About Passion Academies Courses

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping life and work across the globe. The world our children will enter will look radically different than the world we have been inhabiting. As AI technology advances what is possible for us as a human community, serious ethical, legal, and political decisions need to be made about what we should use the technology for and how we should regulate it. This course will help students begin to think about these questions using ethical frameworks and critical thinking skills. 

Students will develop:

• An understanding of what AI is and what it can do
• Ethical reasoning skills
• English communication and collaboration skills
• Design-thinking and problem-solving skills

Topics will include:

• How we should program and regulate robots, including self-driving cars
• How we should address bias and prejudice in machine learning
• Whether robots should have rights?
• Whether and in what ways artificial intelligence should be used in elder and medical patient care
• Whether and in what ways AI should be used in education
• How to prevent the spread of misinformation by AI bots
• Whether it is morally permissible to use generative AI to complete homework, create art and music, and write content for school and work
• How we might employ AI to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
• And more!

Pedagogical approach:

• Engaging lectures by national award-winning high school philosophy teacher, Dr. Sean Riley
• Lively debates using the Ethics Bowl model
• Design competitions to develop ethical solutions to major world problems using AI

Course Information:

• Grades: 2-5 elementary students
• Date & Time: October 16 - November 9, 2023, Mondays & Thursdays (8 total sessions)
• Time: 7:30-8:45 am EST
• Method: ONLINE (WebEx)
• Price: $350

Introduction to Game Design

Course Description

Discover the exciting world of game design through the creation of non-digital games! This online course is tailored for high school students and aims to teach the fundamentals of game design, including mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics, and industry insights. By the end of this course, students will not only have designed their own non-digital games but will also have gained problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of the game industry, making them more adaptable and future-proof learners.

Course Highlights:

• Weekly Sessions: Engage in interactive online sessions with your instructor and peers to discuss, learn, and collaborate on exciting game design projects.
• Hands-On Learning: Design and create a variety of non-digital games, from board games to card games, enhancing your creativity and critical thinking skills.
• Game Mechanics: Explore the fundamental rules and systems that make games enjoyable and engaging.
• Game Dynamics: Study the ways in which player choices and actions shape the flow and experience of a game.
• Aesthetics in Game Design: Learn to apply visual and thematic elements to make your games more appealing and immersive.
• Game Industry Insights: Gain valuable knowledge about the game industry, career options, and emerging trends.
• Problem-Solving: Develop problem-solving skills as you tackle design challenges and refine your games based on player feedback.
• Critical Thinking: Analyze existing games to understand what makes them successful and apply these insights to your own designs.
• Collaboration: Work in teams to brainstorm, prototype, and playtest your game ideas, fostering teamwork and communication skills.
• Future-Proof Skills: Regardless of your future career aspirations, this course equips you with essential skills in creative thinking, problem-solving, and understanding human behavior.

Pedagogical Approach:

• Project-Based Learning: Emphasis on hands-on activities and the creation of non-digital games to reinforce key concepts.
• Critical Analysis: Encourage students to think critically about game mechanics and aesthetics by examining a variety of existing games.
• Collaborative Learning: Promote teamwork and peer-to-peer learning through group projects and discussions.
• Real-World Application: Connect learning to the real game industry, providing practical insights into potential career paths.
• Adaptability: Foster adaptability by encouraging students to adapt and iterate their game designs based on feedback and changing goals.

Prepare for a fun and intellectually stimulating journey into the world of non-digital game design. This course will not only sharpen your game design skills but also equip you with valuable life skills for any future endeavor you choose to pursue.

Course Information:

• Grades: 6-8 Middle School Students
• Date: November 7 - December 14, 2023, Tues/Thurs (10 total sessions; no class on Nov 21 & 23 Thanksgiving Week)
• Time: 7:30-8:45 am EST
• Price: $450

Ethics Bowl is a regional debate competition focused on contemporary ethical and political dilemmas. The Stony Brook School has participated in the Long Island Ethics Bowl since 2013 and has won nine awards in the competition, including a second-place finish in 2014, a third-place finish in 2017, four straight first-place finishes from 2018-2021, and another in 2023. Team members will construct arguments, practice speaking, and respond to objections from their opponents and questions by the judges.

Dates: October 12 - December 19, 2023 | Tues/Wed/Thurs 4:45-5:30 pm EST (October 12, 17, 18, 25; November 7, 8, 9, 14, 15; December 12, 13, 14, 19)

Tuition: $350

Target: HS students (Grades 9-12)