Mini-course Selection Guide - Session 3
Table of contents: options
Industrial Design - Classrooms!
Poetry Slam with Philly Youth Poetry Movement (PYPM)
Environmental Monitoring & Design
Industrial Design - Classrooms!
Design the perfect classroom furniture! Industrial Design is a field where people design simple and complex things that are used everyday. The goal is making something functional AND beautiful. It’s a whole field of study and business! (check out Bang and Olufson) This is a 4 part mini-course where you will work with a designer to actually create the perfect classroom for this school. At the end, students will actually be making the furniture!
You will work with an industrial designer who wants to design classrooms for the 21st century learner. She will walk you through the actual process! In the first stage you will figure out the key components to designing the classroom. Your final project will be to come up with key design features necessary for the perfect classroom.
Maximum Mini-course size: 10 students
Do It Yourself Movement (DIY)
Learn how to fix complicated problems with simple fixes! This mini-course is very hands on: you will work with an organization called ‘Keep Philadelphia Beautiful’ to make simple solutions to problems that face many neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Learn how to make bags from t-shirts or how to use newspaper to plant plants! This mini-course will expose you to legal and social issues facing philadelphia and encourage you to Lead and Create Change! Your final project will be to come up with your own simple project - from making street art to a practical solution.
Maximum Mini-course Size: 8 students
Chess
Learn to play the game of royalty and thinkers! The game of chess has stood the test of time as THE board game. You will work with a Chess master to learn how to play the game and some simple and advanced strategy. You will have the opportunity to observe a chess tournament at UPENN and participate in a tournament (if you want) at Haverford College. We are also looking to expand this mini-course to an after school club/team. No skill level required and you do not need to commit to the afterschool part of it. Your project is to better master the game of chess. Possible final projects will be to reflect in some fashion about playing chess.
Maximum mini-course Size: 8-10 students
Actors Workshop and Theatre
This mini-course is being run by the Walnut Street Theatre; one of the biggest names in Philly! In this Mini-course students are going to be learning about the actor’s toolbox and how to use that on stage to create characters. Activities will include those that engage the voice, body and mind! During the 8 weeks students will learn about the actor’s toolbox and incorporate into activities that involve- improvisation, character creation, scene work and much more! Your final project will require you to draw on this toolbox you have been developing for the length of the mini-course.
Maximum Mini-course size: 20 students
Members of this mini-course will always meet in the auditorium unless otherwise announced.
Digital Beat Making
Work with professional sound engineers, artists, poets and music professionals to learn what it takes to make a mix tape. In this mini-course you will learn how and use desktop computers and powerful programs to make digital music! Your project is to produce something close to a mix-tape with original music on it. No prior experience necessary.
Maximum Mini-course Size: 8 students
Poetry Slam with Philly Youth Poetry Movement (PYPM)
Discover the power of you voice through spoken word and literary expression. PYPM was founded in 2006 at a time when there were no local poetry events dedicated to youth poets who wanted to write and perform. In this mini-course you will learn all about creative expression, critical literacy, life skills, and leadership. Learn how to write and share your inner voice through poetry. PYPM also is starting an after school club called Poetry Slam for students who want to pursue this further. Your project is to craft some poetry you are proud of that represents something you feel strongly about.
Maximum Mini-course Size: unlimited
Environmental Monitoring & Design
Be part of a city-wide initiative and movement to improve and innovate Philadelphia's green infrastructure (rain gardens, green roofs, porous pavements) and introduce ways to monitor these systems. This is a really exciting opportunity to change a whole industry! With a focus on the environment and sustainability, we are going to touch on diverse subjects such as earth science, computer programming, electronic circuits, civil engineering, urban planning, and data analysis. If you are interested in engineering then this is the course for you! Your final project will to be to design and build sensor units for Philadelphia's green schools.
Maximum Mini-course Size: 10 students
Digital Ethnography Making
This mini-course is for people who are interested in understanding why cultures are different from each other! You will be working with St. Joseph’s University learning how to conduct interviews and will be creating video ethnographies on questions that you help create. Students will develop research skills, interview skills, and video editing skills as a result of this course. You will also be helping researchers from St. Joseph’s University as researchers in a project to study learning and identity. Your final project will be to create a video or story about the culture of creating awesome stuff!
Maximum Mini-course Size: 6 students
Note: students must be willing to miss part of wednesday’s lunch sometimes to be able to travel to St. Joe’s and other sites throughout the city.
Mosaic Making
The art of making mosaics has been around for centuries: taking peices of glass or stones and placing them in cement to create a beautiful pattern, picture or message. It’s still very popular today, people pay hundreds of dollars to buy and make their own! In this course you will learn this art and make your own mosaic. Your project will be to complete a mosaic.
Maximum Mini-course size: unlimited
Digital Backpack Journalism
This mini-course is run by a St. Joseph’s professor and will be in his college class with his college students! Learn how to use different media to accurately tell other people’s stories. You will be visiting two Philadelphia neighborhoods and try and report on what these neighborhoods are actually like. Like a real journalist! This is a real course at St. Joe’s so you will be working closely with college students who will act as your classmates and mentors. It’s a great way to learn how to be a journalist AND learn more about college. Your final project will be to create a digital oral history of people from another neighborhood.
Maximum Mini-course size: 8-12 students.
Student will be meeting at St Joseph’s and around the city - students will not return to campus to be dismissed. You must be willing to sometimes miss part of lunch and be able to travel.
Entrepreneurship 101: Küdzoo
Entrepreneurs are people who start their own businesses; they are innovators and creators. They are people who are business minded and have great ideas. This mini-course will expose you to your inner entrepreneur! You will be working with some exciting business people who want to help you develop your own business. They will show you the ropes: from making an elevator pitch to designing your product. Your final project will be to create your own innovative business and make a business plan you can implement!
Maximum Mini-course size: 6 students
Scratch
You will be playing with the awesome program called ‘Scratch’. With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community. You will work with a Senior from the SLA @ Center City to develop your own Scratch program. Anyone interested in making video games, music videos or other cool visuals should check it out. Your final project will vary but must incorporate Scratch and make something entertaining or useful.
Maximum Mini-course size: 5 students
Multimedia Portraits
Work with an artist who is at Moore College of Art! You will be working on a portrait of yourself - however you want to portray yourself! You will learn how to draw portraits in black and white (pencil/ pen and ink) with a color background done in your choice of medium (like watercolor, colored pencil, pastel, collage, etc.). Kate, the artist, insists that this new style is more fun than a traditional, "boring", portrait. Your final project will to complete your portrait.
Maximum Mini-course size: 10 students
All skill levels welcome! You can learn basic portrait design or advanced! The goal is to get better!
Art Island
You will be working directly with a professional artist sponsored by Pennsylvania’s Academy of the Fine Arts. With this artist you will either do a different type of art project each week or create an art installation for our building (I’d love to have some hanging sculptures!) This mini-course is open to all sorts of artists and levels. Your final project will be to complete an art installation or a set of artworks.
Maximum Mini-course size: unlimited