Program Offerings

Students step into the courtroom. They'll learn how the legal system works, study real and fictional cases, explore the history of crime and punishment, and build toward a full mock trial where they play lawyers, witnesses, and jurors. Along the way, they learn to construct arguments, cross-examine claims, and think on their feet.

What they're building: Public speaking, persuasion, logical reasoning, ethical thinking, research skills, and the ability to organize and present a case under pressure.

A 6-week collaborative campaign where students create characters, form a team, and navigate challenges that require communication, ethics, creativity, and strategic thinking. Each week builds on the last: character creation, teamwork, critical thinking, persuasion and public speaking, moral dilemmas, and a culminating leadership challenge. Josh runs the campaign as Dungeon Master, designing scenarios that hit specific developmental skills.

What they're building: Creative writing, teamwork and collaboration, public speaking, ethical reasoning, strategic thinking, empathy and perspective-taking.

Students become the test subjects. Each session explores a classic psychological phenomenon (conformity, cognitive bias, decision-making under pressure, persuasion) through interactive experiments and demonstrations. After experiencing the effect firsthand, students research the original study, discuss how it shows up in everyday life, and debate the ethical implications.

What they're building: Critical thinking, self-awareness, research skills, scientific reasoning, ethical reasoning, and a healthy skepticism about why people (including themselves) do what they do.

Students read the same book and meet weekly to discuss, debate, and create. Each session pairs conversation with a creative project tied to the book's themes: writing a character's rival testimony, delivering a speech from inside the story, constructing a case file, or staging a trial of the protagonist's choices. The group dynamic adds a layer the 1-on-1 version can't: students hear different interpretations, argue their readings, and build off each other's ideas. Josh selects books that spark real discussion, and vocabulary is built through context rather than flashcards.

What they're building: Reading comprehension, vocabulary in context, analytical thinking, creative writing, public speaking, collaborative discussion skills, and the ability to form and defend an interpretation with evidence.

What does it mean to be successful? Does absolute power corrupt? Is privacy a right or a commodity? Each session centers on a philosophical question with no easy answer. Your student researches it, writes a short position paper, then delivers a speech defending their view. The instructor plays devil's advocate, poking holes and pushing their thinking. Culminates in live timed debates.

What they're building: Critical thinking, independent research, persuasive writing, public speaking, active listening, intellectual confidence, and the ability to form and defend well-reasoned opinions.

For students who are shy, anxious about presenting, or just need a boost. Sessions use improv games, storytelling exercises, and low-pressure performance activities to build comfort with self-expression. No scripts. No stages. Just a safe space to practice being heard. Josh's professional acting experience shapes every session.

What they're building: Self-confidence, verbal fluency, comfort with spontaneity, emotional expression, and the ability to think and communicate clearly under mild pressure.

"Meta" means the most effective approach in any strategic situation. In this program, students learn a variety of strategy games and card games, but the real focus is what happens between the moves. We pause at key decisions, analyze what went wrong (and right), and build a framework for thinking that transfers far beyond the table. Games include: backgammon, poker, Dominion, Settlers of Catan, and more.

What they're building: Pattern recognition, strategic planning, impulse control, reading opponents, adapting to new information, and metacognition (thinking about how you think).

Whether your student has never touched a deck or already knows what a "mana curve" is, this class meets them where they are. New players learn the rules, build their first deck, and start thinking strategically from day one. Experienced players sharpen their game: refining deck construction, reading opponents, and learning to adapt mid-match. Every session blends gameplay with analysis. We don't just play. We pause, rewind, and ask "what was the better move?" The goal is to build a mind that thinks 3 steps ahead, at the table and beyond it.

What they're building: Strategic planning, resource management, probability and risk assessment, creative problem-solving (deck building), reading opponents, adapting to new information, and learning from losses.