Explorations Listings
Click on each course title for course details, full descriptions, and schedules. Use the filter to reduce the list of titles to that type.
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| Explorations for Elementary Students | Prerequisites | Total fee | Availability | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Insect Discovery Lab | Currently in Gr. K–3 | 60 | Almost full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Insect Discovery Lab close On site Grade requirement:For students completing Kindergarten, 1, 2 or 3. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle ObamaFull course descriptionExplore the fantastic lives of beetles, millipedes, walking sticks, whip scorpions and more! Students will be introduced to the extraordinary world of insects and other arthropods, and learn about their key role in the web of life. Scientific observation, insect identification, and the natural history of insects' lives are just some of the areas students will focus on as they interact with real live specimens and discover their incredible diversity. Schedules
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| Learn to Play Chess | Currently in Gr. K–6 | 60 | Almost full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Learn to Play Chess close On site Grade requirement:Open to students completing sixth grade or younger. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle ObamaFull course descriptionHave you always wanted to learn to play chess? If you have never played or if you are just a beginner, this is the Exploration for you! We will introduce the different pieces and the basic rules of the game. You will learn the opening, middle, and end game strategies of one of the oldest board games in the world. Instructors are from Bay Area Chess, which was named 2018 Chess Club of the Year by the US Chess Federation. Schedules
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| Chess Club | Currently in Gr. K–6 | 60 | Almost full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chess Club close On site Grade requirement:Open to students completing sixth grade or younger. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle ObamaFull course descriptionImprove your skills at the “Game of Kings.” If you are an intermediate or advanced level chess player, this is the Exploration for you. Learn more about game play strategies, ways to counter your opponent, and different approaches to winning. Further hone your skills with strategic moves and an introduction to tournaments. Instructors are from Bay Area Chess, which was named 2018 Chess Club of the Year by the US Chess Federation. Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Concoctions | Currently in Gr. K–1 | 60 | Almost full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Concoctions close On site Grade requirement:For students completing Kindergarten or 1. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle Obama ElementaryFull course descriptionExplore, experiment, and learn while we concoct interesting and amazing recipes! Create some of your favorite play materials and learn a bit of everyday kitchen chemistry by using common household ingredients. It's ooey, gooey fun! Schedules
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| Mindful Art & Movement | Currently in Gr. K–2 | 60 | Varies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mindful Art & Movement closeFor younger students On site Grade requirement:For students completing Kindergarten, 1 or 2. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle Obama ElementaryFull course descriptionLearning to listen to your body and mind is a critical life skill that not enough of us take the time to learn! Moving mindfully, taking breaks when you need to, and controlled breathing are all easy practices that could be the difference between a bad day and a great day. In Mindful Art & Movement, students will learn how to be in the present moment in order to listen to their bodies’ needs, they will learn how controlled breathing can aid in emotional regulation, and they will learn skills to improve their focus and concentration. Students will be excited to learn how simple it is to introduce mindfulness into their daily routines in order to live the happiest lives they can! Schedules
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| Drawing Studio | Currently in Gr. 2–6 | 60 | Full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Drawing Studio close On site Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle ObamaFull course descriptionDrawing is not just a natural talent; it is something that can be learned and practiced. This Exploration is for students who want to learn the basic skills of drawing. Students will learn how to look carefully at objects, see the shapes they are made from, and then learn to copy these shapes to create realistic-looking drawings of animals, fruit, toys, flowers, and buildings. Students of varying ages and abilities will work together and independently to create drawings through copying real life objects and other drawings. Students who attend in the morning can also attend in the afternoon, and either continue work they've begun, or start on new projects. Schedules
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| Adventurer's Academy | Currently in Gr. 2–6 | 60 | Almost full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adventurer's Academy closeOn site Grade requirement:Open to students completing grade 2 and older. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle ObamaFull course descriptionCalling all adventurers! Set out on an epic journey through the realms of imagination in this tabletop role-playing game Exploration. With the help of an experienced Game Master, students will take command of a character and work together with their classmates as they embark on an immersive quest. In each session, students will strengthen their communication and collaboration skills, develop their empathy and critical thinking, and exercise their creativity in problem solving. Instructors are from Bay Area RPG, which is dedicated to creating friendly, safe and inclusive environments for all learners. Schedules
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| Things That Go | Currently in Gr. 2–6 | 60 | Varies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Things That Go closeOn site Grade requirement:Open to students completing grade 2 and older. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle Obama ElementaryFull course descriptionPaper airplane races, baking soda rockets, popsicle stick mini drones, and other fun, creative, tricky and cooperative challenges will be part of this class. Each week we'll explore a couple different arts and crafts projects where students will engineer something fun. Things That Go will have students saying “wow, that’s amazing” and “so much fun!” and “Look at that thing go!" Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed Media Arts and Crafts | Currently in Gr. 3–6 | 60 | Varies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mixed Media Arts and Crafts closeOn site Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 3, 4, 5 or 6. Total Fee: $60 On-site at Michelle ObamaFull course descriptionThis art-focused Exploration will give students the opportunity to explore and create art using mixed media. Students will flex their creativity by choosing from a variety of projects and will discover new ways of making art. Week 1 projects will consist of different paper arts including painting, scrapbooking, and collaging. Week 2 will be focused on fiber arts combining painting and weaving. Week 3's theme will be 3-dimensional art with clay, mosaics, and beading. With inspiration and your imagination, you can create something special and unique. You may take this Exploration as many times as you wish - your creativity is limitless! Schedules
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| No courses in this department match your selected filter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Explorations for Middle/High School Students | Prerequisites | Total fee | Availability | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Happiness Advantage | Currently in Gr. 6–11 | 150 | Full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Happiness Advantage closeOn site Grade requirement:Open to students completing grade 6 and older. Total Fee: $150 On-site on UC Berkeley campusFull course descriptionHow often have you thought, "I just need to get through this, then I'll be happy"? You're not alone! This is a popular phrase that stems from the misconception that happiness will be waiting for you after you achieve your goal. But this course will argue that happiness is the precursor to success, not the other way around, and happiness can become a form of resilience and motivation for students that will ultimately lead them to be more successful. In this Exploration, we will learn about the positive psychology studies of Shawn Achor and the benefits of conditioning their cognitive patterns for happiness. We will capitalize on positivity, adjust our mindsets and retrain our brains to find the right path to cope with defeat and stress, form manageable goals, make small adjustments to the prep work leading up to a task, and invest in their social network. Together, students will become their own psychologists and conduct experiments around mindfulness, gratitude, and kindness and by the end of the session, students will walk away with a better understanding of their neurology and more control over their happiness and life. Schedules
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| SAT Preparation: Math | Currently in Gr. 8–11 | 120 | Full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SAT Preparation: Math closeOn site Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 8 and up. Total Fee: $120 On-site on UC Berkeley campusFull course descriptionWith many colleges and universities reinstating test score requirements, the SAT is becoming again a necessary component of a complete college application. This course will provide students with an overview of the two major SAT modules (Reading & Writing, and Mathematics), a review of the test’s core content, strategies for test-taking, and two diagnostic exams — administered in real time. This course is intended for students just starting to contemplate college applications and who are looking for an introduction to the test. This series will focus on the Mathematics portions of the exam. Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SAT Preparation: Reading & Writing | Currently in Gr. 8–11 | 120 | Full | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SAT Preparation: Reading & Writing closeOn site Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 8 and up. Total Fee: $120 On-site on UC Berkeley campusFull course descriptionWith many colleges and universities reinstating test score requirements, the SAT is becoming again a necessary component of a complete college application. This course will provide students with an overview of the two major SAT modules (Reading & Writing, and Mathematics), a review of the test’s core content, strategies for test-taking, and two diagnostic exams — administered in real time. This course is intended for students just starting to contemplate college applications and who are looking for an introduction to the test. This series will focus on the Reading & Writing portions of the exam. Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No courses in this department match your selected filter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Explorations Online | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Explorations for Middle/High School Students | Prerequisites | Total fee | Availability | |||||||||||||||||
| Unlock Your Coding Potential with USACO | Click for details | 70 | Full | |||||||||||||||||
Unlock Your Coding Potential with USACO closePrerequisite: Half-year coding experience required in Python/Java/C++. Online Grade requirement:Open to students completing grade 6 and older. Total Fee: $70 Full course descriptionUSACO (USA Coding Olympiad), much like the Math, Physics, and Chemistry Olympiads, offers a thrilling platform for secondary school students to flex their coding muscles and hone their problem-solving skills. However, many students are unaware of this incredible opportunity! In this course, we'll introduce you to the world of USACO; discover what USACO is and why it could be useful to you! We'll learn about the different USACO levels and what each level covers, gain insights into how to approach USACO contests and advance to higher levels, and dive into hands-on practice with a simulation of USACO practice tests. This Exploration is hosted by X-Camp, a Silicon Valley-based coding academy that specializes in comprehensive computer science education with USACO levels as a benchmark. Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Short Fiction Workshop | Currently in Gr. 6–11 | 150 | Full | |||||||||||||||||
Short Fiction Workshop closeOnline Grade requirement:Open to students completing grade 6 and older. Total Fee: $150 Full course descriptionStorytelling is an incredibly powerful tool, with the ability to boost empathy, aid in persuasion, and evoke a spectrum of emotions. Stories provide a platform to simultaneously explore and escape our world. In this course, we will discuss the function of stories and students will learn the 'formula' that can turn any idea into an impactful short story. We will actively workshop and develop your ideas, focusing on plot structure, character development, meaningful details, and polishing through revision. Students who fully engage with the course will emerge with a complete short story, enhanced skills to execute future ideas, and a community of fellow writers. Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Writing a Personal Statement for College | Currently in Gr. 8–11 | 90 | Full | |||||||||||||||||
Writing a Personal Statement for College closeOnline Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 8 and up. Total Fee: $90 Full course descriptionIn this three-part workshop, students will draft and revise a personal statement for college applications. During the first meeting, students will review sample college personal statements, formulate a set of best practices for writing personal statements, and brainstorm and free write toward their own personal statement. During the second meeting, students will workshop their personal statement drafts in small groups and receive one-on-one feedback on their drafts from the instructor. Using the feedback from their peers and instructor, students will then revise their personal statement for the final meeting. No prework is required for the first meeting. In order to benefit the most out of the workshop, students are expected to complete a full draft of their personal statement before the second meeting. Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Intro to Data Visualization I | Currently in Gr. 8–11 | 90 | Full | |||||||||||||||||
Intro to Data Visualization I closeOnline Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 8 and up. Total Fee: $90 This class meets after hours in the evening! Please check the class times carefully to make sure it is compatible with your schedule before signing up. Full course descriptionData visualization is a necessary skill for anyone working with data, from business to science. Understanding how to create effective graphs allows us to communicate findings and help others to better see, interact, and understand data. Of equal importance is the ability to assess the effectiveness of a graphic and determine if it is at all misleading. This is an introductory course to the principles of data visualization. Topics include: the role of graphics, the grammar of graphics, the choice of graphic, common color models, designing principles (e.g. data-to-ink ratio, good practices, visual perception), assessment of graphics (what makes a graphic good). Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Intro to Data Visualization II | Currently in Gr. 8–11 | 90 | Full | |||||||||||||||||
Intro to Data Visualization II closeOnline Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 8 and up. Total Fee: $90 This class meets after hours in the evening! Please check the class times carefully to make sure it is compatible with your schedule before signing up. Full course descriptionData visualization is a necessary skill for anyone working with data, from business to science. Being able to create effective graphs allows us to communicate findings and help others to better see, interact, and understand data. This is an introductory course to the applications of data visualization with R/RStudio. Students will develop their understanding of data visualization principles and a programming language that will prove useful in any field. Topics include: the basics of data wrangling in R (dplyr), the implementation of the grammar of graphics with ggplot2, the creation of different types of plots, and the customization of graphs (colors, themes, axis, etc.). Previous coding experience is not required. Please note that this series will build heavily upon the previous one, so participation in Series 1 is recommended (We will be focusing on the implementation of the principles of data visualization discussed previously). Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Intro to Neurotechnology I | Currently in Gr. 8–11 | 150 | Full | |||||||||||||||||
Intro to Neurotechnology I closeNeurobiological FoundationsOnline Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 8 and up. Total Fee: $150 Full course descriptionThis course is a technical introduction to the field of neurotechnology. We will introduce and dive deep into the various topics that neurotechnology encompasses, including neuroscience, cognition, signal processing, machine learning, EEG/EMG/fMRI, and data science. Students will be able to draw upon various techniques from signal processing and machine learning (using Python) to gather and analyze brain data, as well as build interfaces between humans and computers. Students will be able to draw upon various techniques to gather and analyze brain data, understand how wearable devices are implemented, and how the neuro-industry tackles neurodegenerative disease or human augmentation. Lastly, we want our students to reflect upon the “big picture” of the emerging field of neurotech -- why does this field exist, what are its applications, and how does it change what it means to be human? By the end of these Explorations, students can expect to have developed a deep understanding of the brain as a biological organ as well as a computational machine. Part I of this Exploration will focus on neurobiological foundations. No pre-requisites. Students will learn through in-person lectures, interactive content review, in-class activities (such as case studies), and technical projects (including jupyter notebooks). Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Intro to Neurotechnology II | Currently in Gr. 8–11 | 150 | Full | |||||||||||||||||
Intro to Neurotechnology II closeThe Field of NeurotechnologyOnline Grade requirement:For students completing Grade 8 and up. Total Fee: $150 Full course descriptionThis course is a technical introduction to the field of neurotechnology. We will introduce and dive deep into the various topics that neurotechnology encompasses, including neuroscience, cognition, signal processing, machine learning, EEG/EMG/fMRI, and data science. Students will be able to draw upon various techniques from signal processing and machine learning (using Python) to gather and analyze brain data, as well as build interfaces between humans and computers. Students will be able to draw upon various techniques to gather and analyze brain data, understand how wearable devices are implemented, and how the neuro-industry tackles neurodegenerative disease or human augmentation. Lastly, we want our students to reflect upon the “big picture” of the emerging field of neurotech -- why does this field exist, what are its applications, and how does it change what it means to be human? By the end of these Explorations, students can expect to have developed a deep understanding of the brain as a biological organ as well as a computational machine. Part II of this Exploration will focus on the field of neurotechnology. No pre-requisites, but participation in Part I series is strongly recommended. Students will learn through in-person lectures, interactive content review, in-class activities (such as case studies), and technical projects (including jupyter notebooks). Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Math Study Lab | Click for details | 250 | Open | |||||||||||||||||
Math Study Lab closePrerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in a ATDP SD Math class Online Grade requirement:Open to all qualified students. Total Fee: $250 Full course descriptionThese math study labs are offered in order to support students who are enrolled in ATDP math classes. As math classes are accelerated and taught at a very fast pace, the study labs will provide assistance to students during the six weeks. Both individually and in groups, students will have the opportunity to receive help with challenging concepts, class lessons, and homework assignments. Schedules
Please make a selection above This course has more than one schedule available | ||||||||||||||||||||
| No courses in this department match your selected filter. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hours per Week Estimate
The Hrs. per week column indicates the approximate time commitment per week, including class sessions, homework, and self-study, based on reports from previous years’ students.
×Prerequisites
It is important to note course prerequisites and grade level requirements when you are selecting your course choices, as not all courses are open to all students.
The course is open to students completing the listed grade levels this year. Grades listed in blue are recommended.
If no grade levels are listed, the course has prerequisites in addition to or instead of a grade level requirement; refer to the individual course description for details.
×Explorations Fees
If the Explorations fee has an asterisk, please be aware that this is a reduced amount due to currently being in the Earlybird discount period.
Please see the Explorations calendar for information on when the discount may no longer be available.
×Meeting times
Unless otherwise noted, all AM courses meet 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon and all PM courses meet 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
×Availability updates
ATDP continues to update course availability every day as information changes. Courses can close quickly (or sometimes even reopen) depending on the number of applicants, the maximum size of the class, and whether any students decline their course placement.
Before application postmark deadlines: we project course availability based on the rate of applications for each class.
After the deadlines and before placement decisions are finalized: we project availability based on the number of applications for each class.
After placement decisions are finalized and admissions letters are sent out: we list actual availability based on the current number of enrolled students.
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