This is a one-trimester course for all sophomores.  It is designed to introduce them to the local environment, engage them in project-based learning, and inspire them to actively pursue interests related to campus sustainability and the natural world around Meriden.  Leveraging our 280-acre central campus and our additional 1000+ acres of conserved woodlands, students work in small classes (8 or fewer) to engage with topics including sustainable use of resources, renewable energy, land conservation, planning, and social enterprise.  Depending upon the semester and season, classes also engage in our ongoing initiatives in the greenhouse (hydroponics and aquaculture production of food), farm (open-space management with sheep and food waste disposal with pigs), and other land resources (beekeeping, maple sugar production, orchard).  Every class is tasked with identifying an aspect of campus sustainability they would like to improve and then designing and executing a project to achieve that goal.

Choices is a foundational course for 9th-grade students rooted in the science of relationships and the science of well-being. Choices is designed to equip 9th graders with essential tools for navigating their educational, social, and emotional journey at KUA and beyond. This course is led by field experts, ensuring students receive the highest quality information. The course is conducted in a college seminar-style environment, where students engage with campus and local resources to enrich their learning and foster personal growth.

The Choices course is designed to support freshmen in the academic and social realms. It is required of all ninth-grade students; the objectives of the academic curriculum are to help students develop an understanding that learning is an active process, to better familiarize students with their own unique learning styles, and to identify and implement strategies that enhance their effectiveness as learners. Topics covered include time/materials/space organization, learning styles, plagiarism/citation, note-taking, active reading, active listening, writing, memory, and test preparation/taking. The social curriculum aims to provide students with information and strategies for making healthy decisions in all aspects of their lives at KUA.  Topics addressed include KUA history, digital citizenship, personal health, nutrition, coping with stress, peer pressure, self-image, relationships, college planning, and leadership. Dependent on the topic of the class, ninth graders are either taught together in a presentation-style setting, or split into smaller groups, either co-ed or single-gender, for further exploration through activities and discussion. The course is team-taught by faculty members in the Center for the Advancement of Learning and the Student Life Office.

(1/3 credit; 10th, 11th, 12th)

How can you optimize your learning in school? In this hands-on, no-homework elective, students will explore the science behind how we think, learn, remember, and succeed in school. We’ll cover topics like brain architecture, attention, motivation, memory, neuroplasticity, sleep, metacognition, and creativity—focusing on how each contributes to effective learning and wellbeing. Through engaging activities, class discussions, and self-reflection, students will apply these insights to their own study habits and academic life. This course is designed to help students become more efficient, motivated, and confident learners in all their classes—and to prepare them for the increased independence and academic demands of college.

(Junior; spring)

Designed for, and taught to, students in the spring of their junior year, the SAT Prep course prepares students for the rigors of taking the SAT tests offered by the College Board.  The primary goal is to identify and implement test-taking strategies using prerequisite knowledge to increase student performance.

Additionally, the Learning Center will refer, to a local tutoring agency, students who either are not able to participate in this course or wish for further opportunities to prepare for standardized testing.

(by arrangement with the Director of Studies; additional fee required)

This program provides intensive and individualized academic support for students whose learning profile requires the support of a learning specialist without the additional executive functioning support provided by a Structured Study Tutorial. The student meets with a credentialed learning specialist in a one-on-one setting for two class periods each week. Our learning specialists work with students and their families and teachers to identify and achieve academic goals through coaching, the teaching of specific skills and content instruction, and regular communication with teachers and parents. Each student’s work with a learning specialist is completely individualized and incorporates a wide variety of interventions, including study skills, metacognitive and self-advocacy coaching, reading comprehension support, and written expression instruction and scaffolding. Facilitation of access to assistive technology and classroom-based accommodations are included in this service. The student, the parents, and the advisor all receive a progress report after each session.

(by arrangement with the Director of Studies; additional fee required)

This tutorial provides individualized English language support to international students at all levels of proficiency who wish to further strengthen their English language skills. The students meet on an individual basis with the English Language Learning instructor for one class period a week. Assignment is for the academic year and can be extended to subsequent years.