Spring Courses 2026

Wildlife Wonders

Have you ever wondered how animals can sense when danger is near, why groups of birds sometimes fly in formation, or how some animals can survive in the blistering heat of the desert or in the coldest months of winter? If so, you are already thinking like a zoologist and ecologist - the scientists who study animals and their relationships with the natural world!  

In this exciting course, you will investigate how animals survive and thrive on our planet. You’ll explore the characteristics that make species unique, examine the habitats they call home, and discover how adaptations help creatures succeed - even in extreme environments. You will study animal life cycles through observations of your very own pet mealworm, and investigate critical questions about endangered and invasive species, environmental changes, and the positive and negative roles that humans play in the animal world.  

If you love animals, enjoy science, and want to better understand the connections between animals, humans, and the natural world, then fly, swim, slither, crawl, or trot your way to this class - you will certainly thrive! 

Exploring Measurement in Search of the Yeti

Legend has it that deep in the Himalayan Mountains lives a large creature known as the Yeti. To this day, no one has actually seen a Yeti. However, you are on an exploration team that just discovered massive footprints near where people believe it lives. Could it be that your team discovered the first real evidence that the Yeti exists?  

It’s time to use your findings to learn more about the elusive Yeti! Using the footprint, could you estimate the Yeti’s size? What other information about the Yeti can you potentially conclude by using measurement principles?  

In this course, you will investigate the many ways that we measure through hands-on, engaging mathematical challenges. You will even help others understand the likely size of a Yeti by creating a true-to-size drawing of the creature. Get ready to measure up, down, and all around as you learn how to quantify space by measuring length, perimeter, area, and volume. After this course, you will not only realize that measurement matters, but you will also know how to measure whatever you encounter!  
 

The Science Behind Superpowers

What if superpowers were real? In this course, young scientists will discover the science behind extraordinary superhero abilities by exploring how physics, engineering, and biology make seemingly impossible powers possible. Could Superman's incredible strength be possible? How does Iron Man fly through the sky? What scientific principles explain Mr. Fantastic's elasticity, Magneto's control of magnetism, The Flash's extraordinary speed, or Spider-Man's amazing strength, agility, and web-slinging adventures?

Through hands-on investigations, engineering design challenges, experiments, games, and creative problem-solving, students explore the science of forces, motion, energy, materials, structures, and living systems. As they examine the science behind legendary heroes and villains, students will think and work like scientists and engineers, developing curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills while answering one exciting question: How close are we to making superpowers a reality?

Civilization Lab: Creating Epic Empires

Civilization Lab invites you to step into the shoes of a world-builder! In this hands-on course, you’ll design your own civilization from the ground up - choosing the perfect location, shaping its early hunter-gatherer beginnings, and guiding it all the way to the modern era. Along our journey together, you’ll explore real global history through geography, ancient math, mythology, art, architecture, and more to discover what makes civilizations grow, thrive, and change. 
 
As you build, you’ll investigate the big forces that shape societies: how geography determines resources and challenges, how governments evolve, how economies rise and shift, and how symbols, traditions, and creative innovations express a civilization’s values. By the end, you’ll have a fully developed civilization, complete with maps, cultural symbols, structures, and artifacts, to take home, along with tools to keep expanding your world long after the course ends. 

Creative Coders: Robotics, Spheros, and Mathematical Thinking in Motion

What happens when coding, creativity, and robotics come together? Get ready to build, code, measure, and discover as you tackle robotics challenges!  In this course, you will dive into a high‑energy blend of coding, robotics, and mathematics using LEGO Spike Prime and programmable spheres. Through hands‑on building and playful experimentation, you will stretch your mind to think with logic, creativity, and engineering design. Our work will include building robots, writing block‑based programs, testing ideas, and refining their designs using real data to solve challenges.  

 Using logic, loops, and sensors, we will be able to design innovative solutions to tasks just like real engineers. As robots move, sense, measure, and respond, we will explore math concepts like distance, angles, speed, and patterns - seeing how numbers come alive through motion. Scholars who choose this course don’t just learn robotics, they'll learn how to think, create, and innovate! 

The Secrets of the MoLi Stone

A stone tablet has just been unearthed. What an exciting discovery! The only problem is that the information on it is in a secret code. The tablet is covered with unusual symbols and interesting mathematical markings! What do these symbols and markings mean?

In this class you will take on the role of a mathematician to unravel the secrets of the Moli Stone. To solve the mystery, we will begin with an exploration of our number system as we explore the concepts of place value and base 10. We will then compare and contrast the use of place value and bases in number systems that are different from our own and also investigate how cultures and groups of people use particular number systems. No stone will be left unturned in this mysterious mathematical adventure! 

Harry Potter: The Science Behind the Magic

Have you ever wondered if the magic in Harry Potter could be possible for Muggles? Is there a way to make brooms fly? Could we apparate from one place to another? What would we need to create a love potion? To answer these questions, come explore the wizarding world of science!  

In this course, we will discuss what would be scientifically required for magic to become possible. For example, we will investigate potential chemical compositions of Veritaserum (truth serum), love potions, and Felix Felicis (“Liquid Luck”) and discuss how each would chemically alter someone’s cognitive state to provide the desired results. We will also put science and engineering to the test through magical challenges inspired by the wizarding world! Students will engineer their own Snitch-launching catapults to investigate angle, tension, motion, and energy transfer. Then, students will take on the Golden Egg Drop Challenge, designing protective contraptions to safely deliver a “dragon egg” (a raw egg!) from a height while exploring gravity, motion, impact force, and engineering design.  

Through building, testing, revising, and retesting, young witches and wizards will discover how scientists and engineers use creativity and experimentation to solve problems. If you were disappointed that you didn’t receive a Hogwarts acceptance letter, this is your chance to become a wizard - a wizard of science! Jump aboard the SAVY Express and be transported to new knowledge.  

Math and Music

What if your favorite song is secretly a math problem? Why does a song have a certain beat, and what makes one note sound higher or lower than another? Could the same patterns that appear in math also be hiding in the music you love? Get ready to listen to music in a whole new way!  

In this course, you’ll discover the surprising ways mathematics and music work together. From rhythm and musical scales to coding and patterns, you’ll uncover the math hiding inside songs and musical compositions. You’ll explore exciting mathematical ideas such as set theory, sequences, fractions/ratios, compositional techniques, and see how these concepts can help us understand music.  Along the way, you’ll listen to and analyze famous songs from different artists and genres, searching for patterns and mathematical connections. You’ll investigate how musicians use patterns, numbers, and structures to create music and discover that math can be much more than numbers on a page. 

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to recognize mathematical patterns in music, use mathematical ideas to analyze musical works, see the musicality of mathematics, and explain how math and music are connected. Whether you love math, music, or simply enjoy solving a good mystery, come discover the hidden mathematics behind the music! 

The Power of Plague: The Deadliest Diseases in World History

A fever that leaves you bedridden. A painful rash that continues to spread. A splitting headache that just won’t go away. The symptoms of disease can be obvious, but how can a single cough topple an empire or change the way that people work? Join a historical investigation of the destructive impacts of disease on human civilizations throughout world history to discover possible answers to these questions.  

In this course, you will be introduced to basic biological concepts connected to cell theory and virology to help understand how the bubonic plague, smallpox, and influenza affect the human body. You will then analyze a variety of primary sources to explore how humans of the past understood and responded to these diseases.  

By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of how pandemics and epidemics have the power to alter economic systems, accelerate conquest, and reshape the very society that you live in today. 

Building Virtual Worlds

Step into the world of illusion, imagination, and innovation in Building Virtual Worlds! In this course, you will explore how humans perceive reality and how technology can be used to transform it. You will learn to create your own virtual environments using Unity, a video-game creation engine. You will also see how these kinds of virtual worlds appear in our cutting-edge CAVE system (Computer Augmented Virtual Environment), where we will discuss how we use these worlds for neuroscience research, and what they can teach us about the brain! 

 During this course, you will explore how the brain interprets sensory input and learn the tools used to build virtual worlds. Then, you will apply that knowledge by working in teams to design your own environments. By the end of the course, the teams will present their interactive creations to a panel in a friendly design competition. Throughout the course, you will develop skills in creative problem-solving, teamwork, and digital design while exploring principles of perception and technology. This hands-on experience will introduce you to exciting future paths in fields like game design, psychology, engineering, and architecture. If you’ve ever wanted to step inside your own video game or story - this course is for you! 

Career Connection – This course is designed for those interested in exploring a career in virtual reality, game designers, game developer, or immersive media design.

How to be a Screenwriter: Who are they? Where are we? What’s happening?

Are there stories in your imagination you wish you could watch in real life? Perhaps you’ve found yourself wondering how your favorite fictional worlds make the leap from page to screen. If so, this is the course for YOU! 
 
This introductory course lays the foundation for what it takes to write a strong, story-conscious screenplay. You will learn basic breakdowns of writing structure and context on how screenwriting operates within the film industry pipeline. The application will occur by critically analyzing and discussing how said structure is woven into modern and classic cinema. To provide context, you will be introduced to the current state of the filmmaking process, based on the instructor’s experience working within independent and studio spaces. You will learn how to build authentic nuanced characters, tools for incorporating structure into your writing process, and get a taste of presenting your own ideas in a plethora of presentation exercises. Simultaneously you will be crafting your own screenplay idea, applying class knowledge in real time! 
 
Throughout the course, students’ written work will be read out loud by their classmates – paired with constructive feedback sessions facilitated by the instructor. By the end of the course, students will leave with a high-level pitch of their script idea which will be presented in front of their classmates. This real-life application will encourage you to tap into your creative prowess and cement the resolute fact that anyone can be a writer.
 
Career Connection – This course is designed for those interested in exploring a career in screenwriting or creative writing.