Writing about Literature (7-9th and 10-12th grades)

This set of seminars introduces students to essential tools for understanding and analyzing literary texts and making insightful, compelling arguments about them. At the same time, it functions as an intensive writing workshop, helping students to develop their writing not only at the level of argumentation but also at the level of grammar, style, citation, and formatting. The overall aim of the seminar is to provide students with the necessary skills to produce essays that immediately stand out in secondary school courses because their clarity, precision, professionalism, and originality are closer to college-level work.

Teacher: Adam Rzepka holds a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in English Literature and Language from the University of Chicago. He has taught courses in literature and writing at the University of Chicago, the University of California Berkeley, Stanford University, and in his current position as a professor at Montclair State University.

Expository Writing and Rhetoric (10-12th grades)

This writing workshop explores how to write essays that are both elegant and persuasive. To do so, we will follow a classical model of closely reading exemplary writing, learning specific rhetorical techniques, and practicing giving and receiving feedback from peers. As you are beginning to plan your university careers, the course will also offer an introduction to scholarly writing, and help you position yourself as an original voice speaking from a unique, nuanced position.

Teacher: Avram Alpert teaches writing at Princeton University. He is the author of Global Origins of the Modern Self, from Montaigne to Suzuki (2019), A Partial Enlightenment: What Modern Literature and Buddhism Can Teach Us About Living Well Without Perfection (2021) and The Good-Enough Life (2023). He is also coeditor of Shifter magazine and has written cultural criticism for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Aeon, the Brooklyn Rail, and Truthout. He holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, and is the recipient of Mellon, Fulbright, and Whitney Museum fellowships.

Problem-Solving for Calculus and Advanced Mathematics (10-12th grades)

This course will build on and enrich students' fundamental skills in foundational mathematics to prepare them to transition to university-level work in mathematics, with an emphasis on the fundamental mathematical concepts necessary for success in Calculus and beyond—particular concepts (selected from AB and BC Calculus) include limits, derivatives, exponentials and logarithms, trigonometric functions, integrals, infinite sequences, and series. The course approaches these topics through the lens of improvisatory analysis and problem-solving, engaging deeply with the bases of tools and techniques so that students fully understand the how and why behind the methods and allowing students to develop their abilities to observe patterns, engage in mathematical reasoning, formulate conjectures, and construct rigorous mathematical proofs. In using these strategies to address even unfamiliar problems, students develop the mathematical maturity necessary for success not only in higher-level mathematics but in other analytical fields as well.

Teacher: Dr. Dana Paquin earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics at Stanford University in 2007. She is currently an Associate Professor of Mathematics at California Polytechnic State University, and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Stanford University. Previously, she was the Division Head of Mathematics for the Stanford Online High School and the Director of the Stanford Math Circle. Dr. Paquin’s research interests lie in the areas of image processing, mathematical modeling, and convex optimization. She also has a strong interest in secondary mathematics education, and in helping students successfully transition from secondary-level to university-level mathematics.

Reading for Writers (5-7th grades)

This course for motivated students in the 5th to 7th grades builds critical and creative thinking by developing advanced reading skills in English. A wide range of comprehension and interpretation techniques turn reading towards writing, enabling students to put the styles, structures, and ideas that they uncover to use in their own expression. Our texts may include traditional and unusual authors in poetry, drama, and fiction.

Teacher: Revathi Balakrishnan is one of the most highly awarded teachers in the United States, having been named Teacher of the Year in her home state of Texas in 2016 and one of the five best educators in the country by the National Education Association in 2018. Her teaching is focused on gifted pre-high school students, and on the humanities, with special expertise in innovative teaching of Shakespeare to students in this age range. Revathi has broad and deep leadership experience in teaching, including as member of the Teacher Advisory Board for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Among other degrees, she holds a B.A. in Economics from Madras University, an M.A.in Economics from Northeastern University, and a second M.A. in Education and Education Leadership from the University of North Texas.

Economics for Social Entrepreneurs (10-12th grades)

What is the role of entrepreneurship in economic development? How can startups be socially responsible while remaining profitable? In this course, we explore the key concepts of social entrepreneurship. Participants will be introduced to the core elements of economic theory, such as supply, demand, and externalities. We will then look into the largest social issues we face today—for example, inequality and global warming—as economic problems. The course includes both theoretical and practical components, culminating with a social-enterprise pitch competition.

Teacher: Cauê Dobbin is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Stanford University, with a research focus in the economics of education and its relationship with inequality and development. His work combines economic theory and big data to shed light on the most pressing issues of our time, such as student loans, migration restrictions, and affirmative action; it has been funded by grants from Microsoft Azure Research, the Stanford Center for Computational Social Science, The Weiss Fund for Research in Development Economics, and Shultz Scholar Fund. Cauê has taught a wide range of courses in Economics at Stanford, which recognized him with an award for outstanding teaching in 2019.

Model U.N. Debate (7-9th and 10-12th grades)

In these four week courses students learn the basics of a traditional Model U.N. cycle. Using one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the focus of our research, we will walk through the process of how to conduct high level research, identifying ways to analyze a country's policy on a specific issue, write policy statements, opening speeches and resolutions, and then how to participate in a real MUN debate. The course will also discuss the U.N. system, some highlights of its 75th anniversary, and the role of the SDGs in driving the United Nations agenda.

Teacher: Lisa Martin is the founder of multiple Model U.N. programs, including Online Model United Nations, jrOMUN, MUN Impact and now MUN@Home. A veteran educator and global MUN leader, she has spent over two decades working to develop Model UN programs and to make MUN accessible to all. Lisa currently acts as the Executive Director of MUN Impact, and is working to develop deeper relationships with NGOs and UN agencies, building bridges between communities that have much in common but often lack a connection point. She is the former Director of THIMUN Qatar, and was inducted into the MUN Hall of Fame in 2017 for her international MUN work. She currently resides in northern California.

Writing for Fluidity and Force (9-12th grades)

This course is an exploration of writing for your audience. In it, you will use rhetoric to craft writing targeted to specific audiences, and learn how to clearly, persuasively and effectively communicate with audiences. Our writing subjects will include visual art, deliberative and judicial rhetoric, journalistic writing (including interviews), and writing for film. Our framework throughout the semester will be drawn from Aristotle’s categories of persuasive writing, applied to today’s contexts, audiences, and markets.

Teacher: Chelsea Adewunmi is a writer and producer for film and television based in New York City, and a doctoral candidate in Princeton University's Department of English, where she was named a Presidential Scholar. She has taught courses in writing and literature at Princeton, Columbia, and Rutgers Universities. Her last project, a film on visual art, will be premiering on HBO this summer, and she is currently working on a global documentary series. Chelsea holds an M.A. in English from Princeton, a second M.A. in Performance Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and a B.A. from Vassar College.

AP and IB Physics: Scientific Reasoning and Independent Investigation (11-12th grades)

Students in this course will prepare for the 11-12th grade IB and AP programs by learning how to plan and carry out a scientific investigation through innovation and critical analysis. Students will design procedures that isolate variables and minimize error, collect and interpret data, analyze error, and communicate results in scientific reports. Investigations will be closely based on the "guided inquiry" investigations described in the AP Physics 1 lab manual, enhanced by an emphasis on improvisational problem-solving. Some of the investigations will be conducted remotely, as a group, and some will require students to purchase a few basic supplies and conduct the investigation on their own.

Teacher: Rosalee Lamm is an engineering and AP Physics teacher in Portland, Maine, with over ten years of experience. She holds an M.S. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, and a Bachelor of Science from Brown University in Providence, RI. Her teaching philosophy is that learning is at its best when students are fully engaged in rigorous and creative critical thinking and problem solving.

Public Speaking: History and Practice (9-12th grades)

This course trains students in skills that are important for almost every profession, such as confident delivery, critical thinking, persuasion, and content organization. This course is designed to reduce communication apprehension through structured activities that build the skills needed to deliver a strong presentation. This course will also dissect historical speeches to better understand the rhetorical strategies they use. Students will spend time during each class session participating in activities and speaking in front of the group to practice the new skill of the day. In addition, students will get to practice those skills further through speech assignments to present in front of family or friends at home and record their speech to submit for teacher feedback.

Teacher: Karina Momary has amassed over ten years of outstanding success in speech and debate teaching and coaching for many age levels. She is currently the Middle School Program Director for the Stanford National Forensics Institute and director of Student Life and Community at the Stanford Online High School, as well as a Diamond Coach with the National Speech & Debate Association, where her team was recognized by President Obama in 2015. She has led her students to a long list of national speech and debate awards, including the Lincoln Douglas National Championships, the Public Forum National Championships, and the Original Oratory National Championships. Karina holds a B.A. from Gonzaga University in Political Science and Public Relations, an M.A. from San Jose State University in Communication Studies, and will complete her Ph.D. in Education from University of Southern California this year.

Parliamentary Debate (Asia) (10-12th grades)

Parliamentary debate is a popular form of debate around the world. Since the topic changes every round, parliamentary debate focuses on critical thinking, a broad range of global issues, and a strong understanding of the argumentation and theory. This course will instruct students on how to write speeches, present them in a persuasive way, and defend their case against opposing arguments, with a specific focus on upcoming competition in Asian Parliamentary Debate.

Historical Research in Multiple Dimensions (7-9th and 10-12th grades)

This course helps students build and perfect their research skills in a range of historical areas, teaching teach them how to formulate research questions and plans, how to execute those plans according to the best current models, how to sort and arrange the results, and how to employ those results in an argument. The course is especially focused on developing improvised approaches to questions framed in novel ways. Students will develop their own project and prospectus.

Teacher: Sudarshana Chanda is a Ph.D. candidate in History at Harvard University and a member of Harvard’s Asia Center, where she studies China-India transnational history in the 20th century. Her particular focus is on Chinese and Indian diasporas, as revealed through memoirs, travelogues and oral histories. Sudarshana holds an M.A. in China Studies from the Yenching Academy of Peking University, and a B.A. (Honors) in History the University of Delhi, and has collected numerous awards and scholarships spanning three continents along the way. She is fluent in four languages, and is also a prize-winning jazz vocalist and vocal instructor.

Introduction to Philosophical Thought (9-12th grades)

In “What Is Enlightenment?”, the renowned philosopher Immanuel Kant describes enlightenment as one’s emergence from the inability to use one’s own understanding without another’s guidance. In this course, students will develop various cognitive and emotional skills that will help them become, in this sense, enlightened. More specifically, they will learn how to think analytically, critically, logically, innovatively, dispassionately, and independently. With a focus on the most fundamental of questions of life—questions such as What am I?, Why is there something and not nothing?, How can we be sure that the world is really as we take it to be?—philosophy demands of its practitioners the ability to analyze concepts, draw inferences, assess arguments, posit new possibilities, think objectively, and much more. Abilities such as these collectively enable one to think independently—to use one’s own understanding without another’s guidance, as Kant puts it. The skills developed in this course will position students to be strong analytical thinkers on an essentially unlimited range of subjects, announcing to colleges their exceptional preparation for original, rigorous thinking.

Teacher: Rob Lovering (Ph.D.) is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York. Specializing in moral philosophy and the philosophy of religion, Dr. Lovering is the author of two books published by leading academic presses as well as numerous articles published in distinguished academic journals and magazines. Professor Lovering has taught a wide variety of philosophy courses, including Philosophy of Death, Bioethics, Introduction to Logic, Philosophy and the Sciences, Business Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion. He lives in New York City.

The Appeal of Jane Austen (8-12th grades)

A reclusive, private woman who published anonymously, it is amazing that Jane Austen has become one of the most famous British writers, inspiring not only academic scholarship but also a world-wide following of amateur devotees: Janeites. What makes her work so endlessly appealing to such a wide audience? In this class, we will explore her life, her writing, and her legacy by slowly savoring one two Austen novels in their historical contexts. We will track Austen’s appeal as it shifts across time and place by viewing film and theatrical adaptations of her work. To build analytical skills, students will also read and respond to excerpts from the most influential scholarly articles on Austen, including the Princeton professor Claudia Johnson’s discussion of “Janeites.”

Teacher: Katherine Ding is a Ph.D. Candidate in the English Department at the University of California, Berkeley, where she specializes in eighteenth and nineteenth century literature. Her research on sympathy, performance, and novel theory has been published twice in the prestigious journal, English Literary History. She has won numerous fellowships, including the Murray Krieger Endowed Fellowship in Literary Theory, the Townsend Dissertation Fellowship, the Huntington Library Fellowship, and she is the current Simpson Family Literary Fellow. She has taught almost two dozen college classes at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and Mount Tamalpais College, including eight of her own design as the instructor of record. She also enjoys working with high school students—she currently teaches creative writing at Mount McKinley High School and taught a 2019 summer course for high school students visiting from Easter Island.

Shakespeare: Foundations for Literary Analysis (7-9th and 10-12th grades)

This course gives students an in-depth grounding in the work of William Shakespeare that will serve them as an essential basis for literary study at the college level. We’ll begin with the sonnets that Shakespeare published to be closely read and analyzed, and move on to a sampling of the plays for which he is most famous. Along the way, we will build analytical and interpretive skills, study the ways in which performance shaped the ways the plays were written, and become familiar with the strange and complex Renaissance world in which Shakespeare’s texts took shape. The course therefore prepares students for college-level work in three ways: by introducing them to the most influential author in western literature; by refining their ability to generate new interpretations through close reading; and by teaching them how to use context to enrich those interpretations.

Teacher: Adam Rzepka holds a B.A. in English and Philosophy, magna cum laude, from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in English Literature and Language from the University of Chicago. He has taught courses in literature and writing at the University of Chicago, the University of California Berkeley, Stanford University, and in his current position as a professor at Montclair State University.