2022 Class List

Morning Session (8:10-10 a.m.)

One of the most pressing issues of today is the need for clean energy solutions to halt global climate change and curb the use of limited fossil fuels.  Fuel cells are a technology that can be adapted to meet the wide variety of applications, but what does the design process actually entail?  What do designers need to consider in order to make a robust product that actually works? How do fuel cells actually work? This class will look at the steps taken to design fuel cell systems to meet the needs of customers. By the end of the class, you’ll have a greater appreciation for the design process and what it takes to create a fuel cell.

This course invites you to explore your personal connection to poetry, and to find- or reconnect with- your poetic voice. We’ll read some poetry, talk about poetry, but, first and foremost, we’ll write poetry and share our work with each other in a safe, supportive and collaborative environment.  The focus here will be on expression, experimentation and creativity. This will be an opportunity for students to work in free verse and more “classical” forms and structures, culminating in an online journal showcasing work from each student.

“What makes a good reporter? What is newsworthy? How can I be sure what I read is true? What in the world is a lede? Learn the basics of news writing and reporting ethics while creating a camp archive for web and print. As a Harold reporter, you will be responsible for documenting memorable camp highlights in a daily newspaper distributed to the camp and preserved online, all while learning what makes news, news. Be the eyes, ears, and voice of Satori 2022!”

Course restrictions: Must be a returning Satori camper; high school students only.

With the rise of popularity in comic books and the characters that live on and off their pages, we will explore different topics of social justice using this form of art and communication. What can we learn and how can we influence what is produced to create a better world? Just remember that with great power comes great responsibility.

Archaeology is a scientific study that is often misrepresented and misunderstood by today’s popular culture. Behind the disguise of hats, whips and rolling boulders, lies an equally exciting if not quite as dangerous pursuit: one that serves as an important check and balance to our constantly evolving sense of human history. In this class, we will learn the fundamentals of Archaeology through a lens of Satori. We will explore the core concepts of archaeological theory, field survey, and excavation while uncovering artifacts from eras of Satori Summer Camp long past. So, if you can’t wait to dig up artifacts and uncover long lost secrets, then this is the class for you.

Come explore the tumultuous geologic and human history of the Pacific Northwest as we explore this beautiful region through the lens of those whose perspectives have historically been excluded in the retelling of our local stories. Students can expect to practice crucial research skills to explore primary and secondary sources through the University of Washington’s records archive as they learn how the world wars changed the region’s politics, the long prevalence of countercultural movements in the area, and the ways in which immigrant communities have continue to shape and influence the northwest at a time of massive population growth.

This class will begin with the following observations: Sound is movement. Play is free movement. Music is playing with sound. Musicians and music lovers of all backgrounds—shower-singers, hand-clappers, rock n’ rollers, dancers, beginners and prodigies—are invited to explore music as a safe space of adventurous expression. Each class will be half seminar, half music-making.

Students are encouraged to bring an instrument (including voice) and a favorite song.

In this class we will explore the fundamentals of front-end web development. Today we use the internet to do pretty much everything, but creating the pages people see and interact with is a complex task. We’ll cover HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and finally the React framework to bring it all together.

Midday Session (10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.)

It is estimated that 34% of the world’s population (2.69 billion people) play video games. However, the equity and quality of experiences for gamers can vary drastically depending on many factors. One such factor, disability, will be our subject as we explore what it is and how it impacts players of console, mobile, and PC games. We will study key concepts around inclusive design and representation. We’ll investigate assistive software and hardware tech utilized by those with disabilities, and the types of affordances and design decisions developers can include in their games to make them as accessible as possible.

You have probably talked about him in school. You have probably read or seen Shakespeare performed, probably in movie form. So why are we still doing these dusty 400 year old plays? Let’s really dig into the cannon, and see what makes these timeless stories tick. Let’s learn about the smart, funny, and often bawdy Bard.

In this class, we will learn how philosophy can help us better understand ethical problems and live better lives by playtesting a modified version of the Dungeons and Dragons, the greatest role-playing game ever created! Students will create characters and navigate a mythological world together. We will also take breaks from roleplaying to discuss some of the many philosophical questions posed by D&D. This class is open to new players and D&D fanatics alike! So, roll for initiative and answer the call to adventure! If you do, you just level up in real life!

Older than science, books and even math; language has been the hallmark of humanity. It binds us together and makes us a community. Campers will look at examples of a variety of languages, from Latin to Klingon and German to Elven, to learn the basic fundamentals of Linguistic Theory and to construct their own secret language.

Satori, by the Zen Buddhist definition, is a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment. In this class we will explore not only the meaning of Satori, but the culture that surrounds it. We will study both the Japanese language and the writings of the Japanese. Students in this class will even get to use Japanese calligraphy and make their own Kanji. Prepare to be enlightened!

Want to be the next dynamite detective or superstar spy? Learn to apply math and logic towards cracking codes, investigating crime scenes, and cornering criminals. Each day, your group will tackle a new mystery with twists and turns along the way, ending with an Escape Room competition. Come sharpen your skills for your next caper, crime or whodunnit!

Self-care, as you may have seen it referenced in the media, is an often-used term that can mean many different things: From taking bubble baths and petting cats to practical strategies that help a person function to the best of their ability. We will focus on the spectrum of self-care options, taking inspiration from known mental health and philosophical methods. Together we will explore the concepts of mindfulness and creativity as they relate to self-care, and you will have the opportunity to learn and practice activities that you can apply in your daily life!

In this class we will explore the music and culture of Japan through Taiko drumming. Join us as we play traditional songs on actual taiko instruments and look into the integration of Japanese culture with this style of music. 私たちと一緒にドラムを演奏してください!(Play drums with us!)

Afternoon Session (1:10-3 p.m.)

Vertebrate life is highly diverse, but there are many shared features that highlight its common origin. In this crash course on anatomy and physiology, you will explore mechanisms of physiological processes as well as compare the anatomy of multiple vertebrae species. This course will involve examination of anatomical structures at multiple levels and an opportunity for you to get your hands on (and inside) a variety of vertebrate species.

In this course, we will think about some important current social issues (for example: civil rights, achievement gap, economic disparities, immigration, gender equality, etc.) and examine many of the personal, social, political, and philosophical complexities that undergird them. In doing so, we will reflect on own stories of identity and the ways we have been/are shaped by societal contexts— and consider the roles/responsibilities as citizens we might have to act out and advocate for our own rights, as well as the rights of others.

This class will explore how pop culture and pop music intertwine.  We will discuss why music and media trends become popular.  How do pop music and social movements become trends? What is a fad and what is a tradition?  In the end, we will discuss why we play the songs at the annual camp dance.

Want to learn some basic dance steps in a stress-free and fun environment? Want to learn some cool moves to try out at the Satori Dance? Then put on your dancing shoes (or just closed-toe shoes in general) and learn how to get your boogie on in the following styles: Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Broadway.

Do you like smoke, noise, and things that go fast? Then this class is for you. We will build two very different larger model rockets and fly them if the weather permits. We will do this while learning some basic rocketry concepts so you can build and fly your own rockets at home. This includes how rocket motors are made and work, aerodynamics of rocket flight, and safety.

* There is a $20 supply fee associated with this class, which must be paid at the time of online registration

Get ready to work your books off in this class, and you’ll have your very own story by the end of the week. We’ll deconstruct picture book structure and establish a creative process that will generate not good, but great ideas. Forget Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak, and Mo Willems—you could be the next big thing in picture books. Whether you’re into writing, illustration, or new to both, you’ll be a professional storyteller by THE END.

For this blurb to make it to you, it had to be written on a computer, emailed using a service that leverages millions of computers, read by another person on a computer, transmitted again, read again and uploaded on another computer, and then either read by you or printed on yet another computer. We take all of these steps for granted on a daily basis, but each device in this process is a complex machine that we can learn about to maximize their utility. Students will explore the physical components of a computer following CompTIA-based guidelines, before spending time learning tools to perform common functions more quickly and easily.

From acting to directing to designing and more, every creative choice in the theatre is informed by historical and modern-day perspectives. Dramaturgy, the art of the theatre, explores the intersections of history, language, culture, creative writing, and design. In this class, campers will read and analyze short plays, develop critical thinking and independent research skills, and learn to build the “blueprint” for a fully staged play.