Classes and Activities
Ecology:
Explore the fascinating world of nature! Bring a good hat, tough shoes, and an adventurous spirit, because this class will be outside a lot! We’ll listen to the sounds of baby birds, unearth the smells of nutrient-rich soil, and hunt down salamanders and baby dragonflies. Along the way, we’ll learn about beaver dams, how turtles breathe underwater, and the intricate connections between everything in nature, including you! Come up with your own questions to explore both within and without the classroom as we foster a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of life!
Physics:
Welcome to a journey through space and time! Open to all ages, this class requires child-like curiosity, serious grit, and above all, good teamwork. Turn your silly questions into serious experiments, and have your mind blown by the crazy reality of true physics. Generate your own electricity, take apart an xbox controller and learn how it rumbles, discover which stars are actually planets, and build a catapult and of course stuff to break with it. Learn about black holes, warp speed, the expansion of the universe, quantum entanglement, time travel, and some other crazy physics mysteries you’ve probably never heard of!
Math for Daily Life:
Discover the practical side of math in our math for daily life class! Work alongside our engineering projects to determine how much soil our garden can hold, how much rainwater we need to catch for it, and how far our catapult will launch a watermelon. Find the most cost effective toilet paper, calculate the cost of a serving of your mom’s spaghetti, and compete to load a dishwasher and arrange furniture efficiently. You can use math to navigate with maps and even win at card games – learn how it can help you!
Math for Board Games (Logic):
Experience the thrill of strategy in our exciting logic class! Overanalyze board games, card games, and video games while you learn about probability, logic, and the art of both winning and losing with grace. Use math to level up your skills as you calculate the odds of deception in social deduction games and discover whether there is a best first guess in Wordle. This class goes beyond the theoretical, with riddles, games, and logic puzzles that will keep you so invested you won’t even realize you’re learning.
Old Testament:
The Old Testament is the record of God’s relationship to the human race as Creator, Judge, and Savior. It’s full of relatable and inspiring stories, but they are often cloaked in mystery and sometimes challenge our ideas about God. Join as we search the scriptures for the face of God and disperse the mysterious fog around the teachings within.
Survival Skills:
Develop a plan and skillset for the zombie apocalypse as you learn how to: build good fires and start them without a lighter; shoot a bow and arrow; navigate by the sun; tie knots for all kinds of purposes; make your own rope; grow good food out of limited soil and more! Along the way we will develop a connection with nature, discover where the things we need really come from, and learn the importance of self reliance.
Writers’ Workshop
Writers’ Workshop is for those who love writing, for those who fear it and everyone in between. This is where you can get feedback, tips and pointers for whatever writing assignment you are currently working on, and encouragement for writing more. Any kind of writing is open for discussion whether it’s a Youtube script, a poem, a brainstorm, a college admissions essay, a short story, an essay digging into a question that is plaguing you, an ad for a business, or a letter to your grandma. Bring a laptop, tablet, or journal for writing in.
Stories
Stories are an important part of our lives. They help us make sense of the world, sell products, make our point, and entertain us. In this dynamic class, you will embark on an inspiring journey through the art of storytelling. We will read, listen to, and watch great stories, from Jesus to George Lucas and delve into the fundamentals of good storytelling and create our own written or oral stories. Whether you aspire to become a writer, gain confidence in public speaking, or simply want to explore the profound impact of stories, this class is the perfect platform to nurture your talents and unleash your creativity.
U.S. History
In this class you will NOT memorize dates or facts…unless you want to. Instead, we will look at the good, the bad, the ugly, the shocking, gross, hilarious, fascinating, and controversial parts of U.S. History that textbooks misrepresent or leave out. We will examine our nation’s history through class discussions, debates, primary sources, artifacts, videos, and field trips. Along the way, students will decide the topics that they want to dive deeper into.
World Religions
From Buddhism and Hinduism to Islam and Judaism, students will gain a better understanding of diverse belief systems, practices, and cultures. Through engaging discussions, guest speakers, and thought-provoking insights, participants will learn how to use this knowledge to foster meaningful relationships and effectively share the gospel with wisdom and empathy in an increasingly interconnected world.
Tinker Shop
Do you like to build and create or take things apart to see how they work? Tinker Time gives you the opportunity to take things apart and build something new. You can bring in your own projects from your own car to a broken toy or you can work with wood, electronics, or other items to create a remote controlled mop, an automatic dog feeder, or anything else you dream up.
P.E.
This is not your typical school gym class. Physical Education is about more than sports. In this class we explore a variety of ways to be active from games, hiking, cycling, and exercise. We will learn about how our bodies work, learn to read nutrition labels, make delicious recipes, and set individual fitness and nutrition goals.
Spanish
This is a fun and laid-back Spanish class where language and culture come alive through interactive games, creative projects, and hilarious conversations. No more dull textbooks – we’re all about tasty tapas, reggaeton beats, and stress-free learning. Our experienced guides will be your amigos on this exciting journey, whether you’re a beginner or brushing up your skills. Get ready for ¡diversión y buen rollo en español! (fun and good vibes).
Entrepreneurship
With the wisdom, advice, and guidance from successful entrepreneurs students will create their own business. Don’t just dream it – create it, with the mentorship of those who’ve walked the entrepreneurial path. Turn your passion into profit!
Baking
Master the art of creating delectable treats from scratch. From mouth watering cupcakes to delicious cobblers, you’ll learn the secrets of the baking world while unleashing your creativity. Under the guidance of our experienced bakers, you’ll mix, measure, and decorate your way to becoming a baking aficionado.
Classes meet for about 1 hour, once or twice a week for up to 18 weeks
- These classes are subject to change based on the interest of students.
- If you dream it up, we’ll try to find someone to teach it.
For information on enrollment, click "Join"
At Mariner we work with each member as an individual, building on strengths to create a meaningful and positive experience while also preparing for each person’s next steps. Members work closely with their mentors to determine their own ideal schedule, creating a combination of group classes and one-on-one tutoring sessions.
Many Mariner members will work with tutors individually to study a topic. Members who wish to study math and writing often do so with a tutor, who can tailor the study to that particular person’s needs.
The format of individual classes can vary significantly, depending on the vision of the leader as well as the input of the participants. Some classes will ask for and expect a considerable amount of work to happen outside of class time while others will be more limited. This is made clear in the class description and by the teacher and should be taken into consideration by the student deciding to join the group.
We encourage all Mariner members to learn about and try as many classes as they can. Once a member decides to be a regular participant of a class, we expect commitment. There are no grades or punishments, but we expect class participants to communicate with the teacher regarding attendance and other issues and to fulfill any requirements such as readings, research, or other assignments.
Members may also choose to participate in dual credit courses through Florence-Darlington Technical College or Francis Marion University or take on an internship, volunteer work, or paid work as part of their learning experience.
At Mariner, we recognize that most of our learning happens OUTSIDE of a classroom setting. To that end, we will venture out on many local field trips throughout the year: Lynches River County Park, Local Museums, Businesses, Farms, and more.