Academy workshops advance students’ intellectual curiosity and passion by exposing them to unique topics through hands-on learning.
Academy workshops, which include both online and in-person learning opportunities, are a good option for families who may not be able to commit to a full Academy session or are looking to supplement their current Academy enrollment. Depending on the workshop or series, they may meet only once or up to six times.
Tuition is also dependent on the workshop, and financial aid is available for families in need. More details on each unique learning opportunity can be found below!
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Zine Making
Ages: 10–14 years old
Date and Time: Saturday, November 9th from 12:00-2:00pm
Tuition: $75 including materials
Location: In-person at 540 S Marengo Ave, Pasadena CA 91101
Instructor: Alex Carter
Dive into the world of self-expression in our Zine Workshop! This workshop will guide students through the history and process of creating a zine—a self-published mini-magazine filled with students’ unique content. From brainstorming ideas to designing eye-catching layouts, students will explore every aspect of zine-making. By the end of the course, students will have created unique zines to share and cherish, while having the tools to continue to create their own zines.
Instructor Bio: Alex received her Bachelor of Arts in History at UC Santa Cruz, her Master’s and C.Phil in History at UCLA, and her teaching credentials and Master’s in Education and Curriculum Development at Alliant International University. She’s taught everything from kindergarten through college in both formal and informal settings. In addition to teaching, Alex works as a narrative designer, helping creative teams design theme parks, museums, and games. Her historical research focused on comparative history of strategy games in the United States and Germany in the post-Cold War period, and she has extensive experience teaching game design classes to middle school students, as well as using games to enhance learning. Alex also has many hobbies, which currently include: taiko (Japanese drumming), repairing an old car, reading, playing games (digital and analog), kendo, snowboarding, printmaking, and sculpting.
Deadline: Enroll by October 28, 2024. Space is limited.
PAST WORKSHOPS
IEA offers Academy workshops year-round for ages 6-14 (for high school workshops, see EXPLORE). See a sample of our past Academy workshops below.
Ages: 9-12 years old
Dates: Saturdays, June 15, 22, and 29, 2024
Time: 10 AM – noon and 1-3 PM* (12 hours of instruction total)
Location: In-person
Do you want to learn how to combine LEGOs and Scratch programming to make robots? Students will learn to program LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots with the widely-used Scratch visual programming language and assemble appropriate combinations of motors and mechanisms to complete different challenges. We will explore how robots work, and ways to use the mechanisms available to perform tasks. This workshop will be aimed for students a little younger than the Mindstorms class in Academy’s Summer Session 3 and will assume that most students have limited exposure to block programming.
Ages: 8-10
Dates: Saturdays, March 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 2:00-3:30pm
Location: In-person
Instructor: Carla Collier
Students will first learn about how cells work through designing a “Cell City” and studying how the different parts of a cell work together. Then they’ll learn about cell differentiation and the remarkable healing abilities of stem cells by coming up with their own stem cell superhero. In the third meeting, students will discover how stem cells can address real-world challenges. They’ll learn about stem cells’ potential to heal and regenerate, using them as tools to solve environmental issues by navigating challenges and solving puzzles inspired by real-world scenarios. In the final session, the class will conduct hands-on experiments to demystify the magic of stem cells and explore their fascinating properties! This workshop series is open to students age 8 to 10, regardless of background knowledge.
Ages: 10-14
Dates: April 2-4 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) from 2:00-4:30pm each day
Location: In-person
In this award-winning program, students create simulated wastewater, clean it through a series of physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes, and test it for various water quality parameters. The program not only teaches how wastewater is treated but also links science and technology to environmental impacts and issues. The materials for this Academy workshop series will be provided by the LA County Sanitation Districts (LACSD) and led by IEA STEM Specialist and EXPLORE advisor Monica Barsever.
Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges
533 Airport Blvd., Suite 200
Burlingame, CA 94010
Website: www.acswasc.org