Upper School Intersession 2025

Student sign-up timeline:

Monday, November 18 @ 3:15 – 12th Grade
Tuesday, November 19 @ 3:15 – 11th Grade
Wednesday, November 20 @ 3:15 – 10th Grade
Thursday, November 21 @ 3:15 – 9th Grade
November 21-30 – Sign-ups/changes open to all. After December 1, schedules will be frozen.

8:55am PST

Advanced Chess Training - How To Learn Chess

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

I will give advice on improvement in chess: how to practice and how to choose out of the sea of content and players online to learn from. After this discussion we will apply the ideas with games and review in class.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with all rules of chess including checkmate, castling, and en passant. Familiarity with chess notation is helpful.

Facilitators

Steven Zierk

GM Steven Zierk is a chess professional and coach from San Jose, California. He won the World Youth Under 18 Championships in 2010 and after earning his degree from MIT in 2015, earned the Grandmaster title in 2018.

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

8:55am PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

How To Sell a TV Show

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Have you ever had an idea for a TV show or app and wondered how you would even go about trying to create it? Well, the one thing TV shows, apps, sneaker companies, etc. all have in common is that their creators first had to pitch the idea to investors. If you have an idea that you’d like to sell, this workshop is for you.

Emmy-nominated TV writer Michael Kramer is going to teach you how he takes ideas for TV shows and turns them into compelling oral presentations in order to get Hollywood studios, networks and streamers to buy them. He’ll break down the whole pitch for you using actual pitches of his that have sold -- going from what inspired the idea to how to succinctly describe it to developing the characters to the importance of a theme. And whether your idea is for a TV show or something else, you’ll each get to present to the class the opening of your pitch: a short description of your idea and what inspired it. So whether your idea is for a TV show or another creative outlet, by the end of the workshop you’ll have an understanding of how to transform that idea into an actual presentation and tailor it to your unique talents so that your idea will have the best chance of selling. And hopefully have fun doing it.

Facilitators

Michael Kramer

Michael Kramer is an Emmy-nominated writer who has sold multiple comedy pilots to CBS, Disney and Sony, as well as to Universal, USA Network, TBS, Warner Bros. and Freeform. He has written for multiple animated and live-action comedies and dramas, including the one-hour series SUITS... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Literature/Communications/Performance

8:55am PST

Intro to Metalworking & Jewelry Making!

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this 2.5 hour activity, you'll learn the basics of small-scale metalworking using a variety of tools! You'll get an introduction to the world of 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 longer, more in-depth course where we'll get more practice and get to cover things more thoroughly? Check out the 5 hour In-depth version of this class!

Facilitators

Sophia Hoermann

Sophia Hoermann is a Nueva alumni from the class of 2022 and she is now a junior in college at the University of Utah. She started making jewelry in middle school and didn't realize until she took a jewelry making Intersession sophomore year that Nueva had all of the tools needed... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts, Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

8:55am PST

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this class, I will share with students how, in the words of the scholar Ruth Benedict, anthropology can help "make the world safe for human difference." I will describe how and why I became an anthropologist, and I will discuss in detail my experiences living and researching in South Africa. The class will also include a brief overview of what anthropology is and how an anthropological perspective can speak to social justice, climate change, the pandemic, and other critical issues of our time. I will include plenty of time for questions and discussion!

Facilitators

Sarah Ives

City College of San Francisco

I am an anthropologist, researcher, writer, and editor. I currently teach anthropology at City College of San Francisco. I previously taught anthropology and writing and rhetoric at Stanford University from 2013 to 2018. As a Fulbright and Mellon scholar, I earned my Ph.D. from Stanford... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics

8:55am PST

Landscape Design & Architecture

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

Landscape architecture is the study and practice of designing environments (outdoors & indoors) of varying scale that encompasses elements of art, environment, architecture, engineering, and sociology. Learn about key concepts in large-scale landscape design with Chungpo who runs a landscape architecture firm with major projects in the U.S. and China. He'll share the design process with real examples from site visits to construction completion. You'll learn about the tools and softwares that landscape architects use and you'll get a change to practice with a small design exercise.

Facilitators

Chungpo Fang

YIHE Landscape Architecture

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Movie Makeup: Burns, Bruises, Scars! Special Effects Makeup

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Learn how to create realistic wounds for Film and Television. Join Makeup Artist Elizabeth Fox as we use professional grade products to make cuts, bruises and multiple other gore and wounds. Elizabeth will show you how to navigate using the correct product for the job. We will use silicone build ups for scaring and cuts, bruise wheels and tattoo palates to make burns and bruises and learn on set blood techniques, using multiple fake blood products. A small makeup FX kit will be provided.

Facilitators

Elizabeth Fox

Elizabeth Fox has been a professional working makeup artist since 2000, with over 50 feature films to her credit. She began her makeup artistry in the theater and started working in television and film while living in New York City. After moving to Hollywood, Elizabeth worked primarily... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Movie time in Spanish!

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this session we’ll watch the Argentinian movie "El fútbol o yo"

Outrageous satire El Fútbol o Yo (My Love or My Passion) is a story about Pedro, a man whose passionate soccer fanaticism has reached extreme and alarming heights. His outrageous antics – which include watching matches at all hours of the day – begin to jeopardize his job and family, forcing his wife, Veronica, to give him an ultimatum: tone it down, or lose your family for good!

Set in Buenos Aires, this movie is filled with wild moments of irrational fervor. If you are an Argentinian, you probably know a hard core “hincha” whose fandom has bordered on the insanely inappropriate! (When we meet at Intersessions ask me why I know this !)

This movie depicts, in a fun yet ridiculous way what soccer means for Argentina and how it is at the heart and center of Argentina’s culture.

Prerequisites:
- All Spanish Speakers are welcome!
- Best suited for students who have taken Spanish 401. The movie will be played in Spanish with Subtitles in English.

Facilitators

Gisella Castronovo

Gisella Castronovo is mom of a 10th grader at Nueva. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and like most Argentinians, she grew up watching, listening, talking and breathing soccer! She is a lawyer and a bilingual court interpreter. She is passionate about teaching... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Language

8:55am PST

Roman Thoughts On War: Caesar And Vergil

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

"He plundered and burnt the town, bestowed the booty on the troops, and then crossed the Loire with the army." Julius Caesar led a huge army that conquered much of modern day France, leaving death and destruction in its trail. He also wrote reports on that war, seven books known as the Gallic War (from which the first sentence is quoted). Slightly less than a generation later, the poet Vergil wrote the Aeneid, which Romans thought of as their national poem; it too deals with warfare and its costs, but from a very different perspective. Two Romans, two takes on war: where Caesar is cold and calculating and distant,Vergil is close and compassionate.
In this seminar we will read and discuss sections of Caesar's Gallic War and Vergil's Aeneid. We'll reflect on the representations of war by the two authors, what it means to be human(e) in times of war, the notion of the hero (then and now), and views of 'the other'; and, lastly, questions of destiny, the darkness and cost of empire, and loss. We will combine it with a modern reading on drone warfare.

Facilitators

Christopher Krebs

Professor of Classics, Comparative Literature, German Language and Literature, Stanford University

Christopher Krebs studied Classics and philosophy in Berlin, Kiel, and Oxford and taught at Harvard before joining Stanford's Classics Department, where he regularly teaches a Freshman Seminar on Ancient Rhetoric and its Contemporary Relevance and an Humanities Core class on Great... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category History, Literature/Communications/Performance

8:55am PST

Singers: Healthy Belting Workshop

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

The infamous “belt” seems so easy for some and impossible for others. Why? Learn about how your body and vowel modifications can take your “meh-note” to a “money note”.

Come ready to sing, experiment, and laugh through hits and misses in a fun, caring, and safe environment.

Facilitators

Rocío Guitard

Master Instructor, Rocío Guitard Vocal Studio

Rocío Guitard has been a professional singer for over 30 years, with three solo albums to her name and multiple guest appearances on other artists’ records, plus extensive performing experience in Europe and the US. Her work as a voice pedagogy expert has led her to present at... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Music

8:55am PST

Testing (and Troubleshooting!) Electrical Systems

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

How often do things or new projects work the first time we turn them on? How often do we just throw stuff out when it breaks?

This session will cover what you need to know to successfully troubleshoot and solve problems commonly found with robotics, cars, appliances, or anything else with wires and controllers! With a few tips and tricks you'll be well on your way to be a troubleshooting expert.

- An introduction to test and integration engineering - how engineers get things working and test that they will stay working
- A conversation around common methods and electrical problem-solving tools like multimeters, oscilloscopes
- Hands-on activities - be prepared to work in groups to debug and test a few different types of systems

Facilitators

Craig Fedor

Lightship RV

Craig is a mechanical engineer with 8+ years of experience developing electric cars, buses, and now campers! He currently leads a team that does testing and debugging of electromechanical systems at an electric RV startup, Lightship RV.He is passionate about problem solving and breaking... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

8:55am PST

Topics in Fractals & Chaos

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

If you enjoyed learning about fractals in 4th grade CTU or Steven's popular Fun With Fractals summer camp, or you just find fractals & chaos fascinating, this might be the session for you. In this two-and-a-half hour session, we'll explore the fascinating logistic function, a simple iterative function that is used to model population dynamics and contains cycles of every length along with true chaos (which we'll define). We'll also learn the simple but incredibly powerful L-systems (Lindenmayer systems) grammar for creating fractals of startling complexity and variety. Time permitting, we also also take a deep dive into the mathematics of the Mandelbrot set or other still-to-be-decided-but-guaranteed-to-be-cool topics.

Facilitators

Steven Chanan

Nueva School

Steven Chanan is in his 16th year teaching at Nueva and was a Nueva student himself back in the 1970s. He is known for his passion for the subject and ability to bring together a wide variety of mathematical disciplines, such as fractals & chaos, contest math, recreational math, and... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

8:55am PST

What is Fair Pay and How Do I Get It?

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

You have probably heard about the importance of fair pay - but what does that mean and who decides what is fair? In this class you'll learn about how companies get market information about pay rates, how they set a pay philosophy, and how they then apply these both to determining the right amount and type of pay to offer a candidate for a job. We'll start by understanding job descriptions, job titles, job levels, and some basic laws about pay. We'll then learn about salary, bonus, and equity compensation. We'll talk about negotiation approaches and how to determine what is most important for you, based on your personal priorities. Finally we'll practice all of these learnings with a few sample pay negotiations.

Facilitators

Yuki Horiguchi

VP, Cruise

Yuki Horiguchi is currently a VP in the People function at Cruise, a self-driving car company, where she is responsible for compensation, benefits, people analytics, and workforce planning. She has spent over 20 years in life sciences and tech companies, designing and implementing... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Business and Finance, Wellness and Life Skills

12:35pm PST

Artificial Intelligence in Chess

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

We will cover the history of AI in chess from the first simple algorithms to the best modern engines, covering both their progress in chess and the meaning for AI as a whole.

Students will have the chance to develop their own simple chess AI, and will be given guides on how to develop more elaborate ones.

Facilitators

Steven Zierk

GM Steven Zierk is a chess professional and coach from San Jose, California. He won the World Youth Under 18 Championships in 2010 and after earning his degree from MIT in 2015, earned the Grandmaster title in 2018.

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

12:35pm PST

Baking Arts: French Macarons

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

Learn how to make French Macarons from scratch - with a salted caramel and dark chocolate ganache filling. Fundamental skills will cover weighing ingredients, proper mixing methods, piping, decorating and baking.

*This class takes place OFF CAMPUS at Baking Arts in San Mateo. Transportation options include the CalTrain or driving (no Nueva van provided). This class is not suitable for students with nut allergies.

Facilitators

Baking Arts

Baking Arts provides the San Mateo community with hands-on baking classes, specialty baking supplies, and unique spiced coffee.

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
Baking Arts 18 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

Content Category Cooking

12:35pm PST

Cartoonapalooza: A Hands-On Workshop Celebrating Comics, Graphic Novels, Cartoon Strips and Political Cartoons

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Cartoons are not just funny, they can be profound, disturbing, illuminating and always entertaining. David Horsey, who has won two Pulitzer Prizes for his editorial cartoons and has produced a nationally-syndicated cartoon strip, will lead a hands-on workshop looking at the many types of cartooning, from comics and graphic novels to animation and political cartoons. He will demonstrate how he creates his work and students will draw their own cartoons during the session. There will be a lively discussion of all things cartoonish. Students are encouraged to bring their own finished drawings for a critique or share examples of cartoons that they read and admire.

Facilitators

David Horsey

The Seattle Times

David Horsey is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for The Seattle Times.

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Conservation Ambassadors: Animal Behavior

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Do you want to learn how to train your teachers, your mom, and your dog? This seminar is all about learning how to understand and modify behavior. Animal behavior has fascinated humans throughout history. David and Lisa Jackson have trained everything from tigers to killer whales — and even their own parents — for over 35 years. Let them share their knowledge with you so you can create better relationships, happier pets, and less-annoying friends. This hands-on interactive experience will give you insight into how understanding behavior modification can positively change the world around you.

Facilitators

Conservation Ambassadors

Conservation Ambassadors

34 years ago David established a non-profit rescue zoo in Paso Robles where he gives wildlife a permanent, loving home for displaced, abused, abandoned or permanently injured wild and exotic animals. Sharing these animal ambassadors helps us educate learners of all ages about conservation... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Environmental Citizenship

12:35pm PST

Corporate Scandal: What Would You Do?

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

What do Theranos, WeWork, Uber, FTX, Boeing, and Wells Fargo all have in common? All of these were high profile and high performing companies that became embroiled in scandal, after some previously hidden information became publicly known - and some of these companies survived and others did not. How does a company that employs hundreds or thousands of well-intentioned people end up breaking laws or behaving unethically? Can you picture yourself working at a company like this and if you came across something that looked potentially unethical, how would you respond?

In this session we'll discuss a few case studies of companies that were viewed in high regard before they came undone. We’ll seek to understand what elements of the company culture, leadership, and other factors led to the circumstances. We will learn about which companies were able to recover and which could not. We will then review some key principles and frameworks of business and leadership ethics, then put our thinking to the test with a simulation of an ethical dilemma.

Facilitators

Yuki Horiguchi

VP, Cruise

Yuki Horiguchi is currently a VP in the People function at Cruise, a self-driving car company, where she is responsible for compensation, benefits, people analytics, and workforce planning. She has spent over 20 years in life sciences and tech companies, designing and implementing... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Business and Finance, Wellness and Life Skills

12:35pm PST

Dorm Snack Hacks!

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Many of you are planning for college after graduation and many of you will live in campus dorms or other university or student housing. This course is designed to equip you to make some healthy (yet tasty) snacks for yourself with limited equipment and tools. This course will teach you to create a few simple snacks that are healthy and nourishing. At the end of this 2.5 hour course participants will be able to:

1. Demonstrate how to use the "foolproof" method for cooking chicken breast with only a stovetop, pan & lid.
2. Prepare a simple chicken salad
3. Prepare a healthy homemade granola using only an oven and simple ingredients
4. Prepare a parfait using the homemade granola
5. Demonstrate or Explain how to safely prepare a guacamole with no cooking utenils or machines needed

Facilitators

San Mateo Supper Club

Hello everyone! As a passionate chef recently graduated from culinary school, I’m here to blend my love for clean, wholesome ingredients with a flair for diverse cuisines. I have lived on the Peninsula my whole life and grew up loving to cook. Over the years, I've cultivated a deep... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Cooking

12:35pm PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Intro to Metalworking & Jewelry Making!

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

In this 2.5 hour activity, you'll learn the basics of small-scale metalworking using a variety of tools! You'll get an introduction to the world of 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 longer, more in-depth course where we'll get more practice and get to cover things more thoroughly? Check out the 5 hour In-depth version of this class!

Facilitators

Sophia Hoermann

Sophia Hoermann is a Nueva alumni from the class of 2022 and she is now a junior in college at the University of Utah. She started making jewelry in middle school and didn't realize until she took a jewelry making Intersession sophomore year that Nueva had all of the tools needed... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts, Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

12:35pm PST

Knitting for Beginners and Beyond

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Learn how to knit or work on your stitches! This class is designed for both beginners, who want to be able to knit basic stitches to create projects of all types, and experienced knitters who want support as they work through a project. Students will learn how to cast on, knit, purl and cast off as well as important techniques of how to back out of your work to fix mistakes. In addition, knitting has a language all its own and some of this will be taught so the students can confidently buy their own yarn and read simple patterns. Useful handouts will be provided. Time will be given to practice and students will be able to take their work home for the evening and when the class is done. No experience necessary to take this class. Supplies will be included.

This class is offered twice; students are welcome to attend both if they want more knitting time.

Facilitators

Debbie Kitani & Lisa Ma

I’m a wife, mother, entrepreneur, knitter. I sold my software and services company back in 2001 and worked for the new company for 7 years. After I sold my company, I decided to learn how to knit and have been passionate about it ever since. The process of knitting is what intrigues... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Makeup: Creative Self Expression for All

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

This Makeup class is open to EVERYONE who wants a chance to play with makeup and explore creative boundary breaking looks! Today, Makeup is all about artistic expression and changing the rules so come to learn new techniques and explore your artistry. This class will concentrate on colors and playing with the eyes and appliqués. This fully inclusive class (everyone is welcome) will show you looks from TV shows and campaigns that are proving that makeup is a form of art than anyone can do. Bring your makeup kit and brushes (or just your creative self). A small makeup kit will be provided.

Facilitators

Elizabeth Fox

Elizabeth Fox has been a professional working makeup artist since 2000, with over 50 feature films to her credit. She began her makeup artistry in the theater and started working in television and film while living in New York City. After moving to Hollywood, Elizabeth worked primarily... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

The Crescent's Journey: Exploring Islamic History, 622-1258

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

An examination of the founding and expansion of Islam. We will explore a number of topics: the pre-Islamic environment in Arabia and the Near East; the biography of the Prophet Muhammad; the first Muslim community in Medina; the theological foundations of Islam; the era of the four rightly-guided caliphs; the Umayyad period and the Abbasid Empire. In addition, the course weighs in on key themes related to philosophy, culture, sectarianism, law, gender rights, and statecraft.

Facilitators

Marwan Hanania

Marwan D. Hanania was born and raised in Amman, Jordan. He received his B.A. with Honors in Government from Cornell University, M.A. in Regional Studies: The Middle East from Harvard University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in History from Stanford University. Marwan has taught at Stanford... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category History, Global Citizenship, Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics

12:35pm PST

Topics in Fractals & Chaos

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

If you enjoyed learning about fractals in 4th grade CTU or Steven's popular Fun With Fractals summer camp, or you just find fractals & chaos fascinating, this might be the session for you. In this two-and-a-half hour session, we'll explore the fascinating logistic function, a simple iterative function that is used to model population dynamics and contains cycles of every length along with true chaos (which we'll define). We'll also learn the simple but incredibly powerful L-systems (Lindenmayer systems) grammar for creating fractals of startling complexity and variety. Time permitting, we also also take a deep dive into the mathematics of the Mandelbrot set or other still-to-be-decided-but-guaranteed-to-be-cool topics.

Facilitators

Steven Chanan

Nueva School

Steven Chanan is in his 16th year teaching at Nueva and was a Nueva student himself back in the 1970s. He is known for his passion for the subject and ability to bring together a wide variety of mathematical disciplines, such as fractals & chaos, contest math, recreational math, and... Read More →

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

12:35pm PST

Understanding Martial Arts and Self Defense

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

This workshop will help students understand and analyze the difference between a variety of different martial arts forms as well as a bit of their history as well. Students will learn basic self defense principles and good practices for self improvement. We will break down the differences between various martial arts forms and their pros/cons, so students can help find out which martial art might be best for them.

This will be an overview of many martial arts conceptually, with a focus on jiu jitsu and Muay Thai based self defense. A combination of analysis, history, technique study, and practical application.

Facilitators

Cody Alan

Nueva School

Cody Alan is a high school teacher, musical artist, and an avid martial artist, currently a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a head coach at Skrap Pack in San Francisco under Gilbert Melendez.

Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Athletics and Movement, Wellness and Life Skills, History

8:55am PST

Advanced Chess Training - Making the Most of Each Piece

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

This class will cover each piece individually: cases where it is strong, cases where it is weak, and how to make your own pieces powerful and your opponent's pieces weak.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with all rules of chess including checkmate, castling, and en passant. Familiarity with chess notation is helpful.

Facilitators

Steven Zierk

GM Steven Zierk is a chess professional and coach from San Jose, California. He won the World Youth Under 18 Championships in 2010 and after earning his degree from MIT in 2015, earned the Grandmaster title in 2018.

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

8:55am PST

Beeswax Collage on Canvas

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Create beautiful art on canvas, using melted beeswax, mulberry paper, tissue, sewing patterns, and found images.
You will complete one canvas with the option to do a second one, time allowing. Participants are encouraged to bring a photocopy of a personal drawing, photo, or quote which they can incorporate into the composition Fun process and accessible technique!

Facilitators

Elaine G. Chu

Elaine G. Chu has taught workshops to people of all ages, including Nueva students for the past eight years. Her work has been published in "Greencraft" and "Somerset Studio" magazines as well as "1000 Artists‘ Books.” She co-authored "Wood Paper Scissors,” a how-to crafts book... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Bugs, Bots and Dark Patterns: Responsible Innovation in App and Website UX Design

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

App and website developers must consider a number of privacy, safety and security questions, in addition to building an engaging product experience. Are there any limits to the types of data I can collect in my app, or how I can use it? When do I need to ask permission, and how can I get it without creating friction that stops people from using my innovative product? How do I protect people who use my app from bots, hackers and other common online threats? An increasing number of laws in California, the US and around the globe require privacy and security by design - the idea that evaluating privacy and security risks and requirements, and designing solutions, must be a core part of the product development process.

We will discuss the basic privacy and security requirements and considerations when designing apps and websites and look at the design choices of popular apps and platforms -- including TikTok, Zoom, and Apple. We will then review several hypothetical app experiences and discuss the best choices for user privacy, safety and product experience.

Facilitators

Ashlie Beringer

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Ashlie Beringer is an attorney and partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and a Co-Chair of the firm's Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation group. Ashlie previously was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Facebook, where she advised Facebook's product managers and engineers... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

8:55am PST

Computing like it's the 80s!

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Check out how your parents played with computers from the late 1970's to the mid-'80s on original, working machines (IBM, Apple 2, Commodore 64, Osborne...), many of which were developed right here in Silicon Valley. They were heavy, noisy and clunky, but they spurred the personal computing revolution.

But not just video games - try your skills in programming, see if you can produce cool pictures using exotic pen plotters and dot matrix printers, and learn how these devices from the past worked, how to fix them, and how much people actually got done with them!

Facilitators

Giovanni Iachello

Meta

I've had a passion for tinkering and technology my entire life. I started using my parent's IBM PC in 7th grade. In high school, I wrote a 3d graphics engine. The last couple of years I worked on the Meta Quest VR headset and most lately, I've been working on AI.Before moving to the... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

8:55am PST

Dive into Dermatology with iTS-CORE!

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

Stanford University

If you are interested in healthcare and/or dermatology, this is the workshop for you! The Interactive Technology for Skin: Community Outreach, Research, and Education (iTS-CORE) workshop is an exciting, hands-on experience where you’ll come visit the Stanford campus to get an inside look into healthcare and dermatology. This is a unique opportunity to explore your curiosity through different stations that cover everything from career journeys to cool skin science. Here’s what’s in store:

Healthcare Career Panel: Meet medical students, nurses, and physicians who will share their journeys in healthcare — hear about the multiple paths or career changes to medicine/healthcare and how everyone has a unique and inspiring story!

Skin Health Basics: Discover the science of your skin! You’ll learn how melanin plays a role in skin health, what causes acne (and how to manage it), and why sun protection is important for everyone.

Hands-On Dermatology: Step into a dermatologist's shoes by practicing with the tools they use everyday – look at your skin with a dermatoscope, practice punch biopsies, and dive into our augmented/virtual reality dermatology game to learn about skin cancer and smart sun habits.
Optional Lab Tour: Pending time, we will take a tour of an active Stanford lab working on bacteriophages.

There is no prerequisite skills or knowledge needed to participate in this experience.

This session is OFF CAMPUS and hosted at Stanford. Transportation will be provided by Nueva.

Facilitators

Dawn Siegel

Clinical Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine

Dawn Siegel, MD is a pediatric dermatologist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Children's Health. Dr. Siegel’s education and training have taken her across the country—from Northwestern University near Chicago for college to the University of Wisconsin for medical... Read More →

Kavita Sarin

Associate Professor of Dermatology, Stanford University

Kavita Sarin, MD, PhD is a dermatologist at Stanford and the Director of the Stanford Skin Cancer Genetics Program. Dr. Sarin completed her college degree, medical school, PhD, and dermatology residency all at Stanford. As an expert leader in dermatology, Dr. Sarin researches the... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
Stanford University

Content Category Human Biology and Medicine

8:55am PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Intro to Classic Card Games – Learn to Play Hearts, Spades, Euchre and Oh Hell!

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

You probably know how to play poker, but what about classic strategy card games like Hearts, Spades, Euchre and Oh Hell!? If you’ve never played or just want to refresh yourself on the gameplay and get some practice, come join us…

Most of these games date back hundreds of years and have survived the test of time because they’re so well designed and so fun. We’ll talk about the rules and mechanics of each game, how to bid and score, and some basic strategy considerations. We’ll play a few hands of each and you can decide for yourself which is/are your favorite(s).

This will be a really relaxing way to learn some new games that you can play with family and friends. No prior experience playing cards is needed but we’ll send around a few videos in advance for folks to have some context coming in. And if you have the competitive spirit, we’ll be hosting a second session later this day that offers the chance to play full rounds in a friendly tournament.

Feel free to email Dan Bomze (dbomze@gmail.com) if you have any questions in advance of signing up

Facilitators

Dan Bomze

Dan is a long time Nueva parent who loves learning new games and playing cards with friends and family.

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

8:55am PST

Intro to Impact: Self-Defense Basics

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

From street safety and awareness to full-force self-defense techniques, this 2.5-hour class lays a foundation of skills including intuition, situational awareness, body language and voice proven effective at increasing safety and confidence. Participants practice de-escalating dangerous situations, and get the unique and powerful experience of practicing physical techniques at full force in safe and realistic scenarios against a padded mock assailant.

This class is led by a Whistle Instructor, who is the lead coach, and a Suited Instructor, who plays the role of mock assailant and wears a padded suit to allow students to hit full force. Physical techniques include defending against attacks from the front, being grabbed from behind, and an introduction to fighting from the ground. You'll leave this class feeling strong and maybe surprised by your own power and courage!

Facilitators

IMPACT Bay Area

Program Coordinator, IMPACT Bay Area

IMPACT offers violence-prevention programs for people to embody their own power, set effective boundaries, defend their physical and emotional safety, and heal. We build safe spaces for people who experience and resist violence differently because of who they are or how they are perceived... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Wellness and Life Skills, Equity and Social Justice, Athletics and Movement

8:55am PST

Introduction to Criminal Justice

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

There could not be a better time to study our criminal justice system. We are experiencing a time of significant change (much of it long in coming frankly). Each of you, as community members, can be a part of making those changes positive ones and I hope this seminar will help to inspire you to do just that. So... on to a few basic pieces of information about the seminar:

1. What are we going to be talking about?
The session will cover two primary areas: crime and criminal justice and our criminal justice system. We will be discussing things like: "why does crime exist?" and “is crime getting worse” and "why is there such a disconnect between communities and their police" and "do we really need police” and “do district attorneys and defense attorneys hate each other as much as they seem to on TV?" and, if time allows, "what on earth is going on with our prisons in the United States!? Why do we lock more people up than any other country?"...

Are you intrigued? Good!

We will be talking about current events and I recommend that you start plugging into news feeds from a variety of sources and perspectives. If you take the time to check out the news what we discuss will mean a whole lot more to you.

2. Will Professor Raffaelli just be a talking head?
I sure hope not! Bring on those questions and we will dig into them… I welcome and appreciate student participation and hope you save me (and yourself) from me just prattling on the whole time by myself. The criminal justice system is interesting (really!) and I look forward to hearing from you. I also hope that this class will result in more than a few of you looking further into a career in criminal justice. It is one of the places in this world that gives you an opportunity to make a difference in your community and society. Corny as it sounds there really is no better satisfaction than finding ways to help other people.

Facilitators

Elizabeth Raffaelli

Retired Deputy District Attorney, San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office (retired)

I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Social Psychology. I then attended Stanford Law School and graduated with my Juris Doctorate (JD). I passed the California State Bar and joined the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office where I served as a Deputy District Attorney... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics

8:55am PST

Neuroscience Crash Course: How Brains Perceive and Interact with the World...and What Happens When Things Go Wrong

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Neuroscience is a relatively young field in biomedical research, but it has revolutionized our understanding of how humans and other organisms perceive and interact with the world. Additionally, neuroscience research has elucidated some of the mysteries of brain disease that have long since eluded the medical field. In this intersession course, students will take a survey of the world of neuroscience, with a focus on how the brain perceives and interacts with its environment.

The session will be divided into two parts: 1) a lecture-based survey of neuroscience that tracks the anatomy and physiology of how the brain processes visual stimuli and then plans and executes movements. The session will use the simple example of hitting a baseball to highlight the complex visual and motor computations that that the brain performs in less than a few tenths of a second. 2) The second half of the lesson will be a practical experiment where students will measure their own visual-motor reaction times and to use that data to estimate the speed at which information is processed in their brains and whether we can experimentally modulate information processing.

Facilitators

Ryan Jones

Head of Corporate Development & Partnering, Xilis

Ryan is a neuroscientist with over a decade of neuroscience research experience. Ryan received his doctoral degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine, at UCLA and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF. Ryan's research has focused primarily on how neurons process information... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Human Biology and Medicine, Science

8:55am PST

What the Body Knows: Experience and Arts and Body Oriented Psychotherapy Interventions Including EMDR

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

What if talking was just a small part of psychotherapy? What if your body held more wisdom than your mind? Or if a set of postcards could help you discover connections you never noticed before? In this session, you’ll explore various psychotherapeutic techniques that integrate somatic awareness and creative expression, tapping into the body’s innate wisdom as a powerful resource for deeper self-understanding.

In the final third of the session, you'll be introduced to the art and science of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), an evidence-based therapeutic approach that uses bilateral stimulation to help individuals process and heal.

This is an experiential session, so please come ready to move, engage, and be open. Participants will take part in both group and individual activities involving movement and art. Curiosity and kindness are encouraged!

Facilitators

Tina Mizukami

Tina Mizukami, MA, LMFT, RYT-200, believes in the inherent ability of everyone to heal and move toward wholeness and resolution. With over 10 years of experience in private practice, Tina specializes in helping clients work through trauma, using approaches like EMDR to facilitate... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Wellness and Life Skills

8:55am PST

When It All Goes Wrong! An Intro to Crisis Communication

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Pandemics! Geopolitics! Economics! Bad behavior! These are turbulent times and businesses and other organizations are encountering lots of new challenges and even full-fledged disasters. When it all goes wrong, how should organizations think about communicating? What are the rules of the road? The common mistakes? Which audiences matter? What do you do when the New York Times calls or social media explodes? We'll talk about all of this and explore some scenarios.

Facilitators

William Moss

TSMC

William Moss, Head of Global Media Relations at TSMCWilliam is an experienced corporate communication professional who has worked in the US, China and Singapore. Currently, he leads global media relations for TSMC, the world's largest and most advanced semiconductor foundry. Previously... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Business and Finance, Literature/Communications/Performance

8:55am PST

Zombies, Zombies, Zombies

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Design, create and apply your own zombie makeup. Learn from Film FX Makeup Artist Elizabeth Fox how to make scary and gore heavy zombies. We’ll be using the same products used in feature films and television. You will learn the tips and techniques used by professionals. Not for the squeamish, this is Zombies like the pros make. We will be using non-latex prosthetics and build ups, fx makeup and work on zombie character creation. Up your halloween game, improve your short zombie films and scare the pants off your friends! A small makeup FX kit will be provided.

Facilitators

Elizabeth Fox

Elizabeth Fox has been a professional working makeup artist since 2000, with over 50 feature films to her credit. She began her makeup artistry in the theater and started working in television and film while living in New York City. After moving to Hollywood, Elizabeth worked primarily... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

1AMsf, Freedom of Speech and Public Art in Action

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Guests will learn to spray paint and exercise their freedom of speech by designing and painting a group mural. Students will also create an individual artwork using custom stencils and spray paint. A presentation of the process of making a mural and QnA will accompany the hand on art activities.

Facilitators

1

1AMsf

Founder, 1AMsf

1AM, short for First Amendment, represents the freedom of speech through urban art exhibitions, workshops, murals, and community events. Our mission is to progress the FREEDOM OF SPEECH THROUGH THE ARTS by cultivating a space and community of artists, art enthusiasts, and like-minded... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Baking Arts: Neapolitan Style Pizza

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

Learn the secret to the bubbly, chewy Neapolitan-style pizza crust by making the dough from scratch! Then hand-stretch your own pizza crust before baking it in our outdoor pizza oven. Leave with a personal pizza and dough to bake another pizza at home.

*This class takes place OFF CAMPUS at Baking Arts in San Mateo. Transportation options include the CalTrain or driving (no Nueva van provided). This class is not suitable for students with nut allergies.

Facilitators

Baking Arts

Baking Arts provides the San Mateo community with hands-on baking classes, specialty baking supplies, and unique spiced coffee.

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
Baking Arts 18 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

Content Category Cooking

12:35pm PST

Classic Card Game Tournament – Hearts, Spades, Euchre and Oh Hell!

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

If you know how to play any (or all) of the classic card games Hearts, Spades, Euchre and/or Oh Hell!, come join us to test your skills against other Nuevans. We’ll be hosting a friendly tournament that promises to be a fun time and there will be prizes!

We’ll take a poll of everyone who joins the session and can mix and match different games to create one or more tournaments that appeal to everyone.

Everyone is welcome, from beginner to advanced. And encourage your favorite faculty and staff members to join the action. If you have never played or are a bit rusty, please join the earlier session in the day where we’re teaching folks to play all these games. And we’ll also have some video refreshers available (and live “coaching”) if you have questions as you go.

Feel free to email Dan Bomze (dbomze@gmail.com) if you have any questions in advance of signing up

Facilitators

Dan Bomze

Dan is a long time Nueva parent who loves learning new games and playing cards with friends and family.

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

12:35pm PST

Computing like it's the 80s!

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Check out how your parents played with computers from the late 1970's to the mid-'80s on original, working machines (IBM, Apple 2, Commodore 64, Osborne...), many of which were developed right here in Silicon Valley. They were heavy, noisy and clunky, but they spurred the personal computing revolution.

But not just video games - try your skills in programming, see if you can produce cool pictures using exotic pen plotters and dot matrix printers, and learn how these devices from the past worked, how to fix them, and how much people actually got done with them!

Facilitators

Giovanni Iachello

Meta

I've had a passion for tinkering and technology my entire life. I started using my parent's IBM PC in 7th grade. In high school, I wrote a 3d graphics engine. The last couple of years I worked on the Meta Quest VR headset and most lately, I've been working on AI.Before moving to the... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

12:35pm PST

Conservation Ambassadors: Animal Behavior

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Do you want to learn how to train your teachers, your mom, and your dog? This seminar is all about learning how to understand and modify behavior. Animal behavior has fascinated humans throughout history. David and Lisa Jackson have trained everything from tigers to killer whales — and even their own parents — for over 35 years. Let them share their knowledge with you so you can create better relationships, happier pets, and less-annoying friends. This hands-on interactive experience will give you insight into how understanding behavior modification can positively change the world around you.

Facilitators

Conservation Ambassadors

Conservation Ambassadors

34 years ago David established a non-profit rescue zoo in Paso Robles where he gives wildlife a permanent, loving home for displaced, abused, abandoned or permanently injured wild and exotic animals. Sharing these animal ambassadors helps us educate learners of all ages about conservation... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Environmental Citizenship

12:35pm PST

Culinary Explorations: Insights into the World of Restaurant Hospitality and Fine Dining

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Where did the concept of a restaurant come from? When did fine dining become available to those outside of the aristocracy? You’ll get a short history of the modern restaurant, its origins, some of the milestones in modern cooking and construct your own high-end dessert from an assortment of provided ingredients.

We’ll cover:
·       The origins of restaurants: taverns, inns, cafes, boarding houses.
·       The rise of fine dining in the late 19th century.
·       The impact of California, farm-to-table and nouvelle cuisine.
·       How technology is impacting modern dining.

Short topics will also be:
·       Formal dining settings.
·       When to eat with your fingers.
·       You’d be crazy to be a part of this industry.

No prerequisite, just an interest in the restaurant and dining out culture.

Facilitators

Russell Jong

I learned to cook because I enjoy eating. I am a Nueva alumnus, having attended Nueva a long time ago. I enrolled in cooking school after I earned my degree from Stanford University. After a few years of working in kitchens as a cook and having my own catering company, I took a break... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category History, Cooking, Wellness and Life Skills

12:35pm PST

Designing Die Cut Stickers: Digital Illustration

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Just like in college-level art school, we will spend our part of the day screen-free. We will start by learning about sticker culture, looking a great sticker art, talking about the importance of art in public spaces, and discovering what happens when we democratize our art for all to see. We will then start the design process by sketching multiple ideas, talking through our process, doing a real live art school critique, and choosing one idea to develop.

Then we jump off the paper. We will take an idea from part one, and bring it into the digital space. We will start by going over the basics of Adobe Illustrator software on your laptops. Then students will have the remaining time to work freely on their own projects. At the end of the class finished art will be "submitting to the printer" aka Christina. Finalized work will be printed by a professional printer and returned to the school when completed. Processing usually takes up to 2 weeks but ultimately students will have 25 die-cut vinyl stickers to give away, trade, or just have fun with.

Facilitators

Christina Krzaszczak

Christina Jewels Design

My name is Christina and I am a graphic designer from the San Francisco Bay Area. I graduated from the Art Institute in San Francisco, CA in 2009 and since then I have worked with corporate clients, non-profits, and recently launched my own line of die-cut stickers. I draw my influence... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Designing Storytelling Games

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

In this session you'll learn how to design in-person storytelling games (including tabletop roleplaying games and larp). We'll play a few short games together and talk about processes and principles for game design. Then you'll design your own games and playtest them.

No prior play or design experience required.

Facilitators

Randy Lubin

Founder, Leveraged Play

Randy Lubin is an award winning game designer and entrepreneur. He makes beginner friendly roleplaying games and larps through his studio Diegetic Games. His consulting firm Leveraged Play designs serious games that help organizations explore the future and explain complex topics... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

12:35pm PST

From Hostage to Healer: Sarah Shourd's Journey to Rejecting Mass Incarceration

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Sarah Shourd is a lifelong social justice activist, somatic practitioner and a leader in the movement to create safer communities through Reimagining Justice outside prisons and jails. She is an award-winning investigative journalist, acclaimed Pulitzer-presented playwright, author, producer and filmmaker. In 2009, Sarah was living in Syria when she was captured near the unmarked Iran-Iraq border and imprisoned by the Iranian government incommunicado in solitary confinement for 410 days. Learn how this horrific experience became a springboard for Sarah’s work for healing, justice and collective liberation for the last 15 years, delving into the deeper implications of mass incarceration and the widespread use of solitary confinement in prisons across our country. How can we think outside of the harsh and brutal paradigm of punishment and control? How can we heal our communities and ourselves? See http://www.sarahshourd.com for more information.

Facilitators

Sarah Shourd

Founder, End of Isolation

I'm an award-winning author, trauma-informed journalist, playwright and Stanford John S. Knight Fellow based in Oakland, CA. Over the last decade the majority of my work has centered around exposing the inhumanity of solitary confinement and how it enables mass incarceration in U.S... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics

12:35pm PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Learn to Make Cheese

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Do you love cheese? Under the guidance of Gillian Chao, founding member of the San Francisco League of Urban Cheesemakers, you will experience the entire cheesemaking process, starting from milk and ending with your very own batch of fromage frais, a delightfully creamy cow’s milk fresh cheese. Don't forget to bring your appetite! You'll also do some "learn by eating" as you sample a curated selection of several different kinds of cheeses, including some of Gillian's personal favorites.

Facilitators

Gillian Chao

Gillian Chao can usually be found stationed by the cheeseboard at parties. She fell in with a maker crowd as she took cheesemaking classes and somehow became a founding member of the San Francisco League of Urban Cheesemakers. When she’s not making cheese, she is usually feeding... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Cooking

12:35pm PST

Movie Makeup: Burns, Bruises, Scars! Special Effects Makeup

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Learn how to create realistic wounds for Film and Television. Join Makeup Artist Elizabeth Fox as we use professional grade products to make cuts, bruises and multiple other gore and wounds. Elizabeth will show you how to navigate using the correct product for the job. We will use silicone build ups for scaring and cuts, bruise wheels and tattoo palates to make burns and bruises and learn on set blood techniques, using multiple fake blood products. A small makeup FX kit will be provided.

Facilitators

Elizabeth Fox

Elizabeth Fox has been a professional working makeup artist since 2000, with over 50 feature films to her credit. She began her makeup artistry in the theater and started working in television and film while living in New York City. After moving to Hollywood, Elizabeth worked primarily... Read More →

Wednesday January 8, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

American Sign Language

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Of the more than 380 languages used in the United States, only one of these consists of hand gestures, body movements and facial expressions, rather than the spoken word. Get a 'feel' for American Sign Language and Deaf culture as we learn the ASL alphabet, play games, sing and sign our way through this exciting hands-on workshop! You will learn enough signs to chat with your friends from across the room ...without making a sound!

Facilitators

Bill White

Owner, Happy Baby Signs

Bill White is the founder of the Happy Baby Signs and co-author with Kathleen Harper of the internationally best selling book, Signs of a Happy Baby. He has facilitated baby sign language programs at Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Sutter Health, Harmony Birth and Family, Blossom... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Language

8:55am PST

Beginning Guitar

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Students will learn the fundamental chord shapes on the guitar, as well as basic strumming, scales, and rhythmic concepts. We will also cover how songs are created and analyzed through the lens of contemporary rock/pop music. No experience required.

Facilitators

Greg Vaughan

Greg Vaughan has taught guitar and ukulele at Gryphon Strings for over two decades. He specializes in contemporary music including alternative, punk, rock (modern and classic), acoustic (especially classic and new rock), and electric blues guitar. He also has taught group guitar and... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Music

8:55am PST

Biomimicry: Learn From Nature’s 3.8 Billion Years Of Experience In Good Design

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Biomimicry is the conscious emulation of Life’s genius. It is a design and innovation discipline that brings together science, engineering, design and business. Organizations and change agents around the world learn from nature at multiple scales: products, packaging and materials, processes, and systems like cities. Join this session to learn about biomimicry and "Life’s Principles" — nature’s overarching strategies for good design — and start using them. The session will include a presentation and a team exercise. Teams will apply Life’s Principles to address specific challenges.

Facilitators

Zeynep Arhon

Certified Biomimicry Professional, Biomimicry 3.8

Zeynep Arhon is a Certified Biomimicry Professional with a background in business, specializing in account management and thought leadership at Biomimicry 3.8. She also teaches biomimicry and business courses in the Master of Science in Biomimicry program at Arizona State University... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering, Wellness and Life Skills, Science

8:55am PST

Crocheted Granny Squares

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Expand your crocheting skills including following written patterns and stitch diagrams. You’ll make up to three different granny squares, two of which can be continued indefinitely to make any size including one large square as a modern and graphic blanket. We'll also discuss how to attach squares together for patchwork projects. Ideally students will already know chain stitch and double crochet. More advanced crocheters can bring in granny square patterns or projects for individual help.

Facilitators

Kira Dulaney

Kira K Designs

Kira Dulaney has been teaching fiber arts classes and hosting crafty events in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 2002. As a teacher, her focus is on providing valuable information in a stress-free environment, and supporting students through the learning process. She is... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Effective Communication Across Differences

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

Learn and practice tools to communicate confidently and compassionately with family, friends, and strangers about any topic, no matter how polarizing. Conversations between those with difference perspectives can quickly escalate and separate as we argue to be right rather than discuss for understanding. It is possible, however, to foster productive conversations across differences that build connection. We’ll take an experiential approach to do doing just that. We’ll play, challenge ourselves, move past the "Peace Blockers" (blame, guilt, and defensiveness), and use the “3 Keys to Peace” (listening, empathy, and assertiveness) to build connection and more peaceful communities. Learn also about The Mosaic Project's Youth Leadership program where you can mentor 4th and 5th graders who are learning these skills.

Facilitators

Khemnes Fisher

Youth Leadership Project Director, The Mosaic Project

Khemnes manages Mosaic’s Youth Leadership Project and is responsible for providing a network of teens and youth adults with opportunities for mentorship and leadership. He connects youth from all different backgrounds and offers them facilitation experience in assertive communication... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

Content Category Wellness and Life Skills

8:55am PST

From Cover to Cover: A Book Arts Workshop

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

From Cover to Cover: A Book Arts Workshop is an exploration into the world of handmade books and the artistry of bookbinding. In this workshop, students will discover various bookmaking techniques, from folding and stitching to creating unique covers and personalized pages. Through guided instruction, participants will learn the basics of bookbinding, explore different materials and tools, and design their own one-of-a-kind books that tell a story or express a theme.

This workshop encourages students to think beyond traditional books, blending elements of art, design, and storytelling to craft an expressive final piece. Whether they’re interested in journaling, illustrating, or simply creating a personal keepsake, students will leave with a deeper appreciation of the book as an art form—along with a finished book that’s uniquely theirs from cover to cover.

Facilitators

Nina Osborne

Nina Osborne is a multimedia artist, printmaker, and art educator with a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and an MA in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University. As a mother of three boys aged 7, 9, and 10, she values nurturing creativity in young minds. Nina combines her... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Gel Plate Printing Inspired by Nature

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Create stunning monoprints with leaves from the yard. Learn experimental techniques with this fun medium such as inking with masked objects and making ghost impressions which show incredible detail. You will print a set of unique cards and afterwards construct a sewn booklet, using one of the cards as the cover.

Facilitators

Elaine G. Chu

Elaine G. Chu has taught workshops to people of all ages, including Nueva students for the past eight years. Her work has been published in "Greencraft" and "Somerset Studio" magazines as well as "1000 Artists‘ Books.” She co-authored "Wood Paper Scissors,” a how-to crafts book... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Insect Innovations: How Insect Adaptations Inspire Human Ingenuity

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Insect evolution offers a wealth of inspiration for human innovations. Learn how the remarkable adaptations of insects and other arthropods are influencing people in fields like medicine, engineering, and architecture. Led by Beetlelady, Dr. Stephanie Dole, this class will be an engaging tour of the amazing solutions nature has come up with and how humans can learn from them. This class will also include hands-on time with live bugs.

Facilitators

Stephanie Dole

Beetlelady

Stephanie Dole, PhD, known as the Beetlelady, is an entomologist who captivates audiences of all ages with her enthusiasm and knowledge of insects. She brings the world of bugs to life through engaging, hands-on educational class and experiences, such as her Pop-Up Bug Museum... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Science, Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

8:55am PST

Intro to Metalworking & Jewelry Making!

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this 2.5 hour activity, you'll learn the basics of small-scale metalworking using a variety of tools! You'll get an introduction to the world of 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 longer, more in-depth course where we'll get more practice and get to cover things more thoroughly? Check out the 5 hour In-depth version of this class!

Facilitators

Sophia Hoermann

Sophia Hoermann is a Nueva alumni from the class of 2022 and she is now a junior in college at the University of Utah. She started making jewelry in middle school and didn't realize until she took a jewelry making Intersession sophomore year that Nueva had all of the tools needed... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts, Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

8:55am PST

Making Change: Counting Finite Things using Infinite Ideas

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

How many ways can you make $0.97 from quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies?
How can you derive a closed-form formula for the sum of the first n squares or cubes? Or for the n-th Fibonacci number?

These all sound like inherently discrete counting problems--yet there are ideas from the realm of continuous functions, which have an essentially non-discrete, infinite character, that can be used to solve them. We'll explore generating functions, which encode solutions in polynomials, and touch on finite calculus, which extends ideas of calculus to the discrete realm.

Prerequisites: most of the class will just use ideas through precalculus, but familiarity with basic derivatives and integrals will be helpful for the last part of the class.

Facilitators

Michael Callahan

Michael Callahan had a first career as a mathematician, working on differential geometry, symplectic topology, and gauge theory, including as a Rhodes Scholar and Junior Research Fellow in Mathematics at Oxford University. After that he became a software entrepreneur and investor... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

8:55am PST

Song Decoder: Unlocking the Secrets Behind the Music You Love

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this workshop, we’ll break down some of our favorite songs to uncover what makes them truly work. What elevates a song from good to great? How can your musical taste shape your creative process? Using cutting-edge signal processing tools when needed, we’ll dive into the heart of the music, drawing on principles of auditory perception to reveal how physical sound transforms into an emotional experience. From detailed part-by-part analysis to whole-song critiques, this workshop will change the way you listen, and inspire how you create. "Song Decoder" is geared towards everyone, while Max’s other session, "Song Creator" is designed for musicians and songwriters. Led by songwriter/producer/keyboardist/educator Max Cowan.

Facilitators

Max Cowan

Composer/Educator/Creator, Max Cowan Music

I studied Music, Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Philosophy at UC Berkeley and have been a professional musician since graduating in 2005. My studies focused on understanding how living beings perceive and interact with sound, and I remain as excited about such interaction to this... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Music

8:55am PST

Stand-Up and Deliver: Comedy Writing

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this half-day stand-up comedy writing workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of crafting and delivering their own original comedic material. Through interactive exercises, group collaboration, and solo writing time, students will explore the art of joke construction, comedic timing, and finding their unique voice. The workshop will also emphasize the importance of storytelling and personal experience in comedy, helping students turn real-life observations into relatable, funny material. By the end of the session, participants will have developed a short stand-up set and gain the confidence to share their work with the group.

Facilitators

Corey Rosen

My name is Corey Rosen. My wife, Jenny, teaches drama and improv at Nueva. I am a writer, actor, producer and author of “Your Story, Well Told.” I host The Moth StorySlam and have been featured on The Sarah and Vinnie Show and The Moth Radio Hour. My teaching specialty is... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Literature/Communications/Performance, Wellness and Life Skills

8:55am PST

Startup Pitch Workshop: From Idea to Winning Presentation

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this dynamic workshop, participants will explore the art of startup pitching. Students will discuss what makes a great pitch, brainstorm innovative ideas, and learn to structure compelling presentations in small teams. The session culminates in a pitch competition where 3-4 teams present to expert judges, including Wayee and her associates. Teams will receive valuable feedback, refining their pitching skills and understanding key investor considerations. The workshop concludes with the selection of a winning team, celebrating creativity, teamwork, and effective communication. This hands-on experience provides students with practical skills in startup ideation, collaboration, and presentation – essential for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators.

Facilitators

Wayee Chu

General Partner, Reach Capital

Wayee Chu is a General Partner at Reach Capital, a venture fund investing in founders who empower people to thrive across learning, health, and work. Prior to Reach, Wayee was the co-founder of the NewSchools Seed Fund; a fund focused on early stage education technology companies... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Business and Finance

12:35pm PST

American Sign Language

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Of the more than 380 languages used in the United States, only one of these consists of hand gestures, body movements and facial expressions, rather than the spoken word. Get a 'feel' for American Sign Language and Deaf culture as we learn the ASL alphabet, play games, sing and sign our way through this exciting hands-on workshop! You will learn enough signs to chat with your friends from across the room ...without making a sound!

Facilitators

Bill White

Owner, Happy Baby Signs

Bill White is the founder of the Happy Baby Signs and co-author with Kathleen Harper of the internationally best selling book, Signs of a Happy Baby. He has facilitated baby sign language programs at Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Sutter Health, Harmony Birth and Family, Blossom... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Language

12:35pm PST

Art and Identity

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

In this session, you will learn about the work of artist Julie W Chang, who uses the language of patterns to explore the personal and political forces that shape and misshape our lives: narratives, cultures, myths, institutions, and expectations.

You will have the opportunity to explore the images and icons, that represent the unique aspects of who you are, to create your own "pattern identities" that will be layered and woven into an individual or collaborative work of art. A variety of tools and materials may be incorporated including, hand-cut paper, block printing and Adobe Illustrator.

Facilitators

Julie Chang

Julie W Chang is a San Francisco-based contemporary artist, whose paintings and large-scale public installations investigate how identities are constructed and how (mis)understandings of both self and other might be resisted, subverted, and reimagined. Her work has been exhibited... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Baking Arts: Kouign Amann

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

Discover the magic of this decadent, caramelized pastry! Make kouign amann from scratch - bake off one to enjoy in class and then take home dough to bake off more for family and friends. At almost 50% butter by weight, it's one of the favorite pastries in our kitchen. Fundamental skills will cover weighing ingredients, proper mixing methods, rolling doughs, forming pastries and baking.

*This class takes place OFF CAMPUS at Baking Arts in San Mateo. Transportation options include the CalTrain or driving (no Nueva van provided). This class is not suitable for students with nut allergies.

Facilitators

Baking Arts

Baking Arts provides the San Mateo community with hands-on baking classes, specialty baking supplies, and unique spiced coffee.

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
Baking Arts 18 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

Content Category Cooking

12:35pm PST

Beginning Ukulele

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

George Harrison wrote, “Everyone should have and play a ‘UKE.’ It’s so simple to carry with you and it is one instrument you can’t play and not laugh!” He carried his uke with him and gave away ukes to friends whenever he could. “Everyone I know who is into the ukulele is ‘crackers,’ so get yourself a few and enjoy yourselves,” he said. Good advice from a Beatle. This course offers an introduction to playing the ukulele. Geared toward both complete neophytes and experienced beginners, the course will teach students the basics of uke chords and strumming. A dozen or so chords will be covered as well as a few strum patterns and basic fingerpicking. Basic chart reading and rhythm studies will also be discussed. No experience required.

Facilitators

Greg Vaughan

Greg Vaughan has taught guitar and ukulele at Gryphon Strings for over two decades. He specializes in contemporary music including alternative, punk, rock (modern and classic), acoustic (especially classic and new rock), and electric blues guitar. He also has taught group guitar and... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Music

12:35pm PST

Children's Book Writing & Publishing 101

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a children's book writer? Then this session is for you. Sabrina Moyle, author of over 20 children's books including nine Amazon Editor's Picks, will walk you through the business and process of writing and publishing a children's book. What makes a great children's book? What are the different children's book types and formats? Why do people purchase children's books? Why are some books successful, and others are not? What are the key elements of a children's book? What does a finished children's book manuscript look like? How does a book go from manuscript to publication? How do you get a children's book published? We'll start by discussing some beloved children's books, such as Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon and The Rabbit Listened, investigate what makes them work, and discuss how books like these are made and published. Students will then have a chance to brainstorm some ideas of their own.

Facilitators

Sabrina Moyle

Writer, Hello!Lucky

Sabrina is a writer and co-founder of Hello!Lucky, a creative studio based in San Francisco known for its letterpress greeting cards, and children's books, with her sister, illustrator Eunice Moyle. She has written over 25 books for children and adults selling over 1.5 million copies... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Literature/Communications/Performance

12:35pm PST

Consent and Treatment of the Dead in Museums

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Museums curate and display human remains in order to research the past and to educate the public. But it has come to light that many of the individuals on display might not have considered the museum to be their ideal final resting place. Adding in individual and indigenous voices problematises the concept of curation of human remains, but many archaeologists see us on a path we can’t retreat from without radically changing the field. Museum visitors also expect to see skeletons, and most find it part of their education - and often inspires them to go into research of medicine. Additionally, ancient cultures and modern society have radically different views of the afterlife, consent, and burial practices that are often at odds with each other. In this session we’ll learn about and debate these differing views.

Key questions: How can we as curators and archaeologists balance these different value systems? Do the dead have a voice, and what would they argue for? What are some of the arguments for and against keeping human remains on a case-by-case basis? How can we develop more complex arguments than "I wouldn't want that to happen to my body" when all of our ideas of our bodies are different?

Part of a series: “Ethical issues in archaeology." Students are invited to attend one or more sessions in this series by Stacy.

In this session, we will be viewing images of ancient human remains and will be discussing death.

Facilitators

Stacy Hackner

Dr Stacy Hackner is an interdisciplinary researcher who has worked with human remains in the British Museum, the Museum of London, and the UCL Pathology Museum, among others. Her work broadly covers feminist and decolonial archaeology, the role of women in society, and lower leg biomechanics... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Equity and Social Justice, History, Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics

12:35pm PST

Conservation Ambassadors: Animal Behavior

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Do you want to learn how to train your teachers, your mom, and your dog? This seminar is all about learning how to understand and modify behavior. Animal behavior has fascinated humans throughout history. David and Lisa Jackson have trained everything from tigers to killer whales — and even their own parents — for over 35 years. Let them share their knowledge with you so you can create better relationships, happier pets, and less-annoying friends. This hands-on interactive experience will give you insight into how understanding behavior modification can positively change the world around you.

Facilitators

Conservation Ambassadors

Conservation Ambassadors

34 years ago David established a non-profit rescue zoo in Paso Robles where he gives wildlife a permanent, loving home for displaced, abused, abandoned or permanently injured wild and exotic animals. Sharing these animal ambassadors helps us educate learners of all ages about conservation... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Environmental Citizenship

12:35pm PST

Get Your Hands Dirty: Learning How to Fix and Tune Up Your Bicycle

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Do you like to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty? Do you have a bicycle? Would you like to know how to maintain your bike? This Intersession class will teach you how to change a flat tire, repair a flat tire, clean/change/oil/wax your bicycle chain,re-tape your bar, and change your brake pads. No prequisitie skills required.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own bikes! If they don't own a bike but want to learn these skills in preparation for future bike ownership, we will provide a few teacher-owned bikes to fix up.

Facilitators

Joe To

Joe lives with his family in San Francisco and is the parent to Wyatt '25. During his free time he likes to train and participate in triathlons.

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Wellness and Life Skills, Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

12:35pm PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Intro to Aerial Silks

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

Ascend Aerial Arts at IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness

This introductory class is for those curious about aerial silks or interested in developing strong core and upper body with conditioning exercises on and off the silks. No experience necessary. Try it once and you’ll be hooked! All participants must be in good health, and in proper physical condition to participate in aerial silk activities.

This is an OFF CAMPUS session and students will arrive at the studio at 12:45 and depart at 2:45. Transportation will be pre-arranged.

What to bring to class?
- Yoga Mats and/or Large Towel are optional but recommended.
- Bring your water bottle to stay hydrated! We offer filtered water for refills.
- Cubicles are available to store your belongings.

What do I wear & not wear for aerial classes?
- NO “Metal” Policy. All students are asked to remove all jewelry before coming to class including rings, earrings, piercings, bracelets etc.
- NO ZIPPERS PLEASE! Wear clothing without metal parts (e.g. zippers) it may cause injury or snag the fabric while you are performing. If jewelry cannot be removed it must be covered with sports tape.
- Wear tops that are secure and that can be tucked in.
- Wear leggings. Be sure your pants have a secure waist – loose waistbands may get pulled off by the fabrics. DO NOT wear shorts WITHOUT leggings or tights underneath!
- Be aware of holes or sheer fabrics near the crotch of pants (this happens more often than you think, so check out your pants/shorts)

Facilitators

Ascend Aerial Arts at IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness LLC

IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness LLC

Students will work with Aerial Instructors Claire Lewis, Piper Shueh & Katerina Adamos-Jardine at Ascend Aerial Arts.

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
Ascend Aerial Arts at IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness 836 Brittan Ave, San Carlos, CA 94070

Content Category Athletics and Movement

12:35pm PST

Intro to Metalworking & Jewelry Making!

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

In this 2.5 hour activity, you'll learn the basics of small-scale metalworking using a variety of tools! You'll get an introduction to the world of 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 longer, more in-depth course where we'll get more practice and get to cover things more thoroughly? Check out the 5 hour In-depth version of this class!

Facilitators

Sophia Hoermann

Sophia Hoermann is a Nueva alumni from the class of 2022 and she is now a junior in college at the University of Utah. She started making jewelry in middle school and didn't realize until she took a jewelry making Intersession sophomore year that Nueva had all of the tools needed... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts, Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

12:35pm PST

Introduction to Arabic Language, Culture and Music

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

This class teaches students the Arabic alphabet, daily expressions and basic grammar while employing Arabic music and video clips to expose students to the diverse culture(s) of the Arab world. No previous knowledge necessary.

Facilitators

Ramzi Salti

Advanced Lecturer, Stanford University

Dr. Ramzi Salti is an Advanced Lecturer of Arabic at Stanford. He received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature (Arabic, French, English) in 1997 and is a published author and essayist. Dr. Salti is also the host of Arabology--a podcast and YouTube Program that focuses on Arabic music... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Global Citizenship, Language, Music

12:35pm PST

Song Creator: Crafting Musical Magic

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

In this workshop, we will focus on the art and science of songwriting. We’ll delve into the craft of creating melodies that resonate and lyrics that linger. We’ll explore various song structures and learn how to mold them to suit your artistic vision. You’ll learn techniques to enhance your lyrical depth, experiment with harmonic progressions, and effectively employ rhythm to enhance emotional impact. We'll also cover the essentials of demo production, giving you the tools to bring your songs to life. Whether you’re a budding songwriter or looking to refine your skills, "Song Creator" will equip you with the knowledge to express your unique musical identity. Led by songwriter/producer/keyboardist/educator Max Cowan, this workshop is an invaluable resource for anyone eager to take their songwriting to the next level.

Non-musicians are encouraged to enroll in Max’s other session, “Song Decoder.”

Facilitators

Max Cowan

Composer/Educator/Creator, Max Cowan Music

I studied Music, Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Philosophy at UC Berkeley and have been a professional musician since graduating in 2005. My studies focused on understanding how living beings perceive and interact with sound, and I remain as excited about such interaction to this... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Music

12:35pm PST

Tapestry Weaving

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Weaving is an ancient art that is easy to learn yet has endless possibilities. We will use a simple frame loom to make an artistic wall hanging while exploring plain weave as well as rya fringe, soumak, and clasped weft weaving techniques. No experience necessary.

Facilitators

Kira Dulaney

Kira K Designs

Kira Dulaney has been teaching fiber arts classes and hosting crafty events in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 2002. As a teacher, her focus is on providing valuable information in a stress-free environment, and supporting students through the learning process. She is... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

[AI Programming]

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Facilitators

Carlos Guestrin

Professor, Stanford University

Carlos Guestrin is a Professor in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University. His previous positions include the Amazon Professor of Machine Learning at the Computer Science & Engineering Department of the University of Washington, the Finmeccanica Associate Professor... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Design Thinking/Technology/Engineering

8:55am PST

American Sign Language

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Of the more than 380 languages used in the United States, only one of these consists of hand gestures, body movements and facial expressions, rather than the spoken word. Get a 'feel' for American Sign Language and Deaf culture as we learn the ASL alphabet, play games, sing and sign our way through this exciting hands-on workshop! You will learn enough signs to chat with your friends from across the room ...without making a sound!

Facilitators

Bill White

Owner, Happy Baby Signs

Bill White is the founder of the Happy Baby Signs and co-author with Kathleen Harper of the internationally best selling book, Signs of a Happy Baby. He has facilitated baby sign language programs at Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Sutter Health, Harmony Birth and Family, Blossom... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Language

8:55am PST

Anxiety Society: A History of Nervousness from Railway Madness to Coca-Cola

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Why were grown men once absolutely terrified to ride trains? What would compel well-to-do women to swear off all physical activity and eat nothing but heavy cream soups? Why were doctors so worried about wristwatches? How did Coca-Cola – with traces of cocaine – become America’s favorite headache remedy?

In a word: anxiety.

In this session, we’ll explore the history of modern America through its wild, amusing, and sometimes disturbing responses to big changes that included the rise of cities, new technologies, lightning-fast transportation, access to drugs, and shifting gender roles and identities. To do this we'll examine medical literature, fairytales, Victorian fiction, and a bit of 19th century pseudoscience.

For students interested in history, medical mysteries, gender studies, source analysis, and storytelling.

Facilitators

Felicia Angeja Viator

San Francisco State University; TIME Magazine

Felicia Angeja Viator is an associate professor of history, a pop culture writer, and a bonafide horror nerd. She's also a history editor for TIME magazine and a curator for the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Felicia is the author of To Live and Defy in LA (Harvard University Press... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category History, Human Biology and Medicine, Wellness and Life Skills, Literature/Communications/Performance

8:55am PST

Beginning Guitar

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Students will learn the fundamental chord shapes on the guitar, as well as basic strumming, scales, and rhythmic concepts. We will also cover how songs are created and analyzed through the lens of contemporary rock/pop music. No experience required.

Facilitators

Greg Vaughan

Greg Vaughan has taught guitar and ukulele at Gryphon Strings for over two decades. He specializes in contemporary music including alternative, punk, rock (modern and classic), acoustic (especially classic and new rock), and electric blues guitar. He also has taught group guitar and... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Music

8:55am PST

Chinese Brush Painting

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Chinese Brush Painting is considered as one of the oldest living arts in the world. It has existed for more than 6,000 years and is quite a fascinating and unusual art form. Each brush stroke is a defining move that is very hard to correct. The simplicity of a Chinese painting belies the complex and demanding process that the artist went through to produce it. This workshop is designed for course is designed to provide students with an awareness of Chinese Brush Painting and what makes it unique. Students will learn how to hold a Chinese brush, use it to execute basic strokes, and create artworks.

Facilitators

Felix Lim & Bobbi Makani

Felix Chan Lim, Ph.D. has participated in more than 180 art exhibits and has conducted more than 150 lectures and painting workshops on Chinese brush painting over the past nearly four decades. He was an associate professorial lecturer in painting for more than ten years, and his... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

FMRI, Virtual Reality, and the Brain

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

How does the brain, a three-pound organ, give rise to all of the thoughts and feelings we experience everyday? How can new technologies such as virtual reality contribute to our understanding of the brain and human behavior?

This course will be an introduction to novel methods that scientists are using to learn about human cognition, emotion, and motivation. We begin the session by examining the the structure and function of the brain, and how scientists use neuroimaging to gain insight into the biological basis of behavior. We will then explore current methods like immersive virtual reality (VR), psychophysiological methods, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI). We will conclude with a discussion about how to apply these new methods to open questions in psychology and neuroscience, as well as some crucial ethical considerations that arise when utilizing such approaches.

Facilitators

Tara Srirangarajan

Stanford University

Tara Srirangarajan is a Psychology PhD candidate and NSF graduate research fellow at Stanford University. Before coming to Stanford, she completed her B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience at Northeastern University. Tara's research interests lie at the intersection of affective neuroscience... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Science, Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics

8:55am PST

Handcarved Blockprints on Paper and Fabric

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Design and sketch a custom blockprint. Using a clever transfer technique and linocutting tools, learn how to carve a rubber slab.
Print a set of cards, a drawstring bag, and a cloth napkin. Time-allowing use your blockprint to make a mini animated flip-book. You will complete the class with knowledge and skills to create more designs of your own!
No previous experience needed. All levels welcome.

Facilitators

Elaine G. Chu

Elaine G. Chu has taught workshops to people of all ages, including Nueva students for the past eight years. Her work has been published in "Greencraft" and "Somerset Studio" magazines as well as "1000 Artists‘ Books.” She co-authored "Wood Paper Scissors,” a how-to crafts book... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Knitted Cables

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Cables are fun to knit and can add texture and detail to any project. Learn how to work cables and traveling stitches both with and without a cable needle, as well as how to read cable stitch patterns and charts. If you’re ready to move beyond simple knit/purl patterns in your knitting, this is the class for you!

Facilitators

Kira Dulaney

Kira K Designs

Kira Dulaney has been teaching fiber arts classes and hosting crafty events in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 2002. As a teacher, her focus is on providing valuable information in a stress-free environment, and supporting students through the learning process. She is... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Learn to Play Bridge: Competitive Card Play

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

Do you like card games, puzzles, or problem-solving? Are you interested in the logical thinking and people-reading skills used in games like chess or poker? Do you want to try something different and fun? Bridge is a game you can play all your life. No experience necessary. Learn what you need to know to get started for a lifetime of fun at the bridge table.

Students who attend this session are invited to the open Bridge play session in the afternoon.

Facilitators

Jennifer Kuhn

Jennifer Kuhn is an ACBL bridge teacher and tournament director. She won the 2022 Red Ribbon National Pairs and can teach the game from the very beginning.

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Math and Games

8:55am PST

Polaroid Emulsion Lifts: Make Photographs that Look like a Memory Feels

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to turn your favorite image into a Polaroid print, then carefully transfer the delicate, tissue-like emulsion onto watercolor paper. I'll teach you how to "lift" the emulsion layer, creating an image that flows, wrinkles, and even looks like it's floating—a cool, dreamy effect that actually looks the way a memory feels. No experience is necessary; just bring your favorite digital photos and get ready to dive into the world of handmade, experimental image making.

You'll work with paintbrushes and warm water to stretch, wrinkle, and blend your images. By the end of the class, you’ll leave with your own handmade emulsion lifts and all the know-how to keep experimenting at home. So, grab your favorite photos and join us for a workshop filled with creativity, experimentation, and the magic of Polaroids!

Examples: https://kathrynian.com/polaroid-emulsion-lifts

Facilitators

Kathryn Gentzke

Founder, The CCC Project

With a background in interdisciplinary arts and years of experience mentoring youth across the globe, artist founder Kathryn Ian Gentzke created a unique space where young writers and photographers can bring their visions to life.After graduating with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studio... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

8:55am PST

Rewiring Reality: Magic, Witchcraft, & the Radical Imagination

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST

TBA

This workshop explores magic and witchcraft as tools of the radical imagination—experimental and empowering methods for challenging the dominant narratives and systems of control in our lives and “rewiring” reality itself. Together, we’ll examine these multifaceted concepts, tracing their evolution, cultural significance, and philosophical relevance to our world today. Students will explore the intersections of magic with politics, art, and psychology, and have a chance to craft their own “spells” to confront and transform the limiting structures they encounter in their lives. No previous knowledge of the subject matter will be expected. All are welcome.

Facilitators

Joshua Gentzke

Joshua is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Monmouth College with a Ph.D. in religious studies from Stanford University. His research delves into the intersections of religion, culture, and environmental humanities, with a special interest in countercultural and alternative... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
TBA

Content Category Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics, Equity and Social Justice, History, Literature/Communications/Performance

12:35pm PST

A History of Haunted Houses

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

The witch’s hat, towers and turrets, gingerbread latticework, and the attic. In the Victorian era, houses with these architectural details represented all the comforts associated with the American Dream. But by the 20th century, ornate Victorian homes began to warn us: something’s not right in there; something nefarious is lurking inside.
Why?
In this session, we’ll take a ghost tour through the cultural history of Victorian architecture in America. With a little help from the Brothers Grimm, Shirley Jackson, Tim Burton, Alfred Hitchcock, and Sarah Winchester, we’ll explore what made these structures so iconically creepy.

Facilitators

Felicia Angeja Viator

San Francisco State University; TIME Magazine

Felicia Angeja Viator is an associate professor of history, a pop culture writer, and a bonafide horror nerd. She's also a history editor for TIME magazine and a curator for the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Felicia is the author of To Live and Defy in LA (Harvard University Press... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category History, Philosophy/Social Science/Law/Politics

12:35pm PST

American Sign Language

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Of the more than 380 languages used in the United States, only one of these consists of hand gestures, body movements and facial expressions, rather than the spoken word. Get a 'feel' for American Sign Language and Deaf culture as we learn the ASL alphabet, play games, sing and sign our way through this exciting hands-on workshop! You will learn enough signs to chat with your friends from across the room ...without making a sound!

Facilitators

Bill White

Owner, Happy Baby Signs

Bill White is the founder of the Happy Baby Signs and co-author with Kathleen Harper of the internationally best selling book, Signs of a Happy Baby. He has facilitated baby sign language programs at Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Sutter Health, Harmony Birth and Family, Blossom... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Language

12:35pm PST

Atomically Thin Crystals: A New Twist on Quantum Materials

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

In recent years, methods have been developed to peel atomically thin layers from bulk crystals simply using Scotch tape. By restacking them on top of each other, sometimes with an interlayer twist, it is possible to engineer new quantum materials that would not otherwise occur in nature. In many such systems, the electrons act collectively, leading to superconductivity, magnetism, and other exotic behavior which may have technological applications. In this session, we will present an overview of the broader field of these “two-dimensional” materials. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in related hands-on activities, including making their own two-dimensional flakes and seeing them in a microscope.

Facilitators

Ben Feldman

Stanford University

Ben Feldman is an Assistant Professor at Stanford University. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Haverford College, his PhD from Harvard University, and spent time as a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. His research interests include study of electronic properties... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Science

12:35pm PST

Baking Arts: Croissants & Pain Au Chocolat

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

Learn how to make laminated dough from scratch that can be used to make croissants and pain au chocolat. Fundamental skills will cover weighing ingredients, proper mixing methods, rolling doughs, forming pastries and baking.

*This class takes place OFF CAMPUS at Baking Arts in San Mateo. Transportation options include the CalTrain or driving (no Nueva van provided). This class is not suitable for students with nut allergies.

Facilitators

Baking Arts

Baking Arts provides the San Mateo community with hands-on baking classes, specialty baking supplies, and unique spiced coffee.

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
Baking Arts 18 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

Content Category Cooking

12:35pm PST

Chinese Brush Painting

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Chinese Brush Painting is considered as one of the oldest living arts in the world. It has existed for more than 6,000 years and is quite a fascinating and unusual art form. Each brush stroke is a defining move that is very hard to correct. The simplicity of a Chinese painting belies the complex and demanding process that the artist went through to produce it. This workshop is designed for course is designed to provide students with an awareness of Chinese Brush Painting and what makes it unique. Students will learn how to hold a Chinese brush, use it to execute basic strokes, and create artworks.

Facilitators

Felix Lim & Bobbi Makani

Felix Chan Lim, Ph.D. has participated in more than 180 art exhibits and has conducted more than 150 lectures and painting workshops on Chinese brush painting over the past nearly four decades. He was an associate professorial lecturer in painting for more than ten years, and his... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Fun Viral Foods Cooking

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Tik Tok and Instagram has brought us visibility into so many different foods it is staggering, and many of them go viral. In this class you will learn how to make some fantastical viral foods that are sweeping the nation. You'll have the benefit of tested recipes and techniques from a local chef who offers many of these "viral" foods to local customers. In this class you'll learn how to make these viral sensations:
1. Spaghetti Donuts: Spaghetti that you can eat with your hands in the shape of a donut!
2. Tortillas Wraps: The quad method with a coupld of special cuts and folds that allows you to make a delicious snack or meal with just a tortilla and a few simple ingredients
3. Lemon Possets: An easy dessert with minimal ingredients, lemon possets blew up this spring and summer. Students will learn to make a basic fun & easy custard in aesthetically pleasing hollowed out lemon shells with just lemon juice, cream, sugar, zest & vanilla.

Facilitators

San Mateo Supper Club

Hello everyone! As a passionate chef recently graduated from culinary school, I’m here to blend my love for clean, wholesome ingredients with a flair for diverse cuisines. I have lived on the Peninsula my whole life and grew up loving to cook. Over the years, I've cultivated a deep... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Cooking

12:35pm PST

Hot Glass - Cool Designs

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Create your own hot glass experience in this hands-on hot glass class. Blow, shape, and color your project. Explore the technical and the artistic basics of glass working in this fast-paced beginner's class.

Facilitators

Douglass Brown

Half Moon Bay Art Glass

Douglass Brown has had a 40+ year history of working with glass in many different types of glass. 13 years ago, he opened up Half Moon Bay Art Glass and started giving hot glass experiences to the public and corporate team building events. Now with the help of his team, they have... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Intro to Aerial Silks

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

Ascend Aerial Arts at IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness

This introductory class is for those curious about aerial silks or interested in developing strong core and upper body with conditioning exercises on and off the silks. No experience necessary. Try it once and you’ll be hooked! All participants must be in good health, and in proper physical condition to participate in aerial silk activities.

This is an OFF CAMPUS session and students will arrive at the studio at 12:45 and depart at 2:45. Transportation will be pre-arranged.

What to bring to class?
- Yoga Mats and/or Large Towel are optional but recommended.
- Bring your water bottle to stay hydrated! We offer filtered water for refills.
- Cubicles are available to store your belongings.

What do I wear & not wear for aerial classes?
- NO “Metal” Policy. All students are asked to remove all jewelry before coming to class including rings, earrings, piercings, bracelets etc.
- NO ZIPPERS PLEASE! Wear clothing without metal parts (e.g. zippers) it may cause injury or snag the fabric while you are performing. If jewelry cannot be removed it must be covered with sports tape.
- Wear tops that are secure and that can be tucked in.
- Wear leggings. Be sure your pants have a secure waist – loose waistbands may get pulled off by the fabrics. DO NOT wear shorts WITHOUT leggings or tights underneath!
- Be aware of holes or sheer fabrics near the crotch of pants (this happens more often than you think, so check out your pants/shorts)

Facilitators

Ascend Aerial Arts at IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness LLC

IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness LLC

Students will work with Aerial Instructors Claire Lewis, Piper Shueh & Katerina Adamos-Jardine at Ascend Aerial Arts.

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
Ascend Aerial Arts at IMPACT! Kickboxing Fitness 836 Brittan Ave, San Carlos, CA 94070

Content Category Athletics and Movement

12:35pm PST

Jam Session

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

This will be a fun and relaxed session for intermediate/advanced players to enjoy playing together in a group. Greg will facilitate with suggested tunes and sheet music. Feel free to reach out in advance with requests or suggestions!

Facilitators

Greg Vaughan

Greg Vaughan has taught guitar and ukulele at Gryphon Strings for over two decades. He specializes in contemporary music including alternative, punk, rock (modern and classic), acoustic (especially classic and new rock), and electric blues guitar. He also has taught group guitar and... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Music

12:35pm PST

Knitting for Beginners and Beyond

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Learn how to knit or work on your stitches! This class is designed for both beginners, who want to be able to knit basic stitches to create projects of all types, and experienced knitters who want support as they work through a project. Students will learn how to cast on, knit, purl and cast off as well as important techniques of how to back out of your work to fix mistakes. In addition, knitting has a language all its own and some of this will be taught so the students can confidently buy their own yarn and read simple patterns. Useful handouts will be provided. Time will be given to practice and students will be able to take their work home for the evening and when the class is done. No experience necessary to take this class. Supplies will be included.

This class is offered twice; students are welcome to attend both if they want more knitting time.

Facilitators

Debbie Kitani & Lisa Ma

I’m a wife, mother, entrepreneur, knitter. I sold my software and services company back in 2001 and worked for the new company for 7 years. After I sold my company, I decided to learn how to knit and have been passionate about it ever since. The process of knitting is what intrigues... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Lead an Intersession for Lower School Students

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

Nueva Hillsborough Campus

Spend some time with our lower school students! This is a wonderful opportunity to interact with the youngest Nuevans and (re)visit the Hillsborough campus.

Participants will work in pairs or groups to design a 60-minute lesson for lower school students (you will need to do this BEFORE the session and Katie can help!). You can pick the grade and the topic of the class. Examples: storytelling, learn a new sport, arts & crafts, etc – the skies the limit! Great for students interested in teaching or who just want to have some fun being a kid again.

This session is on the HILLSBOROUGH CAMPUS. Transportation will be pre-arranged.

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
Nueva Hillsborough Campus 6565 CA-35, Hillsborough, CA 94010

Content Category Wellness and Life Skills

12:35pm PST

Needle Felting Soft Sculptures

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

Needle felting is a fun way to create fuzzy soft sculptures using wool and special felting tools. We'll start with flat images that can be turned into pins or patches, then move into 3-D projects. You can felt your favorite food, animals, or abstract art - the sky's the limit!

Facilitators

Kira Dulaney

Kira K Designs

Kira Dulaney has been teaching fiber arts classes and hosting crafty events in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 2002. As a teacher, her focus is on providing valuable information in a stress-free environment, and supporting students through the learning process. She is... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Fine and Industrial Arts/Crafts

12:35pm PST

Personal Writing: Finding and Publishing Your Story

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

In this session we will use tools to to figure out what aspects of your experience could lend itself to memoir, whether in a short form or a book and as well as how to structure your material and potentially publish it. There are no prerequisites: just the desire to explore your experiences.

Facilitators

Melanie Thernstrom

Melanie Thernstrom is a New York Times bestselling author of three works of non-fiction and former writer for The New York Times Magazine. She wrote her first book, The Dead Girl, a memoir, while in college, based on diaries from high school and college. It was recently selected to... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Literature/Communications/Performance, Language

12:35pm PST

Singers: Get your Riffing On!

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST

TBA

We’ll learn and experiment with proven vocal exercises and scales designed to help you understand how those epic riffs are constructed, and how to get there.

Bring your favorite song as a backing track on your phone and come ready to play, sing, and laugh through hits and misses in a fun, caring, and safe environment.

Facilitators

Rocío Guitard

Master Instructor, Rocío Guitard Vocal Studio

Rocío Guitard has been a professional singer for over 30 years, with three solo albums to her name and multiple guest appearances on other artists’ records, plus extensive performing experience in Europe and the US. Her work as a voice pedagogy expert has led her to present at... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:35pm - 3:10pm PST
TBA

Content Category Music