Welcome to S.E.T. School
S.E.T. School is a Science, Engineering and Technology after-school enrichment program for children in grades 1 through 12. Our mission is to excite a love of learning through hands-on activities and stimulating challenges. We believe that children learn best when they are having fun!
Our Programs
Science - From Atom to Universe!
Children are natural scientists, seeking to make sense of a complex world. We present science in a broad holistic and humanistic manner, and encourage students to explore, ponder, research and discover the natural wonders around us.
Our ClassesScience Grades K-2 (Fall, Spring): Science exploration activities develop a sense of wonder about the world and how it works. Students learn by hands-on work with living things, simple chemistry, fun physics and earth science.
Science Grades 3-5 (Fall, Spring): Students learn about the processes, concepts and applications of science and engineering by doing hands-on projects, labs and experiments in chemistry, biology, physics, engineering and earth/space science. Some of the projects are drawn from the Science Olympiad Elementary Curriculum guide (http://soinc.org/sample_k6_events).
Science Olympiad Grades 6+ (Fall, Spring):Science Olympiad is for middle school students who want an exciting challenge in science. Students choose from a variety of competitive events in biology, chemistry, earth/space science, physics and engineering. Class time focuses on preparing for the competition, but competing in the events is not mandatory; students interested in just enjoying the projects without competing are welcome to join the class. For more info, see the events at: Science Olympiad).
Science Fair Prep Grades 4+ (Mid-Spring): Is your child nervous about doing a science fair project? Would you like them to learn how real science is done? SET School is running a short class on how to do a science fair project. We will do a series of short experiments to teach about the scientific method, including experimental design, hypothesis testing, materials and procedures, data collection and analysis, control and variables, and presentation of results. Students will learn that making mistakes is expected in science, and learning about the mistakes and asking questions moves science forward!
Anatomy and Physiology Grades 5+ (Spring): Learn how organ systems work together and function inside the body. Students will dissect a sheep heart and fetal pig as part of the study. If there is time, we will examine and dissect other creatures like squids and frogs.
Engineering - Think, Design and Build like an Engineer!
Using the Lego Mindstorms Robotic System students learn programming and construction techniques to solve real world design problems. For additional challenge, younger students (grades 1-3) who take 2 semesters of robotics can join the Junior FIRST Lego League (FLL) team, while older students (grades 4-8) who have taken and mastered the FLL workshop class can join our FLL competition team!
Action Contraptions Grades K-2 (Fall, Winter): Go beyond the brick! Students learn the FUN-dementals of physics and simple machines using Lego technic pieces and other construction materials to make things with joints, gears, wheels and arms that run by kinetic energy.
Lego Designer K-2 (Fall, Winter): Calling all junior engineers! Join us for a Lego journey of discovery, design and fun.
Electric Boss Grades K-2 (Spring): What's a circuit? How does a motor work? What fun things can we make with wires, batteries, lights and motors? Learn how to make electric toys and build like a boss!
Electronics Lab Grades 4+ (Fall): This class introduces the basics of electrical circuits and how to incorporate components like light and sound. Learn how to use a breadboard to create projects and progress to learning how to solder more complex circuit designs.
Robotics & Programming Grades 1-3 (Fall, Spring): Using the NXT programmable brick, students learn how to design and build Lego robots. Students use the Mindstorms programming language to control motors and sensors so that the robots can move and respond to their environment. Equal emphasis is placed on programming and robot design.
Robotics Programming Grades 4-7 (Fall, Spring):With the Lego Mindstorm Robotics system students learn to program the EV3 robot to move (by controlling motors) and respond to the environment (using sensors). They also learn how to design a robot for different activities, like maze running, zombie hunting, sumo wrestling, mini-golf and Mars rover missions.
FLL Workshop Grades 4-7 (Spring): Using the EV3 programmable brick, students learn advanced construction and programming techniques to solve First Lego League style missions and challenges. This class is a prerequisite for joining the S.E.T. FLL team.
Technology - Animate, Activate and Share!
Our technology program provides children with foundation for today's most relevant skills.
Our ClassesWeb Design Grades 3-8 (Spring): Students learn HTML and build their own websites from the ground up with just a simple text editor and their own typed directions. They usually have something to post online by the end of the first class, and go on to learn more advanced techniques to polish it until it sparkles (sometimes literally).
Scratch Programming Grades 3-8 (Fall, Spring): Using an easy to use programming language created at MIT, students learn to program interactive games and presentations for school. Scratch teaches the basics of sequence, logic, and operations in a fun, engaging format. Students can share their programs with the online Scratch community.
<Animation Grades 3-8 (Fall, Spring): How can a blob of clay come to life and start dancing? How can different camera angles make a car look like it's flying? Learn about stop motion and other film techniques, plus the neuroscience behind special effects.
Minecraft/Rasberry Pi Grades 3-8 (Fall): Take your game to the next level when you uncover the coding behind Minecraft. Learn how to use a Raspberry Pi and Python code to take control of your game!
Python Web Development Grades 6+ (Fall): Learn the basics of programming using Python. What is syntax? What do operations do? How does a subroutine work? What are variables? Learn all this and more!
Intermediate Python Programming Grades 6+ (Fall): Improve your Python coding skills. This application based.class is designed for students with some Python programming experience.
At S.E.T., we believe it's important for children to be well-rounded.
Geometry Jam and Fraction Fun Grades 1-3 (Fall, Spring): Explore the world of geometry, symmetry, ratios, and the elegant beauty of math using fun hands-on activities with Montessori designed materials.
Public Speaking and Essay Writing Grades 4+ (Fall, Spring):(Fall, Spring): Learn how to write and present a persuasive speech and design an effective Powerpoint slideshow. Find out why proper elocution and stance matter during a presentation. Build your confidence when you have to speak to an audience.
Creative Writing Grades 3+ (Fall, Spring): Everyone tells stories, but it takes extra effort and practice to tell amazing ones. This class will cover everything from narrative structure to grammar as well as reasoning skills and essays.
Dungeon Quest Grades 4-8 (Fall, Spring): An earthquake uncovers an entrance to a strange underground city. A fabled object of mystical power is rumored to lie in the ancient ruins. Can you and your band of heroes find it? Solve puzzles, follow clues, map your surroundings, negotiate with strange beings, learn the biology of unusal organisms, and find the treasure. Do or do not, there is no try!
Destination Imagination Grades K-5, 6-9 (Fall only): Students participate in fun, challenging projects and team-building activities as they train for the many exciting challenges of the Destination Imagination competition.