Upper School Intersession 2025

We will discuss the genetic and environmental contribution of neurodegenerative diseases.

Having taken 1 biology class is recommended but not required.

In this hands-on workshop, you'll step into the role of both artist and scientist. After an introduction to the field of scientific illustration, you’ll get a crash course in botanical art — working with graphite pencils to sketch a chosen plant specimen. To capture its most intricate details, you'll use a Foldscope, a paper microscope (that you can take home after the session), to explore your plant at the microscopic level. This tool will allow you to observe elements like pollen and stomata, which you can add to your botanical composition.

Scientific illustration bridges art and science, helping to communicate and document nature's beauty and complexity. From its roots in early natural history to modern uses in conservation and education, this field brings visibility to the unseen and often unnoticed details of our world.

Foldscope is the paper microscope that began as an idea to make science more accessible. Since its invention at Stanford nearly 10 years ago, Foldscopes have reached over 2 million people and found applications in a variety of settings. Foldscope’s accessible design reminds us that scientific observation isn’t limited to professionals; it’s a universal skill rooted in curiosity and the desire to understand our world.

Participants will be able to keep their Foldscope after the session. No prerequisite skills or knowledge required to participate.

Are daddy long legs the most venomous spider? Do we eat eight spiders per year in our sleep? Have you ever seen a blue spider? Orange? What about pink? Fear and disgust towards spiders is pervasive throughout the United States. However, spiders are important for the survival of our ecosystems as well as for controlling insect populations. This session will focus on addressing common misconceptions about spiders by looking at the results of science experiments over the last 50 years. We will also discuss how people perceive spiders in other countries. In addition, I will talk about my journey into being a spider scientist and how spiders have helped me reshape what being a scientist looks like. Lastly, we will discuss how spiders benefit the environment and end with some of the coolest spider facts that you can share with your peers. Yes there will be live spiders! Yes I will leave time for questions! Let’s chat about spiders!

What do self-driving cars, Alexa, iPhone's face recognition technology, and ChatGPT have in common? They are driven by modern advances in artificial intelligence. Whether you’re interested in law, healthcare, art, or economics, AI is poised to transform every discipline and industry in the future. AI is already all around us today, and by the end of the program, students will understand the underlying concepts and motivations behind technology such as computer vision, natural language processing, and neural networks.
 
In this course, we will explore the foundations of machine learning and explore different applications of machine learning models. In the first half of the course, students learn AI’s core technologies including applications, foundational concepts, and programming tools through live lectures and coding labs. Students will not only learn about different types of machine learning models but also apply those models to real data sets. In the second half of the course, students will complete an instructor-led group project applying AI to the discipline of their choice (e.g., music, healthcare, astrophysics, finance, etc.), utilizing the programming skills they developed in the first half.

Please read more here!

Course Structure

Machine Learning Talks
Learn about machine learning algorithms and techniques in a uniquely interactive, engaging format, before you apply that knowledge in live coding labs.

Hands-On Python Coding
Develop valuable skills in Python, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in our hands-on coding labs, using cutting-edge research to solve real-world problems like breast cancer diagnosis, building self-driving cars, and more.

Project-Based Learning
In our AI for Social Good project, students will be able to apply their newly acquired talents in a collaborative, challenging environment, applying AI to a domain they’re passionate about (e.g., music, healthcare, astrophysics, finance, etc.). Students can use these projects in their résumés and college applications.

Are daddy long legs the most venomous spider? Do we eat eight spiders per year in our sleep? Have you ever seen a blue spider? Orange? What about pink? Fear and disgust towards spiders is pervasive throughout the United States. However, spiders are important for the survival of our ecosystems as well as for controlling insect populations. This session will focus on addressing common misconceptions about spiders by looking at the results of science experiments over the last 50 years. We will also discuss how people perceive spiders in other countries. In addition, I will talk about my journey into being a spider scientist and how spiders have helped me reshape what being a scientist looks like. Lastly, we will discuss how spiders benefit the environment and end with some of the coolest spider facts that you can share with your peers. Yes there will be live spiders! Yes I will leave time for questions! Let’s chat about spiders!

Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 5G, Radar, MRI... what do they all have in common? Radio engineering!

In this 75-minute class, you'll learn how vintage radio techniques from 1906 laid the groundwork for modern chip design. Explore the science behind classic radio communication, unraveling concepts like radio encoding, Fourier transforms, and modulation techniques. Discover how people use meteor tails to send messages over radio, and try your hand at building your own AM receiver!

What's covered: maths behind radio signals, physics E&M, soldering skills, basics of analog circuit design

Ideally, students will have prior had experience soldering.

Cosmetic Chemistry focuses on the intersection between chemistry and cosmetic marketing. We explore what chemical makeups work best for certain client profiles, and uncover all the inner workings that go into creating cosmetics. Although the course is focused on uncovering the chemical background of these products, we also bring attention to the biological properties of people that the chemistry must cater to. We explore products such as shampoo, conditioner, perfume, lip balm, and so much more. Any and all chemistry backgrounds are welcome!

The gold in jewelry, the uranium in a nuclear power plant, the iodine with table salt, the caesium in atomic clocks: what do these all have in common? It turns out they were likely forged in the fires of a cosmic explosion known as a kilonova! This course will dive into astronomer's journey to understand the origins of the heaviest elements of the periodic table.

Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 5G, Radar, MRI... what do they all have in common? Radio engineering!

In this 75-minute class, you'll learn how vintage radio techniques from 1906 laid the groundwork for modern chip design. Explore the science behind classic radio communication, unraveling concepts like radio encoding, Fourier transforms, and modulation techniques. Discover how people use meteor tails to send messages over radio, and try your hand at building your own AM receiver!

What's covered: maths behind radio signals, physics E&M, soldering skills, basics of analog circuit design

Ideally, students will have prior had experience soldering.

Cosmetic Chemistry focuses on the intersection between chemistry and cosmetic marketing. We explore what chemical makeups work best for certain client profiles, and uncover all the inner workings that go into creating cosmetics. Although the course is focused on uncovering the chemical background of these products, we also bring attention to the biological properties of people that the chemistry must cater to. We explore products such as shampoo, conditioner, perfume, lip balm, and so much more. Any and all chemistry backgrounds are welcome!

The gold in jewelry, the uranium in a nuclear power plant, the iodine with table salt, the caesium in atomic clocks: what do these all have in common? It turns out they were likely forged in the fires of a cosmic explosion known as a kilonova! This course will dive into astronomer's journey to understand the origins of the heaviest elements of the periodic table.