Fall 2025 Course Offerings

This 7-week mini course will introduce children to the academic concept of religion, why it matters to know about religions, and beliefs and practices of three major religious groups. Learners will utilize a variety of learning methods such as storybook read-alouds, videos, group discussions, and art projects to immerse learners with each religion and culture! 

In this course, students will explore Judaism, Christianity, and Islam while developing an understanding that people hold different beliefs about important topics. They will learn to identify the sacred texts and key figures of each religion and describe significant rituals and celebrations. These objectives align with Kansas History, Government, and Social Studies Standards, including how societies are shaped by beliefs and diversity, how they experience continuity and change over time, and how individual choices and responsibilities impact communities. The course also supports character and social development by fostering social awareness, empathy, and the creation of a caring, inclusive classroom community.

This class is non-sectarian and will discuss religion from the perspective of history and social science. The course does not advocate any particular religious beliefs. 

Program Schedule: September 5th- October 17th 

This class will meet weekly on Friday's from 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. 

Recommended Participants: K-5th Grades

Students should have basic reading and writing skills and be able to sound out new words and read simple books independently. Children younger or older may be admitted on a case-by-case basis.

This seven-week mini course introduces high school students to the academic study of religion through an exploration of three major religious traditions that originated in the Middle East. Students will examine foundational beliefs, practices and historical developments of these traditions using a non-sectarian, academic approach rooted in the disciplines of history and social science. 

Aligned with Kansas State HGSS Standards, the course encourages students to consider how choices have consequences in religious and historical contexts, understand how individuals have rights and responsibilities within diverse faith communities, and explore how societies are shaped by the identities, beliefs, and practices of religious groups. Students will also analyze how continuity and change have impacted religious traditions over time and how relationships among people, places, ideas, and environments are dynamic, particularly in the context of religion’s role in society.  

This class is non-sectarian and will discuss religion from the perspective of history and social science. The course does not advocate any particular religious beliefs.  

Enroll in World Religions: Traditions of Asia next quarter to create a full-semester experience covering the world's largest religious groups.

Program Schedule: Sept. 5-Oct. 10  

This class will meet from 10-11 a.m. weekly on Fridays  

Recommended Participants: 9th-12th Grades 

Step into the past with Sprout’s Time Machine, a dynamic, multi-term series that brings history to life through immersive storytelling, digital exhibits, hands-on crafts, and interactive activities. This fall, young historians will travel to 1900s-1940s America to explore what life was like for children during that pivotal era. From factory work, immigration, and penny pinching, to victory gardens and classic toys, students will gain a deeper understanding of American life in the past—through the eyes of a kid.

This engaging experience connects history to kids' everyday lives and encourages curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking.

Standards Alignment:

Kansas State Standards for History, Government, and Social Studies:

• Explore how societies are shaped by the identities, beliefs, and practices of people.

• Identify ways societies experience continuity and change over time.

• Examine how people, places, ideas, and environments interact and evolve.

Character Development I.C: Create a caring community

Social Development I.A & I.B: Social Awareness

Program Schedule: September 5th - October 17th 

This class will meet weekly on Fridays from 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Recommended Ages: K-8th Grades

Students should have basic reading and writing skills and be able to sound out new words and read simple books independently. Children younger or older may be admitted on a case-by-case basis.

"With a dwindling population of Holocaust survivors, how can we prevent the Holocaust from becoming a distant memory and actively help the next generation relate and connect to the Holocaust on a personal, emotional level?" Creating Memory is an arts-based program developed by a the Lookstein Center at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel.  

Martin Herskovitz, creator of the program, explains: “Via the creative process I was able to find the words, to express the pain and to mourn and thus to process the traumatic memory that is the Holocaust. Silence without connection to memory is not commemoration. It is only when the silence can be wedded to real emotion that the silence has any commemorative weight. We have given the coming generation the historical facts to the Holocaust but are failing to connect them to the Holocaust emotionally.  

“‘Creating Memory’ is an initiative to help the next generation connect to Holocaust remembrance and thus insure the continued memory of this tragic event for generations. The program is a two stage process the first is making the Holocaust more accessible by reading of poetry containing affective themes from the Holocaust such as family and belonging, memory and silence, place and displacement, faith and hope. These themes are relevant also to current generations and allows them to understand and access the emotional impact of the Holocaust and not only its historical manifestations.  

“The second stage of the process is to guide the student to channel these emotions into a creative outlet that allows them to feel part of the Holocaust narrative. It is now a narrative in which they can feel part of via their creativity. The active participation of the coming generations in voicing their own form of Holocaust remembrance is vital in ensuring that Holocaust remembrance stays vibrant and relevant with the passage of the years.”  

Students in this course will select an Academic track or Enrichment track.  

The Academic track, designed to prepare students for college-level reading and composition in various subjects, will include weekly assigned readings (families will be responsible for acquiring the textbook), weekly writing assignments and assessments using Kansas State HGSS Scoring Rubric, detailed feedback to help students improve their reading and composition skills, a final examination and a final letter grade to include on homeschool transcripts.  

The Enrichment track includes weekly class sessions, optional out-of-class work and no grades assigned by the instructor. 

Program Schedule: Sept. 5-Oct. 10 

This class will meet weekly from 11-11:50 a.m. on Fridays  

Recommended Ages: 6th-12th Grades