As a STEM mentoring program for middle schoolers from underrepresented communities, we are proud to offer a wide range of engaging and enriching courses designed to ignite curiosity, foster learning, and inspire a lifelong love for STEM subjects. We have curated a diverse selection of courses that encompass various fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This selection is still expanding and based on popular demand or interest, we are open to incorporating new courses into our program! Below you can find a brief overview of topics that may be found within a course curriculum.
Science Course OptionsÂ
Anatomy and Physiology:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Discover the human body's intricate systems: Explore the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems.
Understand the body's organization: Learn about organs, tissues, and cells, and how they work together to maintain health.
Learn proper terminology: Acquire a vocabulary of anatomical terms to describe different body structures accurately.
Explore the importance of nutrition and exercise: Understand how diet and physical activity impact overall health and well-being.
Gain awareness of common medical conditions: Understand the causes, symptoms, and possible solutions for various health issues.
Chemistry:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Atomic Structure: Learn about atoms, elements, and the periodic table, and understand how they form the building blocks of matter.
Chemical Reactions: Explore the world of reactions, including combustion, oxidation, and acid-base reactions, and understand how substances transform.
States of Matter: Investigate the properties and behavior of solids, liquids, and gases, and explore phase changes and the concept of density.
Mixtures and Solutions: Understand the different types of mixtures and solutions and explore factors that affect their formation and separation.
Acids and Bases: Learn about the properties of acids and bases, their importance in daily life, and their interactions.
The Chemistry of Life: Discover the chemistry behind living organisms, including organic compounds, carbohydrates, proteins, and DNA.
Environmental Science:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Investigate the diverse ecosystems on Earth, learn about the importance of biodiversity, and understand the delicate balance of life within them.
Natural Resources and Conservation: Examine Earth's natural resources, such as water, air, minerals, and forests, and explore strategies for their sustainable use and conservation.
Climate Change and Global Warming: Understand the science behind climate change, its causes, impacts, and potential solutions to mitigate its effects.
Pollution and Its Effects: Explore various types of pollution, including air, water, and soil pollution, and learn about their detrimental effects on ecosystems and human health.
Renewable and Non-renewable Energy: Discover different sources of energy, including renewable (solar, wind, hydro) and non-renewable (fossil fuels), and explore their environmental impacts.
Environmental Ethics and Sustainability: Discuss the ethical considerations surrounding human interactions with the environment and explore ways to promote sustainability in our daily lives.
Ecology:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Ecosystems and Biomes: Explore diverse ecosystems and biomes, from forests to deserts, and understand the unique characteristics of each.
Food Chains and Food Webs: Investigate the flow of energy and nutrients through food chains and webs, and learn about the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Biodiversity and Species Interactions: Understand the importance of biodiversity and explore how different species interact within ecosystems, including competition, predation, and mutualism.
Adaptations and Survival Strategies: Learn about the various adaptations that help organisms survive in their habitats, including camouflage, mimicry, and physical features.
Ecological Succession: Explore the processes of ecological succession, from primary to secondary, and understand how ecosystems change over time.
Human Impact on Ecosystems: Discuss the ways in which human activities can disrupt ecosystems and learn about conservation efforts to protect biodiversity.
Neuroscience:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Brain Anatomy: Explore the structure and function of the brain, including the different regions and their specialized roles.
Neurons and the Nervous System: Learn about the building blocks of the nervous system - neurons - and understand how they communicate to transmit information throughout the body.
Sensory Systems: Investigate how our senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) work and how the brain processes sensory information.
Motor Control: Explore how the brain coordinates movement and learn about the connection between the brain and muscles.
Memory and Learning: Understand how memories are formed, stored, and retrieved, and explore strategies for effective learning.
Emotions and the Brain: Learn about the neuroscience behind emotions and how the brain influences our feelings and responses.
Brain Disorders and Neuroplasticity: Explore common brain disorders, such as ADHD and autism, and understand the brain's remarkable ability to adapt and rewire.
General Biology:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Cells and Microorganisms: Explore the building blocks of life - cells - and learn about microorganisms, their structures, and their functions.
Plant and Animal Kingdoms: Investigate the characteristics and diversity of plants and animals, including their adaptations to different environments.
Life Processes: Understand the essential life processes of living organisms, such as respiration, digestion, circulation, and reproduction.
Evolution and Natural Selection: Learn about the process of evolution and understand how organisms adapt to their changing environments.
Psychology:
The curriculum for this course may include:
The Mind and the Brain: Explore the relationship between the mind and the brain and learn about the basic structure and functions of the brain.
Developmental Psychology: Investigate how individuals change and develop across their lifespan, from infancy to adolescence, and understand the factors that influence human growth and behavior.
Cognitive Processes: Explore how we perceive, think, and remember information, and gain insights into problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Social Psychology: Understand how individuals interact with and influence each other, and explore topics such as conformity, attitudes, and prejudice.
Personality and Individual Differences: Learn about the various theories of personality and explore the factors that shape individual differences.
Emotions and Motivation: Investigate the nature of emotions, explore theories of motivation, and understand how they influence human behavior.
Mental Health and Well-being: Gain awareness of common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and learn strategies for promoting mental well-being.
Astronomy:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Big Bang Theory: The origin and evolution of the universe.
Gravitational Forces: Understand Newton’s law of gravitation and its application to celestial bodies.
Orbital Dynamics: Calculate celestial objects' orbits, trajectories, and escape velocities.
Planets and Moons: Learn about the characteristics, composition, and atmospheres of the planets and their moons.
Stellar Evolution: Understand the life cycles of stars from formation to end stages (white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes)
Dark Energy and Universe Expansion: Understand the acceleration of the universe's expansion and the role of dark energy.
Life in the Universe: Explore the study of potential life forms and habitats beyond Earth.
Earth Science:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Plate Tectonics: Learn about the theory explaining the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates and associated phenomena like earthquakes, volcanism, and mountain building.
Mineralogy: Explore the study of minerals, their properties, formation, and classification.
Petrology: Explore the study of rocks, including igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types.
Geologic Time: Understand the age of Earth, dating methods (relative and absolute), and the geologic time scale.
Water Cycle: Understand the movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff.
Atmospheric Composition: Understand the layers of the atmosphere and the gases that comprise it.
Energy Flow: Learn how energy from the sun drives processes within Earth systems.
Matter Cycling: Understand the cycles of key elements (carbon, nitrogen, water) through different Earth systems.
Math/Computer Science Course Options
Pre-Algebra (Recommended for Grade 6-7):
The curriculum for this course may include:
Number Sense and Operations: Develop a solid understanding of numbers, their properties, and operations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Variables and Expressions: Explore the concept of variables and learn how to write and evaluate algebraic expressions.
Equations and Inequalities: Solve equations and inequalities, understand the concept of equality, and apply algebraic techniques to solve real-world problems.
Ratios, Proportions, and Percents: Learn about ratios, proportions, and percents, and apply them to solve problems involving rates, discounts, and interest.
Geometry Fundamentals: Explore the basics of geometry, including angles, lines, polygons, and the Pythagorean theorem.
Data Analysis and Probability: Gain skills in organizing and analyzing data, understanding probability concepts, and interpreting graphs and charts.
Problem-Solving Strategies: Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by applying mathematical concepts to real-life situations and word problems.
Algebra I (Must have completed Pre-Algebra):
The curriculum for this course may include:
Solving Equations and Inequalities: Learn strategies to solve linear equations and inequalities, and apply them to real-world scenarios.
Linear Functions and Graphing: Explore the concept of linear functions, graphing lines, and understanding slope and intercepts.
Systems of Equations: Investigate systems of linear equations and learn different methods to solve them, including substitution and elimination.
Exponents and Exponential Functions: Understand the properties of exponents and explore exponential functions and their applications.
Polynomials: Learn about polynomial expressions, operations, and factoring techniques.
Quadratic Functions: Dive into the world of quadratic functions, graphing parabolas, and solving quadratic equations.
Data Analysis and Statistics: Apply algebraic skills to analyze and interpret data, create and interpret graphs, and understand measures of central tendency and variation.
Radical and Rational Expressions: Explore radical and rational expressions, simplify them, and apply them to problem-solving situations.
Algebra II (Must have completed Algebra I):
The curriculum for this course may include:
Review of Algebraic Fundamentals: Refresh and solidify your understanding of algebraic concepts covered in Algebra 1, including equations, inequalities, functions, and graphing.
Quadratic Equations and Functions: Delve deeper into quadratic equations, explore the properties of parabolas, and solve quadratic equations using various methods.
Polynomial Functions: Study higher-degree polynomial functions, analyze their characteristics, and apply them to real-world scenarios.
Rational Expressions and Equations: Explore rational expressions and equations, simplify complex fractions, and solve rational equations.
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions: Understand exponential growth and decay, investigate logarithmic functions, and solve exponential and logarithmic equations.
Systems of Equations and Inequalities: Extend your knowledge of systems of equations and inequalities to include more complex and non-linear systems.
Trigonometry: Explore the fundamental concepts of trigonometry, including angles, trigonometric functions, and applications in real-world scenarios.
Geometry:
The curriculum for this course may include:
Points, Lines, and Angles: Explore the fundamental elements of geometry, including points, lines, rays, and angles, and understand their properties and measurements.
Triangles and Polygons: Investigate the characteristics of triangles and various polygons, learn about their classifications, and explore their properties.
Congruence and Similarity: Understand the concepts of congruence and similarity, explore transformations, and apply them to analyze and solve geometric problems.
Quadrilaterals and Circles: Study the properties of quadrilaterals, including parallelograms, rectangles, and rhombi, and explore the properties of circles and arcs.
Geometric Transformations: Learn about reflections, translations, rotations, and dilations, and understand how these transformations affect the position and shape of figures.
Geometric Measurements: Explore the measurement of length, area, and volume, and apply formulas to solve problems involving geometric measurements.
Coordinate Geometry: Connect geometry with algebra by understanding the relationship between geometric figures and the coordinate plane.
Three-Dimensional Geometry: Investigate the properties of three-dimensional shapes, including prisms, pyramids, cylinders, cones, and spheres.
Computer Science (Python or Java):
The curriculum for this course may include:
Programming Fundamentals: Learn the basics of programming using a beginner-friendly language, and develop problem-solving skills through hands-on coding exercises.
Computational Thinking: Develop computational thinking skills by breaking down problems, designing algorithms, and analyzing data.
Game Design and Animation: Explore the principles of game design and animation, and bring your creative ideas to life using coding and visual tools.
Data and Information: Understand how data is stored, organized, and processed, and explore concepts of data representation and information security.
Robotics and Automation: Learn the foundations of robotics, work with programmable robots, and explore the role of automation in various fields.