Course Offerings

Different animals have different brains to suit their environment, shaped by their animal ancestors. In this class, we'll explore how animals navigate their environments, get food, and interact with other animals. By comparing different animal brains and watching animals in their natural habitats, we can better understand the diversity of the animal kingdom. Students will compare hundreds of animal brains through online brain atlases. Finally, we will discuss cutting-edge laboratory techniques such as optogenetics and neuroimaging. Students will be able to explain how brain regions interact to give rise to observable behaviors. Instructor: A.J. Balatico

A healthy lifestyle includes physical and mental fitness. Playing chess improves memory, concentration, foresight, math, reading, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Each week the instructor will provide puzzles, lessons, videos, opportunities for one-on-one play, monitor student progress, and answer questions. Lessons include board setup, piece movements, online chess tools, how to record a chess game, how to replay a chess game from any point in history, endgame situations, openings, tactics, strategy, chess history, World Chess Champions, how to play different types of chess from around the world, and students creating their own chess. No experience is necessary. Experienced students help mentor newer students. Students will have opportunities to participate in online chess tournaments, if they wish. Instructor: Cary Ray Easterday

A healthy lifestyle includes physical and mental fitness. Playing chess improves memory, concentration, foresight, math, reading, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Each week the instructor will provide puzzles, lessons, videos, opportunities for one-on-one play, monitor student progress, and answer questions. Lessons include board setup, piece movements, online chess tools, how to record a chess game, endgame situations, openings, tactics, strategy, chess history, AlphaZero and artificial intelligence in chess, and how to play different types of chess from around the world. No experience is necessary.  Experienced students help mentor newer students. Students will have opportunities to participate in online chess tournaments, if they wish. Instructor: Cary Ray Easterday

A healthy lifestyle includes physical and mental fitness. Playing chess improves memory, concentration, foresight, math, reading, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Each week the instructor will provide puzzles, lessons, videos, opportunities for one-on-one play, monitor student progress, and answer questions. Lessons include board setup, piece movements, online chess tools, endgame situations, openings, tactics, strategy, chess history, World Chess Champions, how to play different types of chess from around the world, and students creating their own chess. No experience is necessary. Experienced students help mentor newer students. Students will have opportunities to participate in online chess tournaments, if they wish. Instructor: Cary Ray Easterday

The study of architecture is an exciting multidisciplinary activity that synthesizes design investigation with an examination of history and social-ecological conditions. In this class, you'll have a chance to explore architectural studies through a sequence of design prompts. You'll practice community-led, participatory, and collaborative design thinking. You'll investigate design issues through the traditional processes of model making and drawing and also learn about the latest software tools. Course material will focus on developing your observation, representation, and visual presentation skills. The course will conclude with an online exhibit of your work to guests from the architectural design community. Explore if an architectural design education feels like the right path for you! Instructor: Matt Fujimoto

Whether we want to explore trends in media, sports and esports, history, arts, or the natural sciences, looking at structured datasets that are readable by computers allows us to analyze massive amounts of information to answer questions we care about. Students will develop data analysis skills as they explore topics of their choice so they can create interesting narratives and visualizations. We'll touch upon statistical models, machine learning, and neural networks to make predictions and describe relationships in our data. Students should have access to Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets in order to analyze large datasets. Instructor: A.J. Balatico

In this learning community we will explore questions about our relationship with the environment and its many inhabitants through philosophical dialogue, analysis, and storytelling. We will begin with readings from various ethical frameworks and expand our thinking on the term "the environment." Students will be encouraged to explore outdoor spaces as they think through these questions and record their observations through writing, drawing, or other mediums. From there, we will incorporate storytelling into our discussions by bringing together our ideas, experiences, and creative expressions. In addition to constructing our own stories, we will read and watch videos about different cultural storytelling traditions and how they relate to the environmental themes we're investigating. Instructor: Hollie Joy Wagner

We will begin the course by discussing the social media platforms most used by the students and come up with a list of themes to cover. From there, we will hone our communication skills by practicing the art of dialectical reasoning and explore how this practice can lead to more respectful, informed, and empathetic engagement in our social networks. Dialectical reasoning pushes us to thoughtfully present an idea while acknowledging opposing ideas and reflecting back on how they push our own thinking. Themes may include identity, bullying, honesty, responsibility, activism, and pop culture. While largely discussion based, this class will also engage in social media ethics in real time by utilizing a social media platform to demonstrate our work together in practice. Instructor: Hollie Joy Wagner

Speaking comfortably and confidently in front of an audience is a skill relevant to many aspects of life. This course will cover the fundamentals of public speaking, including voice projection and intonation, speech writing, effective gesturing, and audience engagement.  Our course is designed to be a fun and lively online forum where all are welcome to engage and comfortably learn how to speak eloquently and with greater ease. Instructor: Jennifer Stephens

In this course, students will develop creative writing techniques by planning, discussing, and designing works for tabletop role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu. We will focus on elements like character creation, plot development, and narrative styles to explore our identities as authors and Game Masters. Students will have the opportunity to model pre-made game encounters or even lead a group through their own story. By role-playing, which is an effective narrative teaching tool, we will delve into the writing process and hone new skills in a fun and engaging environment. No prior experience is necessary to participate in the course.

This course introduces children in kindergarten and first grade to globally diverse alphabetic systems, such as the English or Roman alphabet, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Greek alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, and Arabic alphabet. If time permits, students will collaboratively create their own English abecedarian or alphabet book, incorporating their original artwork and simple sentences. This exploration in early childhood literacy features auditory, oral, visual, spatial, and kinetic activities, which make literacy fun, interactive, and multidimensional. Instructor: Corey Olds

How do artists and writers make graphic novels come to life? What makes comics so appealing, and so different from any other art form? In each session, we'll learn new techniques in writing and drawing and put them into practice. Using materials as basic as pencils, erasers, and paper, we'll design characters, give them facial expressions, place them in action poses, and begin to create stories, tell jokes, and write poems in graphic novel form. Students will gain a better understanding of visual communications, both as readers and writers. Prior drawing experience is not as important as a desire to communicate one's ideas. Instructor: David Lasky

Should we have school dress codes? Should students be assigned homework? This course offers an exploration into oration with students learning how to support their ideas and argue effectively. Debate is a fun, engaging way for students to practice public speaking, develop sound logic and reasoning skills, and build confidence and self-esteem. Students also learn to express their opinions assertively in a respectful manner on many relevant issues and topics.  Zoom breakout rooms allow students to work in teams as well as engage one-on-one with our instructor. Instructor: Jennifer Stephens

Do you love computer games? Do you want to be an animator for Disney movies? Or maybe you are just curious about how your robot friend thinks. Welcome to our class, where we will explore the digital world! You will learn how a computer thinks and solves daily problems by playing collaborative and creative games. The course will emphasize logical thinking and the fundamental skills of programming and problem-solving. By the end of the course, you will be a programmer—you'll know how to design, implement, and test a program! Instructor: ChingYing Sung

Do you love computer games? Do you want to be an animator for Disney movies? Or you want to be a programmer in the future? Welcome to our class, where you will learn how a programmer solves computer problems and build fancy virtual worlds by programming! The course will emphasize the fundamental skills of programming and problem-solving, and the process of developing different kinds of programming projects. By the end of the course, you will be a programmer—you'll have your own digital drawings, animations, and computer games! Instructor: ChingYing Sung

This class is for language lovers! Through the medium of gaming, students will learn the best practices of English grammar, which provide the foundation for writing proficiency in high school, college, and beyond. We will use the card game Stet! Stet (in Latin) means "let it stand" and is used in copyediting to refer to written matter that warrants no corrections. The game uses two packs of cards: half are Grammar cards with errors such as misplaced apostrophes--or no error at all; half are Style cards where the sentences are correct but in need of improvement. To sharpen your language skills and improve your writing, join us for Stet! Instructor: Corey Olds

Ever wonder what it's like to participate in a trial?  Introduce evidence? Question witnesses?  In this course students will participate in a mock trial. Each session explores a new set of case facts so students who have participated previously will enjoy a new courtroom experience. This introduction to law will include lessons on rules of evidence, cross examination, and courtroom decorum.  We've offered this course online before and it was a resounding success!  Students will be a part of every aspect of the trial so come prepared to act as advocate, witness, and jury! Instructor: Jennifer Stephens

This class will explore fun ways to engage with paper and cardboard in three dimensions through cutting and folding. We'll do pop-up art, make shadow boxes, tessellations, kirigami, a self-portrait project and more. Discover the strength and artistry inherent in this most versatile of mediums! Instructor: Jessica Stanton

How important is telling the truth? What does it mean to live a happy life? Why is boredom so unpleasant? In this course, students will address questions like these via weekly civil dialogues. We will use activities, short stories, excerpts from stories, video clips, and images to prompt open, respectful discussions reflecting on and analyzing the human experience. We will not be utilizing classical or contemporary philosophical texts. Rather, it is an opportunity for students to do philosophical and democratic exercises in a facilitated seminar. If you enjoy challenging yourself with hearing and sharing ideas, then this course is a good fit for you. No previous philosophical training is required. Instructor: Drue Miller

What is the difference between knowing and believing something? What does it mean to trust someone? Which things are most important? This course will address questions like these via group discussions and individual reflections. Students will use images, activities, short stories, and mini videos to have open, respectful dialogues with the goal of gaining understanding of what it means to be human. This course is not a guided study of Philosophy. Instead, it is a guide for students to do philosophy as an intellectual and social exercise. If you enjoy thinking about big questions, then this is the course for you! No previous philosophical training is required. Instructor: Drue Miller

Grounded in a range of philosophical traditions, this course builds from the interests of the students as we work together to make sense of timeless thought experiments, paradoxical situations, and personally relevant ethics. Children will practice identifying and asking philosophical questions, using a range of books, games, and other activities to guide and focus our discussion and community building. Through peer discussion and experienced facilitation, children are invited to participate in deep communal wondering while developing skills in reasoning, reflection, and respectful social interaction with others whose viewpoints may differ from their own. Instructor: Jordan Sherry-Wagner

Grounded in a range of philosophical traditions, this course builds from the interests of the students as we work together to make sense of timeless thought experiments, paradoxical situations, and personally relevant ethics. Children will practice identifying and asking philosophical questions, using a range of books, games, and other activities to guide and focus our discussion and community building. Through peer discussion and experienced facilitation, children are invited to participate in deep communal wondering while developing skills in reasoning, reflection, and respectful social interaction with others whose viewpoints may differ from their own. Instructor: Jordan Sherry-Wagner

Whether we look at weather simulations or the latest video games, what we see on screen follows a series of programmed rules. If we modify those rules, we can influence what we see. Students will use NetLogo to program interactive multi-agent models to simulate scenarios and to respond to user inputs. Each week, we will go over design exercises and programming challenges based around themes we want to explore. Using the existing NetLogo models library as reference, we can customize and combine ideas to program mini-games and physics simulations. No previous programming experience is necessary. Instructor: A.J. Balatico

Are there sharks in the Puget Sound? How many species of salmon live in it? Why do Orcas visit these waters? What challenges do the marine critters inhabiting the Sound currently face? This course will answer these and many more questions! The Puget Sound is one of the largest estuaries in the United States. It is home to hundreds of species of animals that live along its shores and in deeper waters, and each of them has developed a unique niche in which it lives, coexisting with its neighbors. Through lectures, discussion, and virtual experiments, students will learn the important groups of marine organisms, the major habitats of the Puget Sound, and some contemporary issues shaping marine biodiversity. Instructor: Amina Cesario

Are there sharks in the Puget Sound? How many species of salmon live in it? Why do Orcas visit these waters? What challenges do the marine critters inhabiting the Sound currently face? This course will answer these and many more questions! The Puget Sound is one of the largest estuaries in the United States. It is home to hundreds of species of animals that live along its shores and in deeper waters, and each of them has developed a unique niche in which it lives, coexisting with its neighbors. Through lectures, discussion, and virtual experiments, students will learn the important groups of marine organisms, the major habitats of the Puget Sound, and some contemporary issues shaping marine biodiversity. Instructor: Amina Cesario

This class is all about the fun of drawing what you see in the world. When we draw the people, places, and things around us, it increases our observational skills, improves our hand-eye coordination, and gives us the satisfaction of having completed a drawing in a short amount of time. In each session, we'll warm up with a little doodling, learn some drawing tips, and get to work on a specific assignment with pencil and paper. Students will gain greater confidence in putting pencil to paper at a moment's notice, and a sharper eye for detail. By the end, they will have a visual record of this moment in their lives. Prior experience is not necessary. Instructor: David Lasky

Information rains down on you all day - or is it misinformation? Not knowing which is which can be embarrassing, or expensive, or dangerous. But we're often forced to make up our minds on the fly - and modern psychology shows that our minds are fogged by "cognitive bias": we accept positive evidence more than negative evidence, see meaning in meaningless patterns, trust our memories too much, trust experts too much (and too little), and get probability all wrong. In this class you'll learn about these standard flaws in our thinking. Through case studies and group discussions you'll learn key tricks for spotting those WOW claims that don't pass the smell test. Instructor: Richard Farr

What is the most important thing? What is home? What do you see when you close your eyes? These are just some questions students will explore as we read and discuss some of your favorite children's books. Each session will begin with a game and a read aloud. Students will share what they wonder about the book and generate questions to discuss as a group. Students will discuss their ideas and thoughts, and collect their thinking at the end by drawing a picture of their thoughts. By the end of the program, students will have practiced thinking about big questions, sharing their ideas with their peers, and understanding different perspectives. Instructor: Natalie Janson

If you want to travel, don't let COVID stop you! In this class, we'll use Google Earth to go on a world tour of my favorite places and yours. But it's not quite a free ride. To follow along, you'll have to look for clues, ace quizzes, and work in groups to figure out where we are, where we're going next, or what's special about a special place. Lace up those digital boots! You're going to learn more about the Big Blue Marble, find new destinations to dream about, and create a Google Earth Travel project that you can share with friends and family. Instructor: Richard Farr