Course Offerings

This class is designed for students who want to learn the basics of 3D design and 3D printing. We'll learn the ins and outs of designing in 3D using TinkerCAD (a free online program). This is about more than just 3D design, however; it's about designing with 3D printing in mind. We'll go through the design process, how to design things with the capabilities (and limitations) of 3D printers, the step-by-step process to transfer files to a printer via a Slicer, and how to print files! We'll also discuss advanced techniques of 3D printing. The course will be capped off with a final project that we will print. This class is the best way to jump into the fascinating technology of 3D printing. Instructor: Brian Jaffe

Please Note: This course will require regular access to a laptop. The Robinson Center will provide on-campus access to a device if your family does not have access to one.

This class is designed for students who want to learn the basics of 3D design and 3D printing. We'll learn the ins and outs of designing in 3D using TinkerCAD (a free online program). This is about more than just 3D design, however; it's about designing with 3D printing in mind. We'll go through the design process, how to design things with the capabilities (and limitations) of 3D printers, the step-by-step process to transfer files to a printer via a Slicer, and how to print files! We'll also discuss advanced techniques of 3D printing. The course will be capped off with a final project that we will print. This class is the best way to jump into the fascinating technology of 3D printing. 

Please Note: This course will require regular access to a laptop. The Robinson Center will provide on-campus access to a device if your family does not have access to one.

Together we will learn how to play and design Table Top Role-playing Games (TTRPGs). We'll create characters, work in groups to create settings for adventures, then take turns being the game master leading parties through harrowing adventures. We'll start off in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition and use that as our foundation for understanding role-playing games before we go adventuring in other worlds and systems. We'll have guest speakers, take field trips, explore fantasy and sci-fi literature, creative writing, mathematical modeling and probability, game design, ethics, world mythologies, civics and history, all to make the ultimate role-playing experiences! After two weeks of playing TTRPGs, we'll try our hand at inventing our own! No experience required. Just bring your imagination and a thirst for adventure! Instructor: John Benner and Jordan Michael-Whidbey

This class welcomes curious new writers as well as seasoned storytellers and poets to an exploration of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. We'll read widely and deeply, practice descriptive and figurative writing strategies, and hone peer-review skills in college-style writing workshops. We'll also bring in other modes of learning--from painting and dance to history and brain science--as sparks for our stories, poems, and personal narratives. We'll conclude our time together with a celebratory reading and a chance to contribute to a digital publication. This course is tied to Common Core English standards and introduces a wide variety of tools for critical close reading and imaginative response. Instructors: Jay Thompson and Kate Cook

This course explores the art of storytelling, guiding students through the process of crafting compelling fiction from start to finish. Participants will delve into essential elements such as character, setting, plot, conflict, point of view, and theme, which are the building blocks of any fictional story or book. Additionally, students will be introduced to the narrative triangle, an ancient literary structure that serves as a roadmap for readers, aiding them in navigating a story's progression. This foundational framework has been employed in both fiction and nonfiction, as well as in the creation of films and TV dramas, for centuries. Through a combination of theoretical discussion and practical exercises, students will develop a deeper understanding of storytelling as a craft, enabling them to apply their newfound knowledge to their own writing endeavors. Instructor: Corey Olds

Students in this course will explore the City of Seattle and find inspiration from a variety of places: the Seattle Art Museum, the Central Library, the Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Japanese Garden, and many other locations both on campus and off. These field trips will serve as inspiration for writing assignments in all genres, including essays, poems, stories, and graphic novels. We will read and discuss authors and artists, contemporary and historical, from around the world who have drawn inspiration from their environment. The class will emphasize improving the quality of our writing, taking creative risks, and sharing an open and artistic community with other writers. Our work will culminate in the production of a class literary journal composed of work created during our time together. Instructor: Bill Carty

Please Note: This course will require regular access to a laptop. The Robinson Center will provide on-campus access to a device if your family does not have access to one.

Students will learn to use digital storytelling tools and techniques to explore, understand, and tell personal stories, as well as the art of storytelling, the importance of family and personal history, and the opportunities technology provides in telling stories today. We'll begin with an introduction to early storytelling methods such as oral histories, moving on to other non-digital tools such as written books and dance. During the second week, students will learn about digital storytelling tools and techniques such as digital photographs, audio, and video documentation. As the final project, students will create a digital genealogy project, selecting a digital storytelling technique to create and merge their stories and work. These projects will use historic family, personal, and institutional records such as maps, photographs, letters, and audio and video recordings. Instructor: Sydney Ying-Tung Lin

Please Note: This course will require regular access to a laptop. The Robinson Center will provide on-campus access to a device if your family does not have access to one.

Imagine a peaceful, happy society where there are enough resources for everyone. Could such a community actually exist? What might we have to give up to achieve it? Each week we will read compelling, kid-tested dystopian fiction that specifically touches on issues in human genetics. We'll wrestle with tough questions: How much should we tinker with nature? Who's "fit" enough (and who decides)? How should we balance the needs of individuals and communities? At the same time, we'll dig deep into the science behind the stories, building  models, playing games, and performing experiments and computer simulations that make complex biological systems easy to grasp (or taste). Finally, you'll imagine and share your own ideal society. This course is for anyone who's curious about how DNA works, wonders about how our society should use our scientific knowledge, likes to make connections between subjects--or just loves a good story! Instructors: Jennifer Thomas and Erica Strauss

Please Note: This course will require regular access to a laptop. The Robinson Center will provide on-campus access to a device if your family does not have access to one.

As the popularity of comics and graphic novels continues to grow, more people are picking up pencils and telling their stories visually. In this class, an experienced graphic novelist will guide you in the basics of comics creation, including character design, facial expressions, character poses, creating a sense of place, story planning, generating dialogue, page composition, inking, shading, coloring, and more, with the ultimate goal of all students contributing their finished comics to an in-class publication. Drawing ability is sometimes helpful, but not as important as a desire to communicate clearly with words and pictures. Instructor: David Lasky

Explore the world of robotics in a hands-on, minds-on program that fosters collaborative problem-solving. Build, program, and test robots. Think about (and discuss) what makes a machine a robot, what functions robots serve, what structures and components are required to accomplish different functions, and what's next in robotics. Using VEX-IQ, students learn the fundamentals of sound building techniques and a graphical programming language while applying principles of the engineering design cycle. Instructors: Sarah Clayton and Jinda Rosmann

Please Note: This course will require regular access to a laptop. The Robinson Center will provide on-campus access to a device if your family does not have access to one.

In a rapidly changing world, the field of urban planning is becoming more important than ever. In this course, students will use the urban environment of Seattle as a jumping off point into the world of architecture and urban design. Class activities will include field trips to Seattle area firms and design projects; traversing the architectural design process from inception to peer review; and analyzing how the design of the buildings and communities they live and work in affects the way they move through the world, culminating in a final project where students will collaboratively design and build their own model city incorporating all that they have learned. Students will leave this course with a thorough understanding of the fields of architecture and urban planning today, a strong grounding in the principles of design thinking and community-led design processes, and a deeper appreciation of the built environment that they move through in their daily lives. Instructors: Chelle Tobey and Charlie Mahoney

In a rapidly changing world, the field of urban planning is becoming more important than ever. In this course, students will use the urban environment of Seattle as a jumping off point into the world of architecture and urban design. Class activities will include field trips to Seattle area firms and design projects; traversing the architectural design process from inception to peer review; and analyzing how the design of the buildings and communities they live and work in affects the way they move through the world, culminating in a final project where students will collaboratively design and build their own model city incorporating all that they have learned. Students will leave this course with a thorough understanding of the fields of architecture and urban planning today, a strong grounding in the principles of design thinking and community-led design processes, and a deeper appreciation of the built environment that they move through in their daily lives.

If given the opportunity, would you plug into a machine that simulates the perfect life or choose to live real life with unpredictable experiences? Can a machine ever really be human-like without genuine human experiences? If you had the power to get away with anything, would you still have a reason to do what's right? Through this course, students will engage with a variety of philosophical subjects, from social philosophy, to ethical philosophy, as well as philosophical understandings of the world. Considering these questions and others will allow students to practice their critical thinking, critical analysis, and reading comprehension skills. Using collaborative inquiry to analyze thought experiments and stories, our goal is to elevate our confidence in communication and dialogue. Instructor: Nicole Acosta

Please Note: This course will require regular access to a laptop. The Robinson Center will provide on-campus access to a device if your family does not have access to one.

Almost everyone loves riding a roller coaster. Amusement parks are building them higher, faster, longer, and much more thrilling. The physics underlying the design and building of a roller coaster are amazingly simple. In this course, we will be learning when potential and kinetic energy trade places, how forces work to move us around and keep us in our seats, what happens when we accelerate, why we feel weightless during the dips, plus a whole lot more. Each student will design, build, and test their own model roller coaster using engineering techniques pioneered by the coaster experts. Instructors: Jeff Armentrout and Burton Barrager

Chemistry is not just a subject, it's a mindset. Through collaboration and hands-on activities, students in this course will explore the relationship between chemical structure and function of the materials in our world. We will investigate how and why substances act and react with each other the way they do. The scientific method will be introduced through the process of forming a hypothesis and by designing and carrying out experiments to test the hypothesis. Chemistry concepts and reasoning skills will be applied to problem-solving in various hypothetical scenarios, such as survival situations and crime investigations. 

Students will explore spinning planets, blazing meteors, exploding stars, distant galaxies and the intriguing question, "Is there life beyond Earth?" We'll take a tour through the universe exploring all of these things and more. We will cover the properties and evolution of objects in our solar system and then move on to extra-solar planets, stars, galaxies, and the structure and fate of the universe. Along the way, you'll build knowledge of the tools of the astronomer including the physics of light, optics, rockets, and rovers. Using physics, math, chemistry, and geology we'll uncover the science of our universe!