When Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned, either in an academic setting or in a casual conversation, one of several knee-jerk references usually comes to mind:

• His inventions
• , his painstakingly accurate depiction of the human form
• His influence on the Renaissance as a whole

What is more fascinating about da Vinci than his singular achievements, however, is that his portfolio of accomplishments 鈥� both achieved and never fully realized 鈥� spans more disciplines and fields than any other inventor, scientist, artist or influencer either before or since. (They don鈥檛 call him The Renaissance Man for nothing!)

Not one to rest on his laurels, da Vinci is oft quoted as having said, 鈥�Learning never exhausts the mind.鈥� Did you know he is widely considered to be the father of architecture, paleontology, ichnology and dabbled 鈥� with varying intensity 鈥� in invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history and cartography?

Whatever profession you most associate with da Vinci, here are some fun facts to get you excited about and our upcoming classes.

Simply put, da Vinci loved water and anything associated with it. Though they never came to fruition in his lifetime, da Vinci developed plans for a SCUBA-like underwater breathing device, a life preserver, a diving bell and floating snowshoes.

This fall, Academy is running an NAGC award-winning curriculum course on sustainability, developed by Fellow Shelagh Gallagher, called It鈥檚 Electrifying! Fueling the Future, which focuses on alternative forms of energy, including wave energy and tidal energy.

He also studied the erosion of rivers in Europe and figured out that the earth is older than previously believed, based on a scientific investigation of water and soil samples, maps and journals. Though discredited at the time, due to the cultural climate, da Vinci鈥檚 findings were eventually deemed accurate.

Is your child interested in learning about the universe鈥檚 origin, evolution and current structure? Check out 优蜜视频 Academy instructor Tristan Murphy鈥檚 new class From Dust to Dawn: Constructing the History of the Universe, where students will gain a comprehensive understanding of our universe鈥檚 complex development into what it is today.

da Vinci was a creative writer 鈥� not in the style or vocabulary he chose, but in the physical act of writing he executed. He wrote most of his work from right to left 鈥� the opposite of traditional written print. The result of this writing was a mirror script, which was difficult for most people to read. Historians have postulated that he did so intentionally, in order to keep his writing secret, though it may be simply because he was left-handed, making this unusual writing style was easier.

Check out Academy鈥檚 Saturday class Page One: Creative Writing for an opportunity to delve into language, style, and genre 鈥� and possibly the chance to develop your own mirror script!

Flight was another big area of focus for da Vinci, who is credited as being the first person to study the flight of birds scientifically. He spent considerable time delving into the field of ornithology and used what he observed and analyzed as inspiration to try and replicate wings and flying apparatuses for humans using biomimicry. One of da Vinci鈥檚 designs that he never got off the ground (no pun intended) was the parachute. It wasn鈥檛 until the year 2000 that a South African skydiver finally tested da Vinci鈥檚 design by developing a prototype based on his sketches.

Is your child interested in similar types of STEAM constructs? Be sure to have them join the Tuesday afternoon course STEAM Building: Creative Constructs, where students will design and test things such as marble runs, catapults, parachutes, spaghetti bridges, and much more. Or, have your child try Inventioneers, a class based on genius inventors like da Vinci, where students will play the dual role of inventor and engineer and come up with their own genius invention!

da Vinci believed that sight was mankind鈥檚 most important sense, which is why he focused so heavily on art, architecture, biological studies, sketching and the written word. He is quoted as saying, 鈥淧ainting is poetry that is seen rather than felt.鈥�

Does your child have a knack for design and visuals? Do they enjoy creating appealing graphics and imagery? Be sure to sign them up for Web Design II: Form and Function on Monday evenings, where students will gain the skills needed to transform their own personally-designed website from functional to fabulous.

Though da Vinci鈥檚 list of accomplishments and endeavors may seem overwhelming, there鈥檚 no denying that his is truly a canon of inspiration and motivation. For more information on Genius Day X: Da Vinci: Restless Renaissance Rebel, visit the . This exciting day of learning is open to students in grades 4-8 and will take place at the breathtaking Getty Center on September 30th.

To view Academy course descriptions and register for fall courses, visit the . Apply by August 27^th!

What is your favorite work from da Vinci? Tell us in the comments!

Source: https://www.leonardodavinci.net/

It鈥檚 hard to believe 鈥� but summer break is already upon us. Schools are letting out, vacations are being booked, and myriad summer activities are being mulled over. With that in mind, you may be asking yourself, 鈥淲hy should I choose over other programs, camps and enrichment activities?鈥� Admittedly, L.A. County is flooded with programs that span STEM topics, the arts, sports and nature, but here are 10 things 优蜜视频鈥檚 Summer Academy program provides that makes it stand out from the rest:

• New themes for 2018!: Each of our three two-week sessions have a unique theme this summer. Is your child someone who enjoys learning about different worlds 鈥� worlds under the sea, the World Wide Web, galaxies and the solar systems or the world of food science? Then our Session I Globetrotters is the perfect choice! In Session II, our Systems Sleuths untangle and understand human body systems, the food chain, circuits, and the periodic table, and discover ways in which even seemingly chaotic entities are part of a larger system. And for the tinkerers and visionaries, Session III allows our students to become Inventioneers, taking deep-dives into the worlds of creativity, fantasy, design and the creation of realms and technology. For a full list of classes and schedules, .
• A dedicated home away from home: In 2017, 优蜜视频 acquired our Learning Center on Marengo Avenue, which hosts Academy courses, workshops and family-friendly events. Parents, siblings, friends and babysitters are welcome to sit in our library or on our front porch while classes are taking place. We鈥檝e also got an impressive collection of books, puzzles, Legos and other toys to tinker with 鈥� along with wifi if you need to get work done. If you鈥檝e got errands to run, you鈥檙e in luck: we鈥檙e within walking distance of Whole Foods, Trader Joe鈥檚, Starbucks and much more!
• Explosions, dissections and contraptions 鈥� oh, my!: At Academy, we make, create, design, build, test, mold, sketch 鈥� and sometimes get our hands dirty. We鈥檙e not content to just sit and listen; we鈥檇 rather be launching rockets, making ice cream in a bag, discovering life through a microscope or developing hilarious comedy sketches with our friends. There are no tests here, but you鈥檒l be surprised to discover just how much you鈥檝e learned when class is over.

• Our teachers don鈥檛 just show up 鈥� they dress up!: If you enroll in Ellen Brown鈥檚 King George class, odds are she鈥檒l show up at least once in her Revolutionary War hat. Grayson Kent will be bringing animal bones, fossils and teeth to his Cenozoic Life and Ultimate Guide to Predators You can expect robot races in Chris Bradfield鈥檚 Intro to Robotics with Arduino class, and who knows what else! We鈥檙e so proud of the dedication and energy our Instructors put into making Academy classes fun, engaging, stimulating and a one-of-a-kind experience for students.
• It鈥檚 cool to be smart: Everyone at Academy 鈥� students, instructors, staff and families 鈥� loves to learn and encourages it in everything they do. In fact, we鈥檙e all about getting each other to see things from new perspectives, challenging what we鈥檝e always thought to be true and understanding how different disciplines complement each other to span multiple scholarly fields. Interested in the intersection of art and math? Check out Alessandra Santucci鈥檚 class Mosaic Elements: An Artistic Application of Euclidian Geometry. Do you enjoy studying international relations, medicine, and technology? Sign up for Tristan Murphy鈥檚 class How to Save the World: Problem Solving on a Global Scale.
• Flexibility: Whether your summer calendar is currently carte blanche or you鈥檙e juggling soccer, sailing, scouting and swimming, Academy can meet your needs and fit your schedule. Our two-week sessions provide the ideal amount of time for in-depth discovery, but don鈥檛 take time away from other important summer adventures. Classes meet once a day for 90 minutes and students can sign up for 1-4 classes per session. to see which session best fits your child鈥檚 availability.
• Discounts: Speaking of multiple classes, did you know we offer several types of discounts for Academy families? We offer sibling, referral and multiple-class discounts. The more courses you enroll in, the bigger the savings! We also offer scholarships for qualified families in need. for tuition and discount information.
• Choose Your Own Adventure!: Learning is most fun when you have a say in what you鈥檙e learning and how you鈥檙e learning it. To that end, Academy has created the perfect safe space for students to take control of their learning and help shape their scholarly pursuits. Are you a budding Dungeon Master? Find out just how far your skills and inner strengths will take you in Grayson Kent鈥檚 Dungeons and Dragons Do you enjoy coding and creating your own websites that let you show off your interests and talents? Sign up for Alessandra Santucci鈥檚 Intro to Web Design class. Have you always wanted to design and build an intricate, multi-layered marble run, the likes of which you鈥檝e seen in impressive YouTube videos? Then Rube Goldberg: Machines and Mazes is the course for you!
• Friends, Families and Fun: Academy is not just an academic enrichment program. In recent years, Academy has truly become a community of invested, caring and passionate students, families and educators 鈥� all dedicated to the support and advocacy of gifted and talented youth. When you鈥檙e here, you鈥檒l always find someone with whom to chat, discuss gifted programming , and even just get caught up on current events and goings-on around town. Students quickly make connections and friends with peers who are just as passionate about robots, creative writing, ancient history, the Pythagorean Theorem and galaxies as they are. We get gifted students and we鈥檝e created a community in which your child can thrive, be themselves and soar.

• Just the Beginning: At Academy, you鈥檒l be introduced to exciting, challenging courses taught by outstanding Instructors from CalTech, JPL, the Mirman School, Bridges Academy 鈥� to name a few institutions. Our Instructors also host workshops, mini-lectures and Genius Days throughout the year, extending the benefits of Academy courses well beyond the summer. Additionally, our community board features exciting offerings from other 优蜜视频 programs, gifted organizations, families and gifted professionals. 优蜜视频 is dedicated to providing and making families aware of services and events within all aspects of gifted. You鈥檒l be surprised by how much information we have to share when you drop off and pick up your child each day!

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Still not convinced, or perhaps want to get a further look at the type of classes we鈥檙e offering? at 5:30pm, where our Academy instructors will be conducting interactive demonstrations of their coursework.