites
Be willing to chime in!

Do you or a loved one menstruate? Do you or a loved one wish you knew more or felt less awkward talking about periods, menstrual health, period poverty, period product alternatives, or just love talking about periods? If so, our class is for you! There is so much more to know about periods than how long to keep a tampon in without getting Toxic Shock Syndrome. All over the world, girls face extraordinary struggles whenever they get their period. Imagine not knowing how you would be getting your next box of pads. Or imagine not even knowing what a pad was. Worst of all, imagine not knowing what to call your period or why you bleed for a week each month. Some of us in America are fortunate enough to have answers to all of those questions, but for girls and women around the world many of those questions remain unanswered. If you want to know how you can fight to end period poverty, join the menstrual movement and end the stigma around menstruation, then consider taking this class, and getting involved with PERIOD, a national nonprofit full of young activists dedicated to advancing the menstrual movement.

The objective of this class is to introduce students basic Spanish words and phrases and teach them to count to 100.

What is the stock market? Why should I learn about investing? Want to learn to to earn more than average by retirement age? Join this class to learn more about the world of investing stocks!


Prerequisites
Some investing knowledge recommended

As as a Deputy Campaign Manager for a high profile congressional race in a swing state this election cycle, I have learned about the ins and outs of campaigning. This class will look at the major parts of a campaign, including fundraising, volunteers, research, communications, and social media. Come and learn a little of the behind the scene life as a campaign staffer!

Our world has problems. A lot of them, in fact. From racism, sexism, LGBTQI discrimination and ableism, to failing education systems, increasing economic inequality and climate change. Too often it feels overwhelming! To make waves in the world we need a shift from individual to systems level thinking. In this class we look at what top researchers have said about strategies of systems-change, including takeaways for anyone interested in taking on social change in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector. You won't learn how to solve the education system, but it might just make you a better leader!

This will be a crash course history of K-dramas, starting from the oldies from the 90s to the more recent hits. We will investigate trends in topics, editing, cast, and how production changed generally through time.

Do you want to learn how to be more assertive and successfully achieve your objectives? We will learn skills that will help you effectively ask for what you want while maintaining positive relationships.

*This class is based off of an interpersonal relationship skills lesson from Martha Linehan's Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) handbook.

Take some time to yourself during these stressful times and come bake with us for an hour! We'll be making chocolate chip cookies.

Learn about basic baking terms through a fun game, and follow along while we make this sweet treat together. Feel free to bake your own cookie recipe during this class if you'd like.


Prerequisites
None! Should have access to basic kitchenware however :)