Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Kamasi Washington, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone.

These are all people you may have heard of and to whom you might even have listened, but what do you know about the music they play? In this hour long course, I'll be introducing you to the basics of jazz. We'll go over a (quite abridged) history of jazz in the U.S., talk about the philosophy of jazz music, listen to some jazz, and we'll finally learn how to listen to a jazz song. We'll have room to talk about how jazz has influenced the music you Iisten to, from rock, to pop, to pretty much anything made after 1940, and I'll do my best to answer any and all questions you may have about this mysterious art form that hangs out seemingly at the periphery of American culture.

This class is catered to students who know next to nothing about jazz, and would like to learn more. This course is not necessarily intended for students who play jazz, although you're welcome to join if you do; one can never have enough jazz!


Prerequisites
An ability to count musical time would be helpful, but not required.

Interested in podcasting? Have you listened to a podcast but had no idea how it was recorded or produced? Ever considered starting your own podcast? Well this class is for you. This course will cover podcasting as an art, but also dive deep into how to start your own podcast, content themes and topics, and how to gain awareness!


Prerequisites
None

This class will take a deep dive into Formula I, its history, its contributions to the realm of automotive engineering, and the current championship series, analyzing drivers, their performance, and attempting to predict next season seat changes.


Prerequisites
None

Do you hear about climate change in the news and feel scared and hopeless? It turns out there is plenty of hope and optimism to be found in a number of solutions to climate change!

In this class, we will talk about the causes of climate change and environmental destruction (like increased agriculture and demand for electricity), and proposed solutions (like wind turbines, solar energy, and plant-based diets). We will discuss the pros and cons of these solutions and obstructions in implementing them.

This class will be part lecture and part discussion. You are invited but definitely not required to participate.

How do you think our world should look? Do you feel distressed about the current state of the world? Is social justice something you think a lot about? Do you like envisioning possible new way of doing things in our society? If so, this course might be a great fit for you! -----

Living within the status quo of how the world works is something that is now more than ever being called into question by young people in this country. Our generation is calling for drastic change and a restructuring of how things "have always been done", and the intensity of these demands are growing. This course will attempt to critically engage with the world we live in, the thoughts that we have always been taught to embrace, and will encourage participants to come up with new ideas for how our world could/should look. -----

In our session we will be talking about issues relating to race, gender, class, the environment, economics, and how these topics all intersect. No experience at all in politics, history, or the above topics is necessary, but be ready and open to learning new things and having really great conversations about the world that we live in!--------------Disclaimer: Please note that this class does not represent the views of Columbia University or Columbia University Educational Outreach.

This session will be a conversation on the possibilities of open and freedom-affirming learning, using examples set by the Black Panther Party’s Oakland Community School; Philadelphia’s Parkway Program; and Brazilian philosopher Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.”---------

The goal of this class is to explore the historical context of these three models and understand how their approach to pedagogy, learning, art, and schooling can be understood within (continuous!) fights for liberation, with a particular focus on the context of the Black freedom struggle. In this class session, we will also demonstrate “open education” ourselves by thinking through and creating, freely and non-hierarchically, our own projects and takeaways based our own ideas and interests. ----------

If you are interested in what learning means, or frustrated with constraints in our school systems, or upset by a society that leaves no room for existing freely, or are interested in imagining an education framework driven by the liberation and freedom of oppressed people, or if you are someone curious about anything in this world, then this session is meant for you, as an opportunity to openly, and collectively, construct knowledge. -----------

“Education as the practice of freedom—as opposed to education as the practice of domination.” – Paulo Freire, 1970 ----------

“I think the school’s principles came from the socialist principles we tried to live in the Black Panther Party. One of them being critical thinking—that children should learn not what to think but how to think … the school was an expression of the collective wisdom of the people who envisioned it. And it was … a living thing [that] changed every year.” – Ericka Huggins, Director of the Oakland Community School. ---------

“[The Parkway Program] is the most interesting high school in the U.S. today.” – TIME Magazine, 1970
---------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: Please note that this class does not represent the views of Columbia University or Columbia University Educational Outreach.

Learn the real story behind the beauty of "The Little Prince", shedding light onto the classic's mysterious ending.

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

The words of the Prince echo in hearts around the world, more than 75 years after Antoine De Saint-Exupéry penned his life-altering epic on innocence, childhood, and the love between a Prince and his Rose.

Yet the reality behind the creation of the Little Prince is ever more beautiful and expansive. This course will focus on Saint-Exupéry's own struggles on finding the meaning of his life exploring the world as a daredevil pilot, and his turbulent relationship with his wife Consuelo. Excerpts will be presented for group discussion and analysis from the other two works of the "Little Prince Trilogy": "Wind, Sand, and Stars" and "Tale of the Rose".

Our goal will be to use our newfound knowledge to interpret why Saint-Exupéry wrote "The Little Prince", and rediscover the hidden meaning of the book's "tragic" ending.


Prerequisites
Recommended but definitely NOT mandatory: Previous exposure to or reading of the Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry

Did you know that a mass shooting in the United States is followed by other mass shootings? Or that there was an increase in suicides after "13 Reasons Why" aired? In this seminar, we will learn about the copycat phenomenon and discuss copycat suicides, copycat crimes, and copycat mass shootings.

Content Warning: We will discuss mass shootings & suicides

This course will introduce computer programming in Python. We begin with setting up our software development environment and conclude with basic data structures and algorithms. As time permits, we might explore binary data representation, sorting, and object-oriented design.


Prerequisites
Basic arithmetic

In this class we learn about several of the most important topics in cryptography, including:
- encryption, private-key and public-key encryption
- MACs
- zero-knowledge
- differential privacy
This course is unique in that it doesn't require advanced math and computer science knowledge beforehand, because for each concept, we will use real-life puzzles. Afterwards, we will learn the actual computer science versions, introducing basic concepts from modular arithmetic and complexity theory.
Most importantly this is a PROBLEM SOLVING CLASS-- we will solve problems together in class, and you will be expected to contribute and participate.


Prerequisites
Basic high school math. If you are a middle schooler and want to take this class, that should be fine, but only if you are a more advanced in math than what is required in your school. You should be comfortable with polynomials and high school algebra.

From stellar infancy to vast collections of stars and dust, complex phenomenon dictate how these objects in space evolve overtime. Through this course, you will be able to understand what fuels stellar evolution and how stars and galaxies all play a role in understanding our universe.


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of algebra

Join the Columbia Biomedical Engineering Society as we learn about the science and mechanisms behind some of the greatest scientific discoveries today, from gene editing to growing organs. Afterwards, we will discuss the ethics behind these discoveries.


Prerequisites
Biology experience recommended, but everyone is welcome!

Ever wonder what DNA actually does? Want to know more about how DNA is used today in everything from fossil reconstruction to forensic investigations? This class will give you a crash course in the biology and chemistry behind DNA, how DNA works in living things, and how modern technology harnesses the power of DNA to aid in scientific discoveries.

Have you ever been intimidated by scientific writing? Struggled to parse through jargon, or unsure of what ‘jargon’ even means?
Taught by the editorial board of the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal (CUSJ), this course will explore how to effectively communicate in science. You’ll learn how to identify strong scientific writing and simplify challenging concepts through guided readings of published articles. We’ll also cover strategies for most accessibly and effectively presenting cutting edge research.
Whether you’re just getting your feet wet, or this isn’t your first scientific rodeo, we welcome all!

Have you ever been intimidated by scientific writing? Struggled to parse through jargon, or unsure of what ‘jargon’ even means?
Taught by the editorial board of the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal, this course will explore how to effectively communicate in science. You’ll learn how to identify strong scientific writing and simplify challenging concepts through guided readings of published articles. We’ll also cover strategies for most accessibly and effectively presenting cutting edge research. Whether you’re just getting your feet wet, or this isn’t your first scientific rodeo, we welcome all!


Prerequisites
None

Everything you ever wanted to know about DNA, from the ground up. You need no previous experience in genetics. We will start from the beginning , with:
The basic chemistry of the DNA molecule,
To how DNA is used to make proteins (The Central Dogma),
To the discovery and biology of the gene,
To the structure of genomes,
To the regulation of gene expression,
To how a genome can direct the formation of a human (developmental biology),
To viruses, to viroids, to incredibly rare inherited diseases, to how to manually engineer entire organisms.
Yep. Everything about DNA that I (a DNA fanatic) can think to squeeze into 2 hours. It seems like a lot of information, but we will digest it piece by piece with interactive polls and visuals. By the end of this course, you will be able to grasp the incredibly delicate complexity of genome structure and the coordinated web of activity that is gene expression regulation - you will understand why a banana and a human being can share 60% of their genetic information, yet be completely different life forms. And you will know how to alter the genetic code manually.


Prerequisites
Basic Biology, some basic chemistry

This class gives an overview of challenges facing science as a discipline. We’ll discuss how the Scientific Method should work and how it should plays out in practice in terms of topics such as the the following:
Publishing
Peer review
Plagiarism
Scientific misconduct
Public relations
Unconscious bias
Reproducibility


Prerequisites
High school level/Regents science classes

Computational chemistry is the branch of chemistry that uses computers to solve equations from quantum mechanics to solve problems in chemistry such as predicting the structure, properties, and patterns of reactivity of molecules. This course will be a very math-lite survey of what computational chemistry is about and the fundamental balance of computational expediency and accuracy.


Prerequisites
Regents level chemistry (AP is even better)

Going to High School and College each require essential skills if you want to do either successfully. Genevieve's going to get you started on making sure you have those essential skills with an oldie but goodie--How to Ask a Relevant Question.

Are you tired of not getting a response, or people giving you blank looks when you ask a question? This is the class for you.

High School and College each require specific skills if you want to complete them successfully. Genevieve will helpI you shine up how you introduce yourself, and understand the important role it plays in whatever journey you're headed on.

An added bonus is posture improvement!

Do you feel a pit in your stomach whenever it's your turn to present in front of class? Does your face get all red and your hands start to shake? Do you stammer over your words? Does speaking off the cuff without notes inspire terror in your heart? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this course might be right for you!

What you have to say about things is incredibly important, but nerves often hold us back from speaking up in certain settings. Stage fright is a very real and terrifying thing, so this course aims to help participants learn the basics of public speaking so that they leave with a strengthened ability to express themselves and their ideas in front of audiences of all sizes! In our work together, we'll explore reasons why we get stage fright and how to alleviate those worries. We'll also go through and practice strategies that help speakers project their voices, articulate their words, move with intention, and speak dynamically and engagingly.

No experience in public speaking is necessary (this is a 101 course!), but be prepared to work in small groups, speak aloud, and most importantly - be open to trying things that might make you uncomfortable at first, but could help you so much in the long run!

During this seminar, we will explore exactly what the demand “Defund the Police” means, envision what a world without police could look like, and devise practicals steps to take to to defund police in our communities. Similar to a crash course in prison abolition, students will leave with a historical analysis of policing and critical analysis of the movement to abolish policing.
-----------------------------Disclaimer: Please note that this class does not represent the views of Columbia University or Columbia University Educational Outreach.


Prerequisites
Interest in prison abolition

To be a successful college student you need to navigate the gap between the structure of high school and the freedoms & responsibility of college. Step one of this navigation is understanding what the differences between high school and college are. COLLEGE IS NOT A HARDER VERSION OF HIGH SCHOOL.
Join me to get your navigation journey started.


Prerequisites
It would help if you're very familiar with one college

This class will discuss the past century of ballet, focusing on the westward spread of Russian-style classical ballet, the establishment of new major ballet traditions in England and the United States, and the rise of contemporary ballet. Along the way, we'll look at photos and video to see how different techniques and styles emerged in different parts of the world. We'll also talk about where ballet is headed now.

The course will take on a survey format to cover the modern history of architecture as we know it. Through a broad understanding of major architectural movements throughout the 20th century, students will be able to understand the impacts of contemporary architecture retrospectively.


Prerequisites
N/A

The term "genocide" was coined in 1944, but long before 1944 there were many examples in history that can be considered genocide. In this course, we will be exploring:
Definition of genocide
Genocide through history
Genocide in America
Why genocide happens
Identifying genocide today. -----

I will set a small amount of time aside for questions relating to my experience at Columbia.-----------------------Disclaimer: Please note that this class does not represent the views of Columbia University or Columbia University Educational Outreach.

Students will learn about some of the great leaders of history and how they thought about leadership and problem solving.--------------Disclaimer: Please note that this class does not represent the views of Columbia University or Columbia University Educational Outreach.