Upper School Intersession 2025

When you write a Java program or use PyTorch to train a ML model, do you wonder how a tiny piece of silicon runs it? Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak once said he pictured transistors toggling when writing code. This session describes how billions of transistors on a chip are designed so you too can picture your code toggling transistors.

Only interest in computer science and engineering is required.

Students are introduced to the principles of architectural drawing through studio and on-location sessions as we focus on buildings as subjects and their relationship to environmental features. Our emphasis is technical drawing, including floor plans, elevations, sections, site plans, and details. We will also cover 3D Renderings, such as paraline and traditional perspective drawings as we set up in the park and draw subjects from life.
 
Upon completion, students will be able to represent buildings through drawing in a variety of ways. No prior drawing experience is required. All materials will be provided.

In this 5 hour intensive, you'll walk away with a solid grasp of the knowledge you need to make jewelry! You'll get lots of practice soldering, shaping, and polishing metal to create little pieces of wearable art!

No experience whatsoever is necessary, but come with some idea of what you want to make, closed-toed shoes, and no flowy sleeves! Or, if you DO have experience from a past Jewelry Intersession or a WoW Workshop, you'll have the freedom to explore techniques you already know, get instruction on anything more advanced, or ask for advice on anything you're working on!

Interested in a shorter, less in-depth course where we'll just cover some basics? Check out the 2.5 hour Intro version of this class!

TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas): So you've melted some metal. Now learn the process that took us to outer space! TIG is welding on exotic metals and specialized applications: bicycles, rockets, and racecars — oh my! Get your intro to TIG, with hands-on practice and applied knowledge to begin your own journey into the science of metal. Safety equipment and course materials will be provided.

Women represent only 25% of the workforce of major technology companies. Women were also disproportionately affected by pandemic-driven spikes in global unemployment and reductions in labor force participation. What does this mean for young women trying to enter the tech industry? What struggles do women face and how can leaders in the field make change to these inequities? This is a special opportunity to hear from three women who have spent their careers in tech. Topics to be covered include tips for getting started in the tech industry, obstacles that women may face, career advice; and more. Don't miss out on hearing from these industry leaders. Questions and audience participation encouraged!

Panelists:

• Monica Ea Chander – Senior Director of Product Marketing at Meta
• Deepa Diwakar – Director of Engineering at Meta
• Erica Lockheimer – Founder, Investor, Podcaster. Formerly: VP of Engineering of LinkedIn

You’ve probably been on an airplane, but have you thought of what it takes to fly one?  In this Intersession, we’ll follow along on a flight from the San Carlos Airport to Truckee, and learn about all aspects of how to get a small (6-seater) airplane safely between two airports.

Coming out of the session, you should be able to answer questions such as “How do you plan for a flight between two airports?”,  “How does an airplane actually work and how do you control it?”, “What are  communications with Air Traffic Control like?”, “What do airplane avionics and navigation systems like?”.  And hopefully you’ll be interested in the answer to “How do I learn to actually fly an airplane?”!