From exploring tools like ChatGPT and Canva’s AI features, to diving into big-picture questions about ethics, copyright, and the future of work, this course equips students with the knowledge they need to be thoughtful users and potential creators of AI.

They’ll also gain practical experience with real AI-powered tools, evaluate where AI can (and shouldn’t) be used, and reflect on how these technologies may affect their own education, careers, and daily lives.

What students will gain:

• A foundational understanding of how AI and machine learning work

• Hands-on experience with a variety of popular AI tools

• Insight into real-world applications of AI

• Awareness of ethical concerns such as bias, hallucinations, environmental impact, and copyright

• The ability to make informed, responsible choices when using AI

Read a review from a previous student here.

Instructor: Meryl van der Merwe (ex-programmer) – meryl@fundafunda.com

Grades: Suitable for grades 7 -12

Hours: 3-4 hours each week

Credit Hours: 0.5 High School Credit

Syllabus:  Available here

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

View One Module Here

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When you think about it, engineers impact all our lives every day. Who are these engineers? What do they do? How do they do it? How do I become one?

This alphabetical overview offers practical examples for each type of engineering, providing students with a foundation in how engineering disciplines affect their daily lives and the major coursework that they would take should they choose to become an engineer.

Course Goals: In this online engineering class, the student will gain:
❖ Understanding of the different engineering disciplines
❖ Understanding of specific applications in the different engineering fields
❖ Understanding the different Science and Engineering concepts
❖ Technical skills from hands-on projects applying concepts from each major field
❖ Introduction to the type of major to study for each discipline

This course covers a wide range of engineering disciplines.

Instructor:  Mariselle Gonzalez

For: Grades 7 -12

Hours: 4-5 hours each week

Credit Hours: 1 High School Credit (on completion of both semesters). Students can select either semester for 1/2 credit or do both. It does not matter which order they take them in. See the syllabus for what is covered under each option.

Syllabus:  Available here

Required Materials: In addition to a scientific calculator, some additional supplies are needed for hands-on investigations. A supply list will be provided in time for students to purchase materials for the class

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

View One Module Here

**Links to resources may be affiliate links. You don’t pay anything more but we make a small percentage of each sale.

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This is a one semester online homeschool art history class for high schoolers. It is worth .5 fine arts credit. We will utilize the book The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to the Present, as well as additional videos, quizzes, and other materials throughout the semester to gain a good overall knowledge of art history from 19th century Impressionism through the present.

This class is designed to expose students to many different artists, artworks, styles, movements, and more in art history, but also to be fun!

Art History can be used as a Fine Arts credit for high school.

Instructor: Holly Egan

Click here to learn more about the instructor.

For: Grades 9-12

Hours: 3- 4 per week

Credit Hours: 0.5 High School Credit on completion of the semester

Syllabus: Available here

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

Required Materials: The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to the Present

View One Module Here

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The course will take students through a series of fun projects as they put into practice what they are learning. They will also be encouraged to develop their own creative style as a vital skill to use in the future. When the course is completed, students should have the confidence to use Canva to create visual media for school assignments and more.

This class can be used as an Art credit for high school.

Instructor: Rebecca Brinkman

Click here to learn more about the instructor.

For: Grades 7-12

Hours: 3 – 4 per week

Credit Hours: 0.5 High School Credit

Syllabus: Available here

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

View One Module Here

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The course covers aspects such as theatre terminology, prop and set design, costumes and makeup, introduction to acting, the business side of theatre, writing a script, and stage management.

Quote from a previous student Alex R:

What I think I improved on in this class is really understanding the depth of theater and how much there really is to it. When I first began this class, I had had a lot of acting experience, but I lacked a true understanding of everything there is. This class really helped me understand how much there is to theater.

Instructor: Amy van der Merwe

For: Grades 7 -12

Hours: +- 4 hours each week

Credit Hours: 1/2 High School Credit on completion of the semester

Syllabus: Available here

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

View One Module Here

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Just as you might read a novel and follow the story but then go to your English class and discover you missed some really important parts to fully understand the book, you can also look at an image and only partially understand it.

This course intends to give you the tools to notice more of the images in your daily life and learn how to critically engage with them. Over the 16 weeks, we will watch movies, television shows, YouTube channels, music videos and look at photos, advertisements, artwork, graphic novels, and websites. By the end of this class, you should be better equipped to move through life as a more thoughtful consumer and a more engaged, responsible citizen.

This class can be an elective credit OR it can be taken as part of an English credit. It is intended for students who enjoy challenging material and are ready to think, discuss and grow in their understanding of today’s visual culture.

To turn this into a full English credit, your student could take our Jane Austen class or this Intro to Shakespeare class in the second semester, or you could supplement it with grammar, vocabulary, other literature studies etc. A virtual book club or literature study from Literary Adventures for Kids is another option.

We would be happy to help you with ideas.

Instructor: Dr. Rachel van der Merwe – rachel@fundafunda.com

For: Grades 9-12

Hours: Approximately 4-5 hours a week

Credit Hours: one semester (1/2 credit – see suggestions above to use it as an English credit)

Self-paced: This course may be started at any point in the year as a self-paced course – it will be graded and feedback provided

Syllabus: Available here

Required Materials: Check your library before buying!

Persepolis Vol 1
The Medium is the Massage
How to Read a Film by Monaco (Please note: some pages of this book contain photos you may not approve of. None are referenced in the class. Our suggestion is that you remove those pages if they are a problem. There aren’t many.)
Students will also need to rent 3 or 4 movies

Fall and Spring Dates: This class is self-paced, so start and end when you wish.

View One Module Here

**Links to resources may be affiliate links. You don’t pay anything more but we make a small percentage of each sale.

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Required Material: Investment Guide for Teens by David and Tom Gardner

Registration in the Budget Challenge Game (an additional cost of $30). A link to register will be sent later.

Instructor: Meryl van der Merwe

For: Grades 9 -12

Hours: approximately 4 hours each week

Credit Hours: 1/2 High School Credit

Syllabus: Available here

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

View One Module Here

**Links to resources may be affiliate links. You don’t pay anything more but we make a small percentage of each sale.

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We aren’t using textbooks and there will only be some quizzes – no tests or exams. Mastery of the material will be evaluated through projects and their responses to the material studied.

The class is taught by 3 moms who couldn’t find a fun, interesting, and useful Health curriculum for their own children, so they decided to create one. It will not cover sex education (we will cover the reproductive system as part of body systems but not in much detail) as we believe that is best taught by parents.

Topics covered include:
Body systems (as this is necessary for an understanding of health)
Mental and Emotional Health
Diseases – what causes them and how to identify the common ones
Sleep
Exercise – why it is important and the different types
Nutrition
Eating Disorders
Addiction
First Aid

Required Materials: None

Instructors: Meryl van der Merwe, Heather Fulghum, Lea Bosse

For: Grades 9 -12

Hours: 4-5 hours each week

Credit Hours: 1/2 High School Credit

Syllabus : Available here

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

View One Module Here

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This class is designed to teach many skills, but also to be fun! We use a free online tool to teach photo editing, so there is no need to buy anything extra for that.

Photography can be used as an Art credit for high school.

For more info view our blog post about this class.

Instructor: Piers van der Merwe (view his photography at Onstandby or Instagram)

For: Grades 7-12

Hours: 3 – 4 per week

Required for class: Students will need a real camera (an iPhone / iPod is not sufficient) with the ability to change ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.

Credit Hours: 0.5 High School Credit

Syllabus: Available here

Fall Dates: August 17 – Dec 11 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)

Spring Dates: January 4 – April 30  (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)

View One Module Here

Examples of Student Work

Photo submitted as part of an assignment by Havilah S.

This photo by one of our previous students won a photographic competition.

Another photo from an assignment. Be sure to follow Isaac W. on Instagram. He has already won a few contests!

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