UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students Teaching Students (STS) will be offering eight elective courses for Penn State students in the Spring 2021 semester, covering topics such as diversity in Disney films, the impact of drug cartels on rural development in Latin America, music psychology and others.
“Our first four courses launched in Spring 2020, and one year later, these eight courses represent our program doubling and amplifying even more student experiences,” said Amanda Mohamed, assistant director of STS, in a press release.
STS was founded in spring 2020 by Penn State students who wanted to implement a student-led course program similar to those that have proven popular at other colleges and universities. Each student who leads a course undergoes training from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State. Additionally, courses must have a faculty sponsor.
Courses led by STS won’t substitute for courses required to graduate, or satisfy General Education requirements, and will be in addition to the courses students need to complete their degrees. They will, however, contribute to the minimum number of credits required to graduate.
STS-led courses shifted to remote instruction in March 2020 just like the rest of the University as STS instructors taught their peers about the lyrics of Kanye West, LSAT preparation, bias in healthcare and humane economics. STS resumed offering courses again in the fall 2020 semester.
Spring 2021 will see some STS courses in-person, some remote and some in mixed-mode. Upcoming courses also include Act Now for a Sustainable Future, Supporting Students’ Mental Health, The Roman Liturgy Since 1900, American Musical Theatre History: From 9/11 to COVID-19, and B.B.W.: The Miseducation and Underrepresentation of the Big Black Woman.
Visit stspsu.org for a full description of courses. STS is also releasing videos on its YouTube channel, featuring Masterclass-esque teasers to courses.
For more information about the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, visit schreyerinstitute.psu.edu. The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence is a part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.