K – 1st   9:30 – 11:00
Ages 4 – 5  11:15 – 12:45

Become a brain explorer! Our brain is like the boss of our whole body—it helps us think, feel, move, remember, and make choices. We’re going to learn about the different parts of the brain and what each part helps us do every day.

We’ll also be using our five amazing senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching—to discover how our brain gathers information about the world around us. Throughout our time together, we’ll explore, create, move, and experiment as scientists.

You’ll know more about how your brain works and how your senses help you learn and stay safe. Get ready to think, explore, and have fun—let’s start our brain adventure!

Instructor: Karen Airaghi

Grades 3rd-8th  9:30 – 11:00

Whether you’re playing D&D or writing a book, crafting a compelling character is essential. Learn about character goals and motivation. What are their defining characteristics? How do they interact with the world around them? What archetypes do they play toward? Or against? We’ll use examples from books, movies, video games and other sources as we investigate how to design 

Instructor:  Daniel Hasler

Grades 3rd – 8th Advanced    9:30 – 11:00
Grades K – 3rd  Beginning   11:15 – 12:45

Beginning:  If your child is just learning chess (or wants to learn!), this class is the perfect place to start. Learn the basics of chess, how to begin the game, strategies such as pins and forks, how to queen a pawn and how to checkmate with Queen and King or Rook and King at the end of the game, all while playing and having fun.

Advanced:  Learn advanced concepts in chess, including openings to produce swift checkmating attacks or the win of material, learn how to plan ahead in chess and create positions where tactical themes can be used, all while playing and having fun.

Benefits of the game for all levels: Problem solving skills, coping with the consequences of your decisions, and good sports behavior.

Instructor: Steve Randoll

Grades 4th – 8th 9:30 – 11:00

Unlock your creativity as you explore the world of comics and graphic storytelling! In this class, students will learn how artists use panels, expressions, and layout to bring ideas to life. They’ll practice crafting your own characters, mapping out storyboards, and designing comic pages that grab a reader’s attention. Get ready to think visually, problem-solve like an artist, and create original stories that leap off the page!

Instructor: Madelyn Berzon

Grades 3rd – 6th  9:30 – 11:00

Before Greece, before Rome, even before Egypt, there was. . . .Mesopotamia! Let’s investigate the art, culture, gods and heroes of this ancient world. Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, and Sargon of Akkad are all famous figures from this time period – who were they and what are they famous for? Mesopotamia had a lot of firsts – writing, the wheel, the first city and the first recorded war! Learn the Mesopotamian writing system and the mystery of its stories as we explore the land between two rivers.

Instructor:  Art Koenig

Grades 3rd – 8th    11:15 – 12:45

Who loves to play games? Who has thought about HOW those games are made? Or gotten frustrated at poorly written rules? Dive into game development processes like rule construction, play testing, alternative rules and formatting. We’ll look at board games, card games and even tabletop role playing games. We’ll design games, play them, make refinements, and then play again – just like the professionals do!

Instructor: Daniel Hasler

Grades 3rd – 6th   11:15 – 12:45

Gods, hieroglyphs, mummies, pyramids, the Book of the Dead – there is so much to explore in this culture that even Greece and Rome thought was truly ancient. Dive into the mythology and the kings. What impact did the Nile River have? How many different gods did the Egyptians worship to keep their lives in balance? And what animal did they think was sacred? Did you know they loved board games? And that Egyptian women had a wide range of rights and freedoms? Put on your archaeologist’s hat as we uncover the glory of Egypt!

Instructor:  Art Koenig

Grades 2nd – 3rd  9:30 – 11:00
Grades 4th – 5th  11:15 – 12:45

Ignite your creativity and problem-solving skills! In this fun and interactive class, young coders will explore the world of conditional statements using Scratch, a colorful, block-based programming platform developed by MIT. Conditionals are the “decision-makers” of code, allowing your programs to respond dynamically to different situations. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced coder, you’ll learn tips and tricks to improve your work.  The 2nd-3rd grade class will create a sorting game as our culminating project. The 4th – 5th grade class will create a quiz game as our culminating project.

Instructor: Carrie Ziolkowski

Grades 3rd-4th   9:30 – 11:00
Grades 5th-8th  11:15 – 12:45

Get your building and coding on with these colorful kits. You’ll use the engineering design process to meet a different challenge each week, then use that knowledge to create your own build. The 3rd-4th class will focus on building and programming using a variety of templates. They will use their newfound knowledge to create their own invention and program in the last week.  The 5th-8th class will work on creating more complex robots. They will use problem solving and critical thinking to create a robot of their own design. The challenges will be different from previous classes.

Instructor: Hannah Noack-Ruebling

Ages 4 – 5   9:30 – 11:00

Let’s get hands-on with science! How can we use our senses to explore? What makes objects sink or float? What happens when you mix colors? Can we make our own rainbow clouds? Let’s look at simple machines and structures – can we engineer a structure to hold a stuffie? What are requirements of living organisms? Ask big questions, try cool ideas, and have tons of hands-on fun!

Instructor:  Carolyn Recke

Grades 5th-8th   9:30 – 11:15

Order in the court! We’re going to prosecute (and defend) a brand-new case this winter. Are you ready to take the stand? Learn to examine witness statements and question witnesses. Participate in our own class mock trial – who’s innocent? who’s guilty?  By the time court is adjourned, you’ll have a new appreciation for the role of judges, lawyers and the judicial system in our society.

Instructor: Christina Becherer

K – 1st  9:30 – 11:00

How many species of penguins does Antarctica have? Can they fly? Do they have teeth? Let’s dive into some interesting facts about penguins. After reading and listening to nonfiction books, we’ll do some science experiments, and make observations to explore how penguins adapt to live in the cold. Then write and illustrate your very own informational book all about penguins and create a model of a penguin inside its habitat. 

Instructor:  Jessi Reum

Grades 5th – 8th 11:15 – 12:45

Calling all mini entrepreneurs! Do you have ideas to dream big and create the next best product on the market? Do you think you have what it takes to convince investors to believe in your product? Propose a business plan and create a presentation to pitch to a group of “investors” – who will get the most votes? Take the plunge to jump in and face the sharks!

Instructor:  Christina Becherer

Grades 1st -2nd  11:15 – 12:45

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! Let’s read some winter picture books and figure out what problems the characters are facing. Then we’ll create a STEM-based solution to help! Maybe Peter in A Snowy Day needs to figure out how to walk in deep snow. Or how do we help Bear wake up for the party in Bear Snores On? Put on your thinking caps and get ready to construct some solutions!

Instructor:  Jessi Reum

Grades 1st -2nd   9:30 – 11:00
Grades 3rd-4th   11:15 – 12:45

Tackle some winter-themed STEM challenges in this hands-on engineering design class! How can you build a free-standing 3-tiered snowman out of paper and tape? Can you design a bobsled that will stay on the track? How far will your skier go in a ski-jump competition? Warm up your brain as you design, build, test, and improve on these frozen fun challenges and more.

Instructor:  Amy Harfst