Courses
The below list provides a sample of courses that are offered in Y.E.S. Academy.
*New and exciting courses are offered each summer! An updated list of summer 2020 courses will be available in early spring.
Pottery: Creating with Clay
Pinch, pull, coil and slab! Have messy fun transforming a lump of raw clay into mice, birds, or rhinos or make a bowl or personalized mug for a family member. This course features techniques used in ceramics to make glazed pottery. All works will be fired by the instructor.
Instructor: Carrol FlemingSketch Artist's Alley: Cartoon Characters
Sketch Students will learn how to draw traditional and non-traditional cartoon characters by applying foundational art techniques, while drawing caricatures from historical cartoon characters. The traditional techniques will be applied to various foundational concepts in art as students learn to design their own characters and learn to develop a plot with the various characters sketched.
Instructor: Ed RoederFilmmaking
Go behind the scenes or in front of the camera in the journey to create film pieces in Southwestern College’s own Telemedia Studio Room! Filmmakers will participate in roles such as directing, camera operating, sound recording, art directing, lighting, voice-over, and of course, acting and improvising! Session I students will write and develop three commercial ads, while Session II students will work to create a 3-5 minute music video!
Instructor: Alexis DuranHip Hop Dance
This is an exciting hip hop dance class that will leave your student feeling confident about dancing Hip Hop! Students will learn beats, rhythm, dance routines, and musicality through various styles of Hip Hop techniques, and will have an opportunity to create their own choreography. From new school to old school music, this course will feel just like a never-ending dance party!
Instructor: Kyoko Jennings3D Modeling and Animation in Maya
Navigate in 3D space! Learn the tips and tricks the professionals at Pixar use to create, color, and animate using Autodesk Maya software. Students will work to build a rocket and make it move, from start to finish. This class is suited for both beginners and returning students, as new approaches and techniques will be taught. USB drive required.
Instructor: Angela JonesWeb Animations & Photoshop Tricks
Did you know that Photoshop can do so much more than just manipulate photographs? This premier software can generate fire, liquefy facial expressions, and create animations! Unleash your creative power and learn how to use this amazing program in new and exciting ways! USB drive required.
Instructor: Angela JonesDigital Painting with Photoshop
Digital painting is an innovative art form in which traditional painting techniques are applied by means of a computer, digitizing tablet, stylus and software. This class will use Adobe Photoshop to sketch, mix colors, work with brushes, and layers. Whether new to painting or an experienced artist, the techniques covered in this course will help students to create their own works of art.
Instructor: Abraham ArredondoComputer Keyboarding: The Right Way!
Are you tired of typing with two fingers? Then then this class is for you! At the end of the two-week session, students will master to key all the alphabet without looking at the fingers. This class will cover: theory, technique, anatomy, ergonomics, games, health & safety. Students will use keyboarding software to complete all assignments and timings. A final project will be assigned and completed.
Instructor: Alicia RodriguezJunior Entrepreneurs
Calling all future business owners! Create your own business and learn how to develop it in this hands-on class! In this course, students will build, market, finance, and strategically operate their own successful entrepreneurial business through creative activities and challenges. Valuable entrepreneurial skills are learned, and strategic business abilities gained!
Instructor: Delfin MerlanCrime Scene Investigation (CSI)
This course will go through the basic components of crime scene investigation and how evidence such as fingerprints, shoe prints, and DNA is collected. Students will examine why evidence is allowed in court and how having a certain process of collecting items is important.
Instructor: Denisse Bautista IbarraThe Courtroom Experience
What really goes on inside of a courtroom? Is it truly like on TV? In this course, students learn the inner-workings of our court system and become active members of the court team to experience how our justice system operates. By participating in mock trials, students learn how it feels to be a judge, lawyer, jury member, court reporter, and more!
Instructor: Angela AndersonIt's Debatable
Which tastes better - waffles or pancakes? Well, it's debatable! In this course, students will develop or build upon public speaking skills by learning the art of argument creation. Learn the basics of reasoning and argument construction and showcase learned skills through impromptu speaking and in-class debates.
Instructor: Shan CuretonDesign and Build - Challenge Accepted!
Are you ready to design and build? In this course, students engage in a variety of challenges such as building the tallest straw structures, creating boats that will hold the most weight, and even creating an efficient leaf collector with only mystery box materials! By using critical thinking and problem solving skills, students work together to solve challenges in this STEAM-related course!
Instructor: Marlys WilliamsonFilipino Language and Culture
Take a trip to the Philippines this summer by learning Filipino language and culture in CFK Classic! With an emphasis on everyday vocabulary spoken in Tagalog and common expression, students will be introduced to the Filipino language. Students will also engage in Filipino traditions and practices that includes games, songs, and dances. This well-rounded course will leave students with a better understanding and appreciation of this amazing culture!
Instructor: Ofelia RayosMoney Smarts
Learn to budget money, the smart way! In this course, students will develop the ability to create, maintain, and balance weekly/monthly budgets. Students will gain basic accounting skills such as identifying stable and unstable income, recurring and non-recurring expenditures, calculating savings, and creating a budget. Students in this course will also be introduced to Microsoft Excel, and will learn to create tables and charts to help prepare budgets for themselves.
Instructor: Suganya SankaranarayananKitchen Chemistry: Fun with Flavors
Join us to explore cooking through a scientific lens. Students sniff and taste several test tubes bursting with different spices and learn about combining flavors. We test the “map of the tongue” theory and talk taste buds. In our food lab students choose a base of either applesauce or plain yogurt, add flavors and textures, and enjoy their tasty snack in class. Together we learn about Chaim Gur-Arieh, PhD, and Pamela Low, food science biochemists who co-invented Capn’ Crunch cereal. For safety reasons no open flame will be used in this class. Any necessary cooking is accomplished using a small toaster oven, a single hot plate or a microwave. All participants must abide by the safety rules. No prior experience is necessary.
Instructor: Ramona LopezKitchen Chemistry: Glorious Chocolates
Explore the many wonders of chocolate, from the biochemical effects on humans to how and why it changes state. Glimpsing into history we look at the cocoa tree, how it is processed and why ancient cultures revered it for it’s properties. We learn which chemicals contribute to the unique chocolate taste, and while it makes our hearts pound with delight, it can be harmful to dogs and cats. To put our knowledge into action we make chocolate cookies and enjoy the sweet rewards of our edible experiment. Our budding junior chefs learn about female chocolatier Sara Hart, who set out to improve boring, waxy Easter bunnies, and now from her studio creates amazing works of gilded edible art. Using her grandmother’s recipes, she blends interesting flavors and creates innovative truffle delicacies. For safety reasons no open flame will be used in this class. Any necessary cooking is accomplished using a small toaster oven, a single hot plate or a microwave. All participants must abide by the safety rules. No prior experience required.
Instructor: Ramona LopezMessy Science
Boom, crash, zip, slide! Students in the course will explore glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, permafrost, sea level rise and tsunamis in this hands-on class, filled with messy excitement! Design and test things each day, and have a blast watching what happens. It is recommended that students in this course wear clothing and shoes that don’t mind getting soiled.
Instructor: Melissa HughesSlimy Sea Creatures
Learn about slimy sea creatures like octopus, sea stars, sand dollars and moon snails, to name a few. Observe a squid dissection and write your name in squid-ink while learning about anatomical structures of sea creatures. Discover the secret of how octopus change color and what makes pearls. Become a marine biologist and investigate what kind of invertebrate you would like to be! Create artwork to take home using different types of seashells and other materials from Mother Earth.
Instructor: Gina BrownOceans: Marine Biology and Art
The ocean is host to many different ecosystems – from the tide pools that grace our shoreline to areas far off, in the middle of the Pacific. What’s life like for many of the usual animals that dwell there, and how do marine biologists go about doing research in these areas? From dive suits to landers and submarines, pressure/density relationships are illuminated to show what makes research in these realms so challenging. Students get to virtually ‘come aboard’ a few science expeditions as we look at remote areas including: Deep Sea Ecosystems like the Mariana Trench to learn about the bizarre creatures that dwell in the abyss and beyond, as well as California’s own kelp forest ecosystems, where sea lions, dolphins and whales frolic just offshore. Learning comes to life as each student creates their own hand crafted marine creatures or scenes inspired from their virtual ocean adventures to take home with them.
Instructor: Gina BrownExploring the Science of Harry Potter
Explore the science of Harry Potter through video clips, presentations, discussions, and group work. Discuss evidence of genetics (red hair among the Weasleys, Hagrid’s size and his giantess mother). Explore which fantastic beasts are most realistic and how the application of science realism makes the impossible seem plausible, and imagine being in potion class and experimenting with chemistry basics. Herbology class inspires a lesson on the attributes of herbs. Students will enjoy this class most if they have read or watched one Harry Potter book or movie, although prior knowledge is not required.
Instructor: Marlys WilliamsonCraftonics
Explore the basics of circuits and electronic elements by using them in various craft projects. Build a moving origami swam, fashion wearable light-up LED bracelets and pins, construct moving robot bugs, erect a Play-Doh electronic sculpture, create paper circuit games and light effects cards. The workshop combines crafting and technology to bring your creations to life. Each student will take home a working electronic craft.
Instructor: Melissa HughesSAT Prep Boot Camp
Southwestern College, in partnership with the University of California San Diego, is offering an exclusive SAT® Prep Course. This innovative and sophisticated SAT® Prep Course is designed for the student whose busy lifestyle demands efficient prep in a condensed amount of time by focusing on the test topics that impact your score the most. The instructor will help students to score higher on the SAT® with exclusive test-taking tactics specifically designed to increase scores. By the end of the course, your student will be able to test confidently. The class features 16 hours of instruction from an experienced instructor, and an included textbook.
Instructor: UCSD InstructorWriter's Cafe
Welcome to our Writer’s Café! Made to bridge the gap between morning and afternoon courses, students enrolled can enjoy their lunch on the student union patio while journal writing each day! Staff will check-in students, supervise their lunch time, provide daily journal writing topics, and release CFK Classic students a few minutes before 12:45 pm to allow them to walk to their course. This program is also available for students who are not enrolled in both programs, but need extended care. Please note that students must bring a lunch each day, and that staff do not walk students to and from Writer’s Café or vending machines. Journals and pencils will be provided. Happy writing!
Instructor: Y.E.S. Academy Staff