The Communities
Art & Activism
Can art effect social change?
How may we use the history of radical and avant-garde art to inform present-day movements of artistic and creative activism?
Bats in Society
How might an understanding of human-wildlife conflicts shape our approach to disease, ecology, and conservation?
Should we care that we are losing wildlife, like bats?
Constitutional Rights
What are your individual rights and liberties under the U.S. Constitution?
How do the competing roles of political change and desire for legal continuity influence the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and the fluid state of individual rights?
Deliberative Democracy
Can the issues that most divide us also unite us?
Hone your ability to analyze and make arguments, work through conflict, find common ground across differences, and facilitate public deliberations.
Design in Practice
How do designers envision better futures?
Collaborate in diverse teams to identify real world design challenges and apply design thinking to create solutions.
Harvest
How can economics help us understand environmental problems and design better policies to solve them?
Explore the relationship between the economy, environment and policy. What are the causes of modern environmental problems, and which policies can address them?
Health Justice
How do we ensure everyone has the information needed to live a long and healthy life?
What is the role that information plays in creating and intensifying health disparities?
iGive
How do I give?
Learn about philanthropy, innovation, and social change - then make it happen! As a class, you will identify a social cause that you're passionate about and then donate $7,500 to a real local organization! You will learn and practice leadership skills that will help you change the world for good.
Language
Does information drive human history?
We will use tools from the language sciences to examine what mythological recurrences say about cultures that had to adapt their world views while attempting to preserve them.
Masculinities and Family Health
How do masculinities shape family health and well-being?
Think about family health issues and discuss masculinities and how they shape men’s mental health and relationships.
Once & Future Planet
How does understanding Earth's past help us plan for the future?
Through primary research, explore how life began and evolved and the ways in which its emergence and diversification has shaped our Earth and vice versa. Learn about our world and other worlds, and how humans affect this planet and its future.
Weather & Climate
What are weather and climate?
Climate change is a phrase that evokes strong emotions. Some of those talking the loudest don’t know what climate is and how it’s different from weather. We will learn the basics of weather and climate.