Help your student discover, explore, and delve into their passion! We pair your student with a relatable college mentor who shares their passion to guide them along their journey, whether they already know what they’d like to pursue or are interested in broader exploration. If they’ve got an area of interest, we’ve got a guide!
Students work with a college mentor who specializes in their passion subject to develop a project idea. Their mentor is specifically selected to provide expertise, support, and accountability as your student brings their project to life.
Timeline and deliverables are catered to your student’s needs and goals.
A mentor guides your student as they explore their subject of interest, immersing them in everything they’d need to know to pursue a project!
Program DetailsInterested in an enrichment program but unsure where to start? Check out some of our most popular topics! Each is just a blueprint: all of our courses are adaptable to your student’s needs and interests.
Start a blog! This course serves as a step-by-step guide for creating and maintaining your own blog, all with the guidance of an experienced mentor! Whether you want to interview giants in any field, craft riveting investigative journalism, or showcase your creative writing, a blog presents a great opportunity to take a deep dive into a passion of your choosing, then share your learning with others! Work alongside a mentor to go from conception to product: from identifying your niche and crafting a mission statement to creating a landing page and posting your first article. By the end of this course, you’ll have a living site that will be both a platform to showcase your creativity and a useful portfolio for years to come!
Topic DetailsBefore we can advocate for the Earth, we have to educate ourselves. In this course, students will learn about climate change through four different lenses: the truths, the myths, the consequences, and the future. By unpacking international reports on climate science, existing environmental policies and economic strategies, psychological explanations for climate denialism, and opportunities for a sustainable future, students will acquire the tools and the vocabulary to effectively advocate for change. What’s more, students will get a taste of the emerging field of environmental justice, which lies at the intersection of environmental advocacy and social justice. By the end of the course, students will walk away armed with both the knowledge of what they can do now and a project to share. Project options include a cogent essay, presentation, or letter to their representatives that imagines the state of our world in 2050 and explains how and why we need to act NOW to solve the problems presented by climate change.
Topic DetailsThe origins of the laptop you’re currently on, the cars people drive, and even the tasty food you eat can all be traced back to someone who had a crazy idea, took some risks, and turned that idea into a reality. In this 1:1 course, you will explore what entrepreneurship is, what it means to create a business, and how to best set yourself up to be successful. By the end of the course, you will have a new appreciation for what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and be equipped with the skills you need to turn your crazy ideas into impactful businesses. You will synthesize your knowledge in the form of delivering a pitch using a deck you create for a business or organization that you come up with!
Topic DetailsSince the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, science is more present in the media than ever. However, the general public is still left to inquire, how do the new mRNA vaccines work? How does a virus spread? We will examine these big questions and other recent discoveries (ie, CRISPR-Cas9) while connecting them to the foundations of medicine through subjects in Biology and Chemistry. We will also become familiar with basic lab experiments and learn how to read scientific reports. Join this workshop to gain the expertise and understanding to answer your big scientific questions and diagnose the ailments you observe in the world around you.
Topic DetailsHave you ever tried making a drawing of a real object? It’s so hard to make it look completely realistic! Engineers and scientists would agree with this, which is why they rarely draw the things they design. Instead, they use a type of computer program called CAD, which is a computer tool that creates 3D drawings. People all over the world use CAD. It has been used to create children’s toys as much as it has been used to design rocket ships! Knowing CAD will allow you to put yourself in the shoes of an engineer, to manipulate virtual reality to your liking, and to never have to settle for a bad drawing again.
Topic DetailsArtificial intelligence will change our economy, our politics, our culture and even how our own bodies and minds operate. Do you want to take part in this revolution? Learning to code is an important first step in acquiring your own agency in our technological revolution. In this class, we will learn college level coding using Python. We will build a foundation in programming by working on self-designed and guided projects. We will do several fun projects, including making our own hangman game, inventory tracker and finally our own rock-paper-scissors game. We will integrate discussions of the future and ethics of AI through additional readings, podcasts, and group discussions, as we code. Join me in learning and defining the language of the future!
Topic DetailsThis workshop will be taught as an interactive seminar where students will bring their hobbies and passions to the classroom and use these interests as a framework for understanding how businesses and entrepreneurs flourish. The class will conclude with students collaboratively pitching their company idea to a panel of venture-capitalists-in-training (their classmates), using their learnings to present a compelling pitch and field questions about their plan. Not only is this the perfect class for any students who has an interest in building things, leading teams, or being creative, but also it will give students the tools they need to continue learning about business and entrepreneurship long after the session has concluded.
Topic DetailsThe history, financial theory, technology, and impact of blockchain will be explored —first through the development of Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency to solve the double-spend and Byzantine General’s problems, and later through Ethereum and other innovations. Students will be expected to come to class once per week prepared, having read assigned short papers. There is one group project for this course —a ten slide pitch deck for a startup the students envision, inspired by the material of this course. All are welcome as this is an introductory course for high school students —NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE IS ASSUMED.
Topic DetailsThis workshop will introduce students to the fundamentals of financial markets and the economic principles that govern them. We will discuss a brief history of the stock market and what it means to buy or sell stocks. Along the way, we’ll cover concepts such as margin calls, retirement accounts, and options trading. We'll also practice using financial vocabulary so that students become fluent in the language of capital and trading. The course will be centered around the “Stock Market Game”, which students will play daily on their own time. Students will keep a portfolio full of compiled research, justifications for why they are buying or selling each stock, bond, or mutual fund, and reflections on their progress over time. These portfolio entries will be discussed in class, so that students can learn from one another. The game will be played in small teams, so students are able to collaborate, pool their knowledge and critical thinking skills, and resolve conflict when it arises, developing another key skill. The instructor will guide the conversations, adding insight and probing students to make them think deeply and critically about their financial choices. For their capstone project, each team will make and present a short multimedia presentation outlining their research, how they played the “Stock Market Game", their results and their reflections based on what they learned in the course.
Topic DetailsWhat’s the best way to tell a story? We’re always telling stories, whether its over lunch with friends, or through a TikTok or an instagram story. In this class, we’ll look at what goes into a good story. Using examples from journalism and short fiction, including short works by Joan Didion and James Baldwin, we’ll explore the timeless power of storytelling and start to think about the ways that storytelling has changed in the digital age.
Topic DetailsHumans will take 1.4 trillion photos this year – what makes some better than others? How can you improve your photography skills by paying attention to composition, light, colors, and horizon lines? How can picture-taking help you become more observant? This course will focus on improving our photography skills and dabbling in photo theory while creating and executing fun and meaningful personal projects. In this class, we’ll look at the work of famous photographers, discuss different types of photography, learn basic technical skills (composition, lighting, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, etc.), design series-based, personal projects, and practice formal photography critiques aimed at discussing, improving, and sharing our work.
Topic DetailsEver wondered how your favorite animated shows and movies create such compelling characters? It’s not all in the script--animators play a key role in character building. They design each role deliberately, unifying each character’s physical appearance with the way they carry themselves, with the way they move their body. In this class, students will learn how to design characters and scenes that are evocative, equipping them with the knowledge needed to succeed in the animation industry. Students will be walked through the animation process from start to finish, being taught a thorough overview of everything from storyboarding to rendering. They will learn industry standard techniques as they design a small cast of characters, which they will then translate into 2D models in Blender (a free animation software widely used by professionals). After this class, students will have all the material they need to embark on animating their own short film.
Topic DetailsCongress—and in particular, the House of Representatives—is invested with the “power of the purse,” the ability to tax and spend public money for the national government. Where exactly does that money come from? More importantly, where does the money go? In this workshop we will analyze government spending and see how budgets are often times used as political leverage to push through partisan agendas. Government spending is broken down into three categories: mandatory spending, discretionary spending, and interest on the national debt. Several subcategories lie within each category: healthcare, military, social security, transportation, education, and more. We will look at each of these sectors and try to answer the pressing questions that face American society: Do we need to expand Medicare and Medicaid or should we implement universal healthcare? Will Social Security payments run out? Should we be spending $716 billion dollars in one year on our military? Does congress need to pass another COVID-19 stimulus package? What is the future of the Affordable Care Act? Are companies like Amazon paying their fair share with the current corporate tax rate? What is the military industrial complex and why is it a problem? Government spending may seem mundane to most, but the power congress wields over “the purse” profoundly impacts the daily lives of millions of Americans.
Topic DetailsThis course will kick off with an introduction to the ins and outs and hows and whys of debate, including an overview of significant historical debates. Students will be introduced to learning different debate styles available for high schoolers wanting to compete. The course will also cover how to conduct research, write cases, construct and deconstruct arguments, employ persuasive rhetoric, and speak publicly. At the end of the course, students will engage in a public forum style debate over Zoom.
Topic DetailsAs the effects of environmental change are increasingly felt by people around the globe, it is more urgent than ever that we engage critically and creatively with the justice, ethics, and rights implications of these changes. Throughout this course, we will explore environmental justice as a social movement with units on (1) climate change literature and environmental justice issues in climate change policies; (2) current tools in environmental justice advocacy; and (3) how to prevent or mitigate the disproportionate impacts of environmental harms for all communities, regardless of gender, class, race, ethnicity, or other social positions. As a final project, each student will develop a policy recommendation and present their proposal in a form (e.g., podcast, short-story, or policy memorandum) of their choice.
Topic DetailsWhether your student wants additional guidance on their academic coursework or is looking to get ahead in a specific subject matter, we have the perfect mentor for them, ready to make the subject come alive with real-world applications.
For students who want additional help with their current school curriculum.
College mentors are selected for their expertise in the subject matter and shared interests with your student. We’ve helped thousands of students catch up and turn their least favorite subjects into areas of confidence.
For students looking to go beyond the school curriculum and take a deep dive into a particular academic subject.
College mentors are selected for their expertise in the subject matter and shared interests with your student, helping students not only master the subjects but also foster a love of learning.