Semester Immersions

Innovative Immersions for Curious Minds

Held between the first and second quarters and the third and fourth quarters of the school year, AAI’s Semester Immersions give students the opportunity to take a deep dive into the unknown. These week-long, all-day electives encourage collaboration and exploration, reward curiosity, spark creativity, and teach valuable life skills. Like Friday Workshops, Semester Immersions organically grow and change with AAI — below are some of our current and past Immersions.

AAI Expansion Project

AAI was bursting at the seams and took the initiative to undergo a 3,300-square-foot expansion comprised of four new classrooms, a couple of offices, and additional restrooms. In typical AAI fashion, the administration was given an oversight role and the bulk of the project management was performed by a group of eight juniors and seniors. To find out how the students did, read the project recap in AAI’s Student Achievements blog.

Ancient World Traditions and Customs Come Alive

Understanding the origins of ancient traditions from thousands of years ago reveals contemporary traditions still practiced today. During this Immersion, ancient traditions from around the world come alive at AAI! Students experience the Jewish tradition of Passover followed by a delicious feast, learn African dances of war, thanks, and harvest, and “find their Zen” through Buddhist meditation.

Balancing a Budget

Learn how to manage your money! Money management is something many young adults struggle with and budgeting is an essential life skill that many students are not taught before graduating. Unfortunately, balancing a budget and money management are not included in the standard secondary curriculum. This Immersion teaches students budgeting skills and helps them create good money management habits for the future.

Broadway Musical Review

It’s showtime! In this theatrical Immersion, students learn different choreographic and musical numbers from various Broadway shows. Students build skills in collaboration as a cast member and have the opportunity to participate in set construction and technical theater aspects of the production. The week culminates in an exciting Broadway-style variety show!

Camping

It’s time for a true adventure! In this one-week Immersion, students learn the basics of surviving the great outdoors in Utah’s Goblin Valley. Participants navigate their way through various hikes, proper campsite set up and take down, campfire meals, emergency wilderness survival, outdoor health and hygiene, plant identification, and learn about the human impact on the environment.

DNA Detectives

In this Immersion, students gain hands-on experience with laboratory techniques as they explore the application of biology in a crime scene scenario. Throughout the week, students explore the application of biotechnology in forensic investigations, learn about the collection and processing of DNA evidence, and use DNA profiling to draw conclusions about a fabricated crime.

Emergency Preparedness

Students learn a variety of hands-on skills including, but not limited to, how to prepare for various types of emergencies, grey man strategies, the basics of preserving food, how to improvise with what you have, various ways to start fires, how to cook food without electricity, and the basics of making your own bow and arrow. Students also learn CPR and receive a Red Cross CPR certification.

Building a 3D Printer

This is super cool nerd stuff! This is a hands-on immersion where you will learn all the parts of a 3D printer while building one! Once the printer is finished, you’ll design your own product in 3D and then print it. You’ll also learn the fundamentals of starting your own manufacturing business from a real 3D-printing guru. This immersion lets you use your imagination and make your vision a reality… in 3D!

Fit for Life

This Immersion allows students to discover the awesomeness of the human body, specifically the body’s adaptive capabilities. Participants improve their fitness like never before and gain a greater appreciation for what it feels like to be physically fit. Once students have experienced fitness, they are more likely to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle for the rest of their lives.

Ghost Hunting

Do you believe in ghosts? You don’t need to believe in order to have a spooky good time with this Immersion. Students research and explore supposedly haunted places around the Salt Lake Valley. During a week of Ghost Hunting, students explore the history behind these haunted areas of the city and visit these areas to determine if there is any evidence to support these haunted claims.

Introduction to Recording

Audio engineering skills have a real-world application and Audio Engineering is a degree offered at many prestigious universities, community colleges, and technical schools. During this Immersion, students are taught the fundamental knowledge to function in a recording studio environment. Students who successfully complete this Immersion are granted access to the studio for future personal projects.

Plein-Air Painting

Each day the class leaves campus and goes to a different location to focus on using observational painting techniques. Students practice and refine their use of watercolor paints and drawing tools in both natural landscapes and urban environments. Connecting back to the work of the Impressionists, students learn how to see and think like an artist and produce a collection of six Plein-Air paintings.

Stock Market Investing 101

In Stock Market Investing 101, students spend the week learning about the stock market and investing. Each student develops a personal portfolio of stocks based on their personal interests (e.g. aggressive, developing markets, balanced, blue chip, etc.) and then manages their portfolio throughout the following quarter using readily available tools to track their stocks’ and portfolios’ performance.

The Art of Multiples

Printmaking is the process of creating a template to use for making multiples of the same image through techniques like engraving, etching, wood or linoleum cut, and screen printing. Students explore different printmaking techniques as they create printing templates, learn about the history of printmaking, discuss careers in the art world, and enjoy an environment of collaboration and exploration.

The Devil’s in the Details

In this investigative Immersion, students explore what it takes to write about infamous criminals, such as serial killers, terrorists, etc. Students explore topics in forensic psychology, study the ins-and-outs of tough interviewing, and become familiar with some of Utah’s toughest criminal cases while learning to “mine” stories from other sources such as newspapers, obituaries, and court proceedings.