Spring 2020 Class Schedule

Here is our class schedule for Spring 2020.
Update: Thanks for your interest in our classes! Unfortunately, all of our classes are now full.
NameDate & TimeGrade LevelInstructors
ChemistryApril 13 – May 18
Mon 3:00 – 4:00		7 – 9 Allison Chang
Website DesignApril 6 – May 11
Mon 4:00 – 5:00		6 – 8 Oliver Ni
Music TheoryApril 7 – May 12
Tues 4:00 – 5:00		6 – 8 Riley Kong
Dennis Han
Engineering with CADApril 14 – May 19
Tues 5:30 – 6:30		7 – 9 Christopher Xu
Introduction to PythonApril 8 – May 13
Wed 3:00 – 4:00		6 – 8 Franklin Wang
Introduction to PhysicsApril 8 – May 13
Wed 4:30 – 5:30		6 – 8 Jennifer Song
Protein BiologyApril 9 – May 14
Thurs 3:00 – 4:00		6 – 8 April Wu
Scratch ProgrammingApril 9 – May 14
Thurs 4:00 – 5:00		5 – 7 Jocelyn Tao
Introduction to JavaApril 9 – May 14
Thurs 5:00 – 6:00		7 – 9 Joe Lin
Introduction to EconomicsApril 3 – May 8
Fri 3:00 – 4:30		6 – 8 Raymond Shao
Ethan Lin
Introduction to StatisticsApril 10 – May 15
Fri 4:30 – 5:30		6 – 8 Alex Gu

Chemistry

What makes a "fluorescent" highlighter marker so bright? Can water stay liquid below zero degrees Celsius?
These are just some of the questions we will be tacking in this general chemistry course. Topics to be discussed in this course include atomic structure, chemical bonding, common types of reactions, stoichiometry, and the properties of gases, liquids, and solids.
If you love learning through interactive online simulations, videos, and presentations, this is the course for you!
Date: April 13 – May 18
Time: Mon 3:00 –4:00
Recommended Grades: 7–9
Location: Online

Instructors

Allison Chang

Allison Chang is a junior at Palo Alto Senior High School who is passionate about the interdisciplinary chemical sciences. Having been both an astrochemistry intern and a biochemistry intern at UCSC, she has experience working in different sectors in chemistry. When not in the lab, you can find Allison baking or attending an escape room!

Website Design

Have you ever wanted to build your own website? This class will teach you just that! Using tools such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, students will learn to build their own web pages from scratch, style their web pages using CSS to look the way they want it to, and add interativity to their website using JavaScript!
Date: April 6 – May 11
Time: Mon 4:00 –5:00
Recommended Grades: 6–8
Location: Online

Instructors

Oliver Ni

Oliver is a tenth grader at Lynbrook High School who loves programming and teaching others. Having been coding for over six years, Oliver has created numerous websites, apps, and other projects. Oliver has been teaching coding for two years and is the Co-founder and President of the Project Code Foundation. In addition to computer science, Oliver is also an active Boy Scout, a USAPhO semifinalist, and loves playing Minecraft, watching anime, and eating food.

Music Theory

Are you interested in learning music theory? Are you preparing for the CM or another music theory exam? Do you have trouble or are confused about understanding complex topics like scales or harmonies? Let's work together!
Date: April 7 – May 12
Time: Tues 4:00 –5:00
Recommended Grades: 6–8
Location: Online

Instructors

Riley Kong

Riley is a sophomore at Archbishop Mitty High School. He has won various local and international piano competitions. He was the pianist of the California All-State Concert Band in 2019. Riley is a CM Panel finalist and will compete in the Panel finals this year. Riley is a co-founder of PCF and has been teaching programming in the past two summers. Riley also loves reading and competing science and is a NACLO open competition finalist.

Dennis Han

Dennis Han is currently a freshmen at Lynbrook High School. He has been playing piano for 8 years and has won different medals in the American Open competition. He has been participating in band from middle school and loves music in general. Dennis also loves playing video games and playing volleyball.

Engineering with CAD

Do you like LEGO? Do you like to build stuff? Whatever you build, Computer Aided Design is a great tool to help plan out your next creation and visualize what it would look like before you actually make it. In this course, you will not only learn how to use design software, but also to think like an engineer, breaking down a complex structure into simple geometric objects.
Date: April 14 – May 19
Time: Tues 5:30 –6:30
Recommended Grades: 7–9
Location: Online

Instructors

Christopher Xu

Chris is a junior at Palo Alto High School who loves to design, build, wire, and code robots that compete in FIRST Robotics. On the robotics team, he has taught multiple design and programming workshops to new members. He also likes to play Minecraft, which is basically CAD with strange controls.

Introduction to Python

From machine learning algorithms to the inner workings of websites that we use every day, the Python programming language is used almost everywhere! In this course we will dive into the basics of the language and eventually progress to a full game.
Date: April 8 – May 13
Time: Wed 3:00 –4:00
Recommended Grades: 6–8
Location: Online

Instructors

Franklin Wang

Franklin is a Sophomore at Palo Alto High School who has had over five years of experience with programming. Franklin has created many projects with a variety of programming languages, including Python and Java. Franklin is also a co-founder of PCF and has taught Python during the past two summers. Aside from programming, Franklin also enjoys playing the oboe and participates in Science Olympiad.

Introduction to Physics

What is an Atwood machine? Why does a spinning gyroscope stay upright?
In this course, we will explore the fundamental principles behind physics, including kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, and electrical circuits. If you love solving problems and are looking for an introduction to physics, this class is for you!
Date: April 8 – May 13
Time: Wed 4:30 –5:30
Recommended Grades: 6–8
Location: Online

Instructors

Jennifer Song

Jennifer is a sophomore at Valley Christian High School who loves competitive physics. She is a physics tutor and TA for AP Physics 1, and a semifinalist competing in the United States Physics Olympiad. Aside from Coriolis effects and magnetic fields, Jennifer enjoys participating in math olympiads and business competitions.

Protein Biology

You've probably heard people say, "Eat eggs! They give you protein!" or something along those lines. But what are proteins, and what roles do they play in our bodies? In this course, you'll learn what makes up a protein and how they perform their functions, from carrying oxygen in your blood to growing your hair.
Date: April 9 – May 14
Time: Thurs 3:00 –4:00
Recommended Grades: 6–8
Location: Online

Instructors

April Wu

April is a sophomore at Palo Alto High School. She is interested in biology and participates in high school Science Olympiad, and is the Program Director for Greene Middle School Science Olympiad. Other than science, April also is a varsity springboard diver and enjoys drawing in her free time.

Scratch Programming

Are you interested in programming but don’t know where to start? Scratch is a block coding platform that is perfect for beginners. In this class, you’ll learn how to create interactive and animated games and programs. You’ll also learn concepts that can be applied when learning programming languages, like variables and basic loops.
Date: April 9 – May 14
Time: Thurs 4:00 –5:00
Recommended Grades: 5–7
Location: Online

Instructors

Jocelyn Tao

Jocelyn is a sophomore at Lynbrook High School and has been coding for over two years. She is currently the public relations officer of Girls Who Code San Jose and has been teaching block coding there for the past year. Since attending a Scratch programming summer camp after sixth grade, she has been learning C++. Besides coding, Jocelyn also enjoys reading and doing graphic design.

Introduction to Java

Want to learn one of the most popular programming languages?
In this course, you will learn the foundational concepts of Java, such as objects, classes, logic statements, and loops. Students will also gain an understanding of class inheritance, interfaces, and abstract classes. Course material will be provided!
Date: April 9 – May 14
Time: Thurs 5:00 –6:00
Recommended Grades: 7–9
Location: Online

Instructors

Joe Lin

Joe is a sophomore attending Lynbrook High School who is extremely passionate about programming. He has years of experience coding websites and working on projects with Java. Joe is currently taking the AP Computer Science A course and he is very excited to teach Java!

Introduction to Economics

Curious about how things like coronavirus can affect the economy?
Come learn about macroeconomics, and gain a new paradigm through which we can distill the complex economy into manageable pieces. We'll be teaching many of the commonly used models in the field of macro, as well as the different real world remedies that governments and nationals banks use to remedy these crises.
Date: April 3 – May 8
Time: Fri 3:00 –4:30
Recommended Grades: 6–8
Location: Online

Instructors

Raymond Shao

Raymond is a sophomore at Lynbrook High School who is passionate about economics and the impacts it has on the world. As the Vice President of Logistics at Lynbrook Economics Club, Raymond loves providing opportunities to himself and other like-minded individuals in their explorations of economics. Besides econ, Raymond loves Speech & Debate, Science Olympiad, and watching anime.

Ethan Lin

Ethan is a sophomore at Lynbrook High School who has been studying economics for 2 years. Well-versed in both macro and micro economics, he has received a 5 on the AP Macroeconomics Test, and competed at the state level in FBLA's Economics event. Outside of econ, Ethan enjoys programming, reading manga, and playing League of Legends.

Introduction to Statistics

Supposed you flip a coin 5 times and get heads 5 times in a row. Would you suspect the coin is biased? How about 10 in a row, or 20?
In statistics, we will explore how to quantify and analyze data to draw appropriate conclusions. We will also study probability which provides the foundation for statistics. In the complex world today, statistics is extremely useful in describing and solving problems in many different fields including business, medicine, and sciences. Come learn this exciting and practical application of mathematics.
Date: April 10 – May 15
Time: Fri 4:30 –5:30
Recommended Grades: 6–8
Location: Online

Instructors

Alex Gu

Alex is a sophomore attending Valley Christian High School who is passionate about all STEM. He has years of experience in competitive math and won many awards, qualifying for the USAJMO. Alex is currently an officer for his math team, tutoring students in math. Alex also loves competitive physics and coding. He is a USAPhO semifinalist and a USACO platinum contestant.