2021 Specialty Courses - Exclusively Online
Inspire Creativity, Spark Imagination, Ignite Literary Appetites, and that's Just the Beginning!
Our Online Summer Specialty Courses were a huge success last summer, and we are bringing them back again for Summer 2021.
See our summer 2020 classes listed below for a sampler of courses previously offered. Stay tuned for announcements of 2021 courses this spring!
Choice, Flexibility, & Excitement
Specialty Courses will include a budget-friendly menu of à la carte course choices. You can add these optional Specialty Courses to your Great Books Online or Writer’s Workshop Online sessions or purchase them separately for extra fun and excitement each week.
Summer 2021 is all about options to fit your schedule and interests! Register Now.
Specialty Courses Previously Offered
From podcasting and debate to acting, art, Shakespeare and beyond - a broad selection of courses will be available weekly for summer 2021.
Add these courses to your Great Books or Writer’s Workshop Online sessions or purchase them separately. Debate, create, try something new, and grow skills with us as you add diversity to your summer program.
The choice is yours. You can even create your own custom summer program by choosing one or two of these courses any week -- or every week!
- Portrait Drawing – Students will learn the basics of figure drawing using standard a #2 pencil and paper. We will go over rules of proportion, do timed sketch exercises, analyze different portrait styles and create a final portrait for the end of the week.
- Photography - Study the history of photography as art, and explore the medium by taking (and discussing) photos of our own. We will ask questions about subject matter, technique, and the question of truth.
- Scripts, Storyboards, and Shots - Sequential Art for Films – This course will introduce and discuss the visual art-making that goes on behind the scenes of film production, and how to move an idea from the page to live-action using visual narrative tools. No prior skills necessary.
- Zines and Mini Graphic Novels - Students will create a short graphic novel or zine on a topic of their choice. They can fill their zine with art, poems, musings, narratives, etc. We will learn basic book making, perspective drawing, graphic design and composition.
- Debate - Learn how to give spectacular speeches and to structure your ideas into clear arguments. Builds the skills for debating and confidence in presentation, considering multiple perspectives and giving thoughtful on-the-spot responses.
- Building Character – A course where we'll pick a character from a musical and practice immersing yourself in that character. We'll explore truly embracing a characters entireÿ narrative through a musical, their emotional journey as well as their songs and scenes.
- Lyrics, Poetry & Spoken Word – We'll explore the basics to songwriting lyrically. How to take an idea and inspiration and create a lyrical piece of work that can stand alone or be written specifically to music.
- Podcasting – Students will explore a variety of topics for original Podcasts. Students will be introduced to Soundtrap, an online recording studio where we can record our podcast, edit and transcribe the text, add background music and get our Podcast ready for publication.
- Video Game Soundtracks – Dig deep in the archive and find out how the original NES creators got the world hooked on gaming. Experiment with classic, 8-bit technology and write your original loops to accompany throwback titles like Mega Man and Castlevania III.
- Micro Mystery: Forensic Science and Mystery Writing – Create a mini-mystery using real detective skills! Learn and apply forensic science techniques while creating your own unique mystery short story.
- Public Speaking – To many, speaking in front of a large crowd both digitally and in-person can be quite intimidating. To become more confident and proficient, we must learn how to get comfortable with this uncomfortable situation. We will go through the fundamentals of public speaking as well as create and present speeches based on personal experiences.
- The Art of Persuasive Speech – Stating your opinion in a speech is one thing, attempting to make everyone agree with your standpoint is another. Find a topic of your interest and then use research to craft a speech in which your audience sees and understands your position.
- Devil’s Advocate: Shakespeare’s Villains - Embrace your inner scoundrel as we delve into Shakespeare’s baddies. Equal parts rhetorical analysis and performance, Devil’s Advocate takes a deep dive into the world of The Bard’s greatest villains.
- Monologue Intensive - We will spend the week learning the basics to performing monologues! Need help finding a monologue to audition with? This class will help you gain the tools needed to memorize, execute and perform a monologue. All levels welcomed!
- Science Fiction Theater - Can "strange new worlds and new civilizations" be created without the special effects of film? Of course! All you need is a story to tell and writers and performers to tell it. We will read and discuss plays with SF themes such as AI, cloning, and apocalypse/dystopia; using these texts as inspiration, we will create our own short performance pieces.
- Superhero 101: Exploring our Modern Mythology - Create your own superhero origin story! Explore ancient and modern superhero mythology to build your own unique superhero story.
- Criticism 101: Writing about Film & TV – With social media anyone can share their opinion about that movie they just saw. But if your interest in media is matched by your love for writing, you might be a critic in the making. We will explore the role of the media critic, read a variety of different styles of criticism, and create our own media studies magazine with original reviews.
- Intro to Playwriting - A workshop devoted to writing for the stage through practice and discussion. We will examine the work of contemporary playwrights, engage in writing exercises, all with the goal of developing our own voices as writers.
- Micro Mystery: Forensic Science and Mystery Writing - Create a mini-mystery using real detective skills! Learn and apply forensic science techniques while creating your own unique mystery short story.
- Perspective; Changing A Narrative Event – Investigate elements that give a story perspective, and manipulate these elements to radically change our original stories- without compromising their core meaning. Nothing is different, but everything's changed.
Get More Info!
Stay in touch as new classes for 2021 are announced. Request information via phone, text, email, or jumping on our website for a live chat. We're here to help!
