Courses for Students
AP African American Studies
AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with rich and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment.
The course framework in the AP African American Studies Course and Exam Description is organized by four thematic units that follow a chronological flow across the course. Throughout each unit, students build interdisciplinary analytical skills through deep encounters with a wide range of texts and sources.
Ethnic Studies
Ethnic Studies examines the histories, cultures, and experiences of diverse racial and ethnic groups, focusing on fostering understanding, equity, and social justice. This interdisciplinary field addresses the social, political, and economic contexts influencing these communities and integrates perspectives from history, sociology, and other disciplines. Central to ethnic studies is the teaching of antiracism, which involves understanding and challenging systemic racism while promoting empathy and respect for all people. Notably, the course emphasizes unity and does not teach or promote hate toward any group. Instead, it aims to broaden students' cultural awareness and enable them to engage in meaningful discourse.
Race and Social Justice
The purpose of this course is to teach U.S. History from a different perspective- one that emphasizes the role of race and justice in American history. Students will leave with a more thorough understanding of our nation’s history and a clearer view of current issues around race and ethnicity in our community. The entire class will be focused on evaluating attainment of ideals set forth in our founding documents for all Americans. This course meets the California State Standards for Social Studies, and satisfies all high school graduation and college admissions requirements.