The Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars

K-8 STUDENTS: Registration is closed.

TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Registration is closed.

From star-gazing to math equations to finding the perfect word for the last line of your poem, Saturday has something for everyone. We are offering a full slate of science, math and writing courses, from K-1 up through 8th grade. We will also offer, once again, a course for teachers, on teaching Common Core math. Our goal is to provide a challenging, fun learning experience, along with outstanding instructors and a community of peers.

There’s something for all age groups from K to 8th grade, plus teachers!

These classes are intended to provide intellectually ambitious students with challenge, inspiration, and fun, in a collaborative, supportive learning environment. The math classes are not intended to move students ahead in the standard curriculum but rather to explore areas of math not usually covered in the K-12 classroom. Our writing classes focus on expanding students’ writing and editing skills but also on creative expression across genres.

Tuition is to be paid in full when the student registers for the course. There is a $25 registration fee for all classes. The registration fee is waived for applicants who apply for Financial Aid and are on Free/Reduced Lunch.

Limited financial assistance is available for Saturday classes. Students who receive Free or Reduced Lunch in their school district may receive reduced tuition. Please find more information on the federal income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced price lunch here.

Class are subject to cancellation due to low enrollment. A complete refund will be made if the class is canceled by the Robinson Center.

A brief listing of all of our courses are here for parents to preview.

We are all born with the capacity to love mathematics. This class explores how to cultivate a child’s innate interest in mathematics by creating a culture of mathematics at home. Through puzzles and games that capture the quality of play in math, we’ll learn how to think creatively, support each other, and keep the spark of joy alive and well in our mathematical lives.

This class is designed to engage both kids and parents. Each child will register and attend with one or two parents, and the classes will be divided between discussions with the parents about how to encourage their child’s interest in mathematics, and time spent learning new games and puzzles that can be played at home.

Time: 11:00-11:50 Am
Instructor: Dan Finkel
Cost: $225 plus $25 registration fee

In this course, we will explore games and puzzles, both new and old, that tap into mathematical ways of thinking. The emphasis will be on creative play and adapting games and puzzles to players’ interests. We will play group games, ask questions, play with ideas, and have fun!

Time: 10:00-10:50 am
Instructor: Dan Finkel
Cost: $225 plus $25 registration fee

To Infinity, and Beyond!

What is the biggest number you can think of? Infinity, right? If infinity is a number, then what about infinity plus one? Or infinity times two? Kids aren’t the only people to consider such awesomely mind bending ideas, mathematicians do it too! In this class we will explore the size and character of infinity and in the process learn about a very powerful and foundational branch of mathematics called Set Theory. We will explore the properties of sets, learn how to compare them, attempt to discover the biggest number of all, and gain skills in logic and deduction along the way. By the end of the sessions we will have stretched our ideas about infinity and our minds!

Section A
Time: 12:30-1:20 pm
Instructor: Faith Rutherford
Cost: $225 plus $25 registration fee

Section B
Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Instructor: Faith Rutherford
Cost: $225 plus $25 registration fee

In this creative writing workshop, we’ll practice “making sense” of the readings we explore in class. We will explore a number of ways by which we can arrive at the “sense” of a given piece, and will put these approaches to use in our own writing. We’ll explore writing through our senses, and so imagery will become a key component to the course. Descriptions of sight, smell, touch and taste all play a role in writing. The more open we become to the world, the more open we are to engaging with its texts, and vice versa. We’ll look at a number of genres, including (but not limited to) poetry, short stories, flash fiction, and memoir.

Time: 11:00-11:50 am
Instructor: Matthew Kelsey
Cost: $225 plus $25 registration fee

In this class, we will explore our own cosmic backyard – our Solar System! Why is Mars red? How did the Moon form? Why does Saturn have rings? Why isn’t Pluto considered a planet anymore? Are there planets around other stars, and if so, what are they like? All these questions and more will be addressed. We will start by learning how the Solar System formed, and then journey through all of the planets, including visits to asteroids and comets.

Time: 12:30-1:20 pm
Instructor: Breanna Binder
Cost: $225 plus $25 registration fee

What makes sequences and patterns tick? How much information do you need about a sequence of numbers to know how it will behave forever? In “All the Difference,” we’ll turn our attention to fascinating geometry- and arithmetic-inspired patterns and see how to encode these patterns mathematically, and explore their deeper structure, and hopefully, how to unravel the mystery of what governs number patterns.