The announcement of new Caroline D. Bradley scholars is always an exciting time in the community. Take a trip back to September when the Class of 2025 was first announced.

The first iteration of our Virtual Learning Lab is still one of our most popular. Join our very own Nicole Endacott as she dives into the basics of Mendelian Genetics, including dominant and recessive alleles, genotypes and phenotypes and Mendel鈥檚 pea plant experiments.

J. Ruhl is the parent of a 2014 Caroline D. Bradley scholar. In this article, she gives her helpful perspective to help CDB applicants get a better understanding of the landscape.

Mathematics and poetry tie into each other nicely in this Virtual Learning Lab by Cassidy Kao.  This video introduces Fibonacci Number and Sequence and two types of poems, the 鈥淔ib鈥� and 鈥淐reate Your Own Pattern鈥� poems. 

Umar Ahmed Badami, CDB Scholar, as he helps newcomers understand physics on the scale of atoms and galaxies. Discuss Einstein’s special relativity and some of its interesting consequences.

Back in June, 优蜜视频 President Elizabeth Jones outlined our organizations commitment to social justice and equality in the aftermath of the latest example of injustice against the Black community.

In a year full of intense global events, it is only natural for intense emotions to arise. Here, we outline some resources and concepts to help families better manage them.

Learning about sea creatures is fun and easy to do at home with our Virtual Learning Lab on marine mammals. Better understand the sea otters, walruses and porpoises of the world.

What is probability? How is it applicable to our daily lives? In this video, 2023 Caroline D. Bradley Scholar Arul Kolla discusses probability and its mathematical and practical applications.

Early in the year, COVID-19 changed the way our society operated on a daily basis. The crisis continues to this day, and much of the insights provided by our own Jennifer De La Haye still ring true.

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Each person on the Academy team misses our extraordinary students! I, for one, am looking forward to being back in person to check progress on Rubik鈥檚 Cube solving times, see pictures of growing puppies and kittens, and hear everyone鈥檚 latest research interests and favorite jokes.

But even though we miss seeing each other in person, we have been more thankful than ever for technology! It was great to be able to finish out the spring session of Academy virtually and to see ingenious work submissions rolling in. Seeing how adaptable our students and teachers have been to the new format has made us excited to see what masterpieces emerge from our online summer session!

Here are three especially impressive student creations that were submitted during the virtual portion of the spring session:

1. A creative story set within the Harry Potter universe. For their final project for 鈥淗arry Potter: Behind the Words,鈥� which will also be offered this summer, students wrote multi-chapter stories that take place in the same world of the Harry Potter series. In addition to a delightful story, one student also created images by collaging pictures of Lego figures with online graphics. Here is one example, which finds Voldemort swimming in Hawaii:

听听

2. An excerpt of a poem from the perspective of an object. This was written for 鈥淗ow to Eat a Poem,鈥� a class about sensory poetry for 6 to 9-year-olds. Lucy Blagg, who taught this delightfully creative class, will be teaching 鈥淢ythology of Many Lands鈥� this summer.

I start as a flower.
I鈥檓 tart but not sour.
My favorite season is fall,
That鈥檚 when I grow tall.听

I鈥檒l tell you who I am,
I鈥檓 part of a fruit.
I鈥檓 tasty when you squeeze me,
I鈥檓 small and I鈥檓 cute.听

Believe it or not,
I鈥檓 from this planet.
Let me introduce myself,
I鈥檓 the seed of a pomegranate!

3. An invented species for a virtual 优蜜视频 Aquarium. For their final project in 鈥淢arine Biodiversity,鈥� students designed their own ecosystems, filled them with made-up species, and wrote about the ecological and evolutionary history of the community. Grayson Kent, who taught this and other animal courses, will be teaching Myths & Monsters, Ultimate Guide to Predators, Cenozoic Life and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.

It was so difficult to choose just a few projects to showcase our students鈥� creativity, adaptability, and love of learning. To learn more about Summer Academy Online, visit our website and sign up to join us for our . We can鈥檛 wait to see familiar and new faces in a few weeks when the session begins!

This workshop is recommended for 1st to 6th graders.

Required Materials: Graph paper, markers or color pencils, a piece of yarn, scissors and glue.

About Cassidy: Cassidy is a published author of poetry books and the founder of a nonprofit organization, iPoetTree. Her mission is to inspire young children to love writing through poetry. She offers free poetry workshops to children from kindergarten to sixth grade in the community and wherever she travels to. Cassidy has many varied interests, from writing poetry to playing the piano to learning about rocks and minerals. But when you ask her what her favorite subject is, she says it鈥檚 math! In her spare time, Cassidy is an avid reader and enjoys hanging out with her friends to shoot silly homemade movies. She is excited to share her love of poetry with others and hopes to inspire more kids to create their own poetic masterpieces.

Thanks for watching!

1. Write a poem or story about science.

Get writing! Tell a story about your favorite scientist as dramatically as you can, write poetry about a cool science fact, or describe a feat of engineering using your most vivid vocabulary.

2. Teach your family about something you love.

The best way to learn something deeply is to teach it. Turn your family members into your students and tell them all about something you鈥檝e learned recently whether it鈥檚 how to build the best paper airplane or how a chemical reaction works.

3. Create nature art.

Make a leaf rubbing, stick sculpture, or tower of balanced pebbles to integrate both sides of your brain.

4. Invent something to solve a problem.

What鈥檚 something you wish were easier? Design something to meet a need, starting with a blueprint and working toward a prototype.

5. Test your brain with riddles.

Find challenging riddles on or elsewhere, then attempt to solve them with your family.

6. Head to the library.

Ask a librarian to help you find books about STEAM at your reading level. Reading is a wonderful way to find a new interest!

7. Ask questions.

STEAM is all about asking creative questions and trying to find answers. Observe the world around you and keep a list of questions you come up with throughout the day: How do stoplights work? Why do some trees lose their leaves and not others? Then work with an adult to find the answers.

8. Build something using recycled materials.

Gather items you normally would have thrown away 鈥� packaging, receipts, dried-out pen, etc. 鈥� and see what you can build out of the items!

9. Interview a scientist.

If you were a scientist, what kind of scientist would you be? Research to find someone who has your dream job, then write them a letter or email asking them about their work and how they got to be where they are.

10. See what 优蜜视频 offerings are coming up!

If you鈥檙e local to the Pasadena area, check out our upcoming workshops (7^th-10^th grade), check back for the Spring schedule of classes (K-8^th grade) in a couple of weeks or mark your calendars for when the (10^th-12^th grade) externship program application goes live!

Celebrating a different way? Comment below!

Happy Pi Day! Here are 10 ways to show your appreciation for everyone鈥檚 favorite irrational number on March 14^th:

1.Make art听

Create a , , or using the digits of pi 鈥� or use your imagination to come up with your own creation

2. Memorize it

is helpful if you鈥檇 like to learn more digits of pi 鈥� the most ever memorized by one person is 67,890! It took Chao Lu 24 hours and 4 minutes to recite with no breaks.

3. Record a video

Educate others by creating and editing a video like that shows off pi鈥檚 irrational nature and integrates math, design, and technology into one creative product.

4. Learn something new

Expand your pi day knowledge by learning about or with the .

5. Listen to (or compose!) music

The video demonstrates pi鈥檚 melody on a variety of instruments. Sit back and enjoy the harmonies or think of a new way to turn pi into melody using your own musical talents!

6. Read a story

is book two in the Sir Cumference Series, recommended for ages 8-12. In this installment, Radius must solve a math riddle in order to reverse Sir Cumference being changed into a fire-breathing dragon!

7. Write a poem

Similar in basic structure to a haiku, a 鈥淧i-ku鈥� has three lines of poetry: the first is three syllables, the second is one syllable, and the third is four syllables. provides more information and examples to get you started!

8. Bake something tasty

What better way to learn than by making something you can eat? Browse for a delicious pie, pizza, or other circular food recipe and then try to hold off on eating it long enough to calculate its area using pi! Remember, the area of a circle can be calculated using A = 蟺r² where r is the radius.

9. Sing a song

Math Geek Mama shares a free downloadable with songs set to the familiar tunes of Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, and more!

10. Prove it!

How did Archimedes discover pi in the first place? Test pi with or read this of its existence.

What did we miss? Comment with other ideas and if you share any of your Pi Day festivities, be sure to tag us!

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, we wanted to highlight a particular volunteer who has been a great help to us. Janet has been coming into the office twice a week since January. She supports 优蜜视频 with everything from organization to developing teacher resource materials for our program. We are incredibly grateful for the work that she does.

Here is a little about Janet:

1. Where are you from?

I am originally from California, but lived in Minnesota for seven years, and recently moved back to this warm sunny state (happily escaping the long cold winters!).

2. Describe your experience with education?

My journey in Education began when I was bitten by the travel bug after participating in Youth for Understanding for a summer during high school. That experience influenced my decision to pursue a degree in TESOL and I was lucky to have briefly taught abroad many years ago. I have always had a passion for the education field and how the brain develops, learns, and achieves creative feats. While in Minnesota, I worked with ESL and Early Education teachers as a trainer, and coach/consultant. These experiences changed my career direction towards Instructional Design.

3. Why do choose to volunteer with gifted kids?

My interest in gifted education began when I did my student teaching in a听 5th/6th grade G.A.T.E. classroom. I enjoyed the depth, complexity, and exchange of knowledge that can be shared with the students.听 I choose to volunteer because I believe in making a difference in this world. I feel that one way I can contribute positively is by sharing my knowledge and experiences, and by helping children reach their full potential so they too can make a positive impact on society.

4. What do you like to do for fun?

On my spare time I like to read, write poetry, Zumba, and explore other cultures.

In the words of Program Coordinator, Alexis Hopper: 鈥淭hank you for contributing your time, experience, skill and passion to 优蜜视频 Academy, Janet! Your work to support our students, teachers, and staff has made an impact that is truly appreciated. Thank you for being a part of our team!鈥�

I love when the holiday season starts to creep in. 听Leaves begin to change color, harvest wreaths adorn entryways, and suddenly all of your favorite treats are now apple- or pumpkin-spice flavored. 听For me, this is the time of year when I begin to see more of my immediate and extended family–a time when we get together to create new memories. 听In our growing family, we鈥檝e incorporated a number of new activities into our festivities over the years. 听Introducing different activities can be a wonderful way to engage with your loved ones (young and old) and change the pace of the day. 听Some of these activities have stuck and have become a part of our holiday tapestry like cookie baking and decorating, board game tournaments, and holiday-related arts and crafts. While others have not–like waiting in lines for Black Friday deals. 听If you鈥檙e looking for kid-friendly ideas that you can bring to your Thanksgiving table this year, here are a handful of suggestions:

Write holiday haikus

Challenge your kids and other family members to find their inner poet and write a haiku or two! 听Haikus are easy to compose with only three lines, following a 5-7-5 syllable count. 听They can be humorous and lighthearted, and are fun to share in a group. 听I鈥檓 no wordsmith, but here a few of my own haikus to inspire you:

We cherish the times
Loved ones around the table
Gathered for the feast.

Thanks to be given
For the food, the family,
And our full bellies.

Mashed spuds and stuffing
Cranberry sauce and spiced pie
Happiness…nap time.

Junior Chef

Encourage your kids to take ownership of a specific task or dish for the day. 听My favorite childhood memories revolve around food and being in the kitchen. 听Simple, but important tasks were given to me like stringing the green beans, adding a blanket of marshmallows to the sweet potatoes, combining the wet and dry ingredients to the cookie batter, and making homemade cranberry sauce. 听These assignments always provided opportunities for me to learn something new and became a source of pride for my contribution to the table.

Put your thinking caps on

If you and your kids have some down-time and enjoying solving logic problems, here are a couple of Thanksgiving-themed logic problems you can do together:

Go mad for holiday Mad Libs

If logic problems are not your forte, have fun coming up with creative nouns, verbs, and adjectives with instead. You can even challenge your kids to create their own Mad Libs!

What are you thankful for?

Finally, I鈥檓 sure many families incorporate this tradition in their holiday already, but I find it to be incredibly rewarding when everyone around the table shares what they are grateful for. 听It鈥檚 a time for reflection, hope, and gratitude. 听The Minds in Bloom website has to help guide families with younger children.

What kinds of activities do you do in your household? 听Feel free to share in the comments section below!

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I had the opportunity to lead a poetry workshop, called The Wonderful World of Poems, to a group of five to seven year old students at 优蜜视频 Academy on April 29, 2016. The goal of the workshop was to teach my students four types of poems – concrete, haiku, couplet and tercet- so they can appreciate different types. Also, I wanted them to try crafting their own poems.

The reason I wanted to lead the workshop was I really like poetry. I like how anybody can learn how to write poems quite easily as long as they know the rules. If I can learn how to write poetry, any kid can do it, too. That鈥檚 why I wrote my book, , when I was eight. Doing this workshop is taking it a step further because I get to teach to the kids in person. I love seeing their expression when they get what all the poems mean. I also love reading their creations. I told them not to worry about what they wrote. It could be as silly or as funny as they liked. I was pretty impressed with their creation because some of them had never written a poem before.

During the workshop, we played a couple poetry games, a tongue twister game and a guessing game. Besides the awesome poems they created, I think the games were the highlight of the workshop. My students thought the games were funny and I was happy that they were able to keep the kids engaged. One big lesson I learned from leading the workshop is that teaching is not easy. It took a lot of time and thoughts to prepare a lesson and it was a bit nerve wracking on the day of workshop. I was exhausted afterwards. This experience makes me appreciate all my favorite teachers鈥� effort

I think next I would like to create another poetry workshop and teach four more types of poems in the near future. I am very lucky to be part of 优蜜视频鈥檚 community.听 I love the classes, workshops and Genius Days put together by the Academy. I am also very thankful that the 优蜜视频 gave me the chance to lead this workshop.听 Last but not least, I want to give Louise Hindle, Program Manager of 优蜜视频 Academy, a big shout-out for helping me organize my thoughts and giving me valuable advice to make my workshop better.

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Cassidy Kao is the ten year old author of and . She has many varied interests, from writing poetry to playing the piano to learning about plants, animals, rocks and minerals. But when you ask her what her favorite subject is, she says it鈥檚 math! She is excited to share her love of poetry with others and hopes to inspire more kids to create their own poetic masterpieces.