Power.2020: Power

This course will pull back the curtain and allow learners to understand - and utilize - the machinations of power. We will draw on University of Iowa Professor Kenneth Brown's course entitled "The Power of Influence"; French philosopher Michel Foucault's "Madness and Civilization"; and one or two current-day inequalities. Finally, learners will identify a wrong […]

PoetryandProtes.2020: Poetry and Protest

This course will use the study of poetry to examine the fundamental aspects of protest throughout history. Utilizing the voices of various poets, the course will examine both current and recent protest movements to understand and untangle the artists’ role in society. The course will study a myriad of poets who used their voices to […]

ShortStories.2020: Short Stories, Sci-Fi, and Cinema

We often think of film adaptations of literature as needing to condense lengthy novels. However, many blockbuster science fiction movies - including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Minority Report, AI, and Total Recall - were actually based on short stories. These films expanded a relatively brief tale and created a much lengthier cinematic narrative. In this […]

ScratchToPython.2020: Scratch to Python: Start Programming!

Young people around the world learn about computer programming through Scratch, a block-based coding platform developed by the MIT Media Lab in 2007. It is currently used in 150 countries and available in over 40 languages. The visual blocks are put together like puzzle pieces, making it easy to learn, while introducing basic programming concepts […]

IntroCalculus.2020: Introduction to Calculus

This course is designed for students starting calculus for the first time this fall. We will refresh some topics from precalculus, such as graphing, inequalities, and logarithms, with a particular focus on interpreting word problems. One thing that will be important as students move onto calculus will be understanding how we can make a graph […]

Tolstoy.2020: Tolstoy’s War and Peace

A summer read through one of the great literary works of all time. Class time would involve discussion of the book and some exposure to Tolstoy as writer and man […]

SummerReading.2020: Summer Reading Intensive

Do you actually love reading? Are you looking for a group of like-minded readers? Do you want to branch out into new genres this summer? In this course, we'll dive […]

IronCurtain.2020: Life Behind the Iron Curtain

Communism was a geopolitical reality and an economic system, but it also drastically altered European societies and influenced the way individuals moved about in the world. Everything - from relationships […]

PlayWriting.2020: Welcome to Playwriting

Have you ever wondered what it takes to write a play? Well, this course is for you as we will examine plot, language, character/character development, scene creation/movement and theme. The […]