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The Lyceum
After-School Program
at Qualia

For Highly Curious Middle and High Schoolers

Fall 2026 Session
Starts October 5th!

Open To Students From All Schools

Lyceum is Qualia’s after-school enrichment program, serving students ages 10-16. Designed to satisfy the insatiable curiosity of highly motivated learners, Lyceum offers advanced, challenging courses with hands-on learning and higher-level thinking.

Lyceum’s polymathic teachers encourage deep inquiry, crafting learning experiences that stimulate critical thinking and promote intellectual agility. Classes are informed by Qualia’s commitment to providing gifted and highly curious kids with the limitless intellectual opportunities they crave but are not afforded elsewhere.

Lyceum offers courses across a wide range of topics, including STEM, philosophy, engineering, the humanities, the arts, and gaming. The learning environment is small and personalized, built around Qualia’s Oxford-Style Seminar modelwith fewer than ten students per class. By immersing students in a close-knit community of like-minded peers, Lyceum fosters self-awareness, imagination, and adaptability while maximizing critical engagement and intellectual depth.

We know that self-motivated learners long to have control over the direction of their learning and to contribute to the design of the learning process. Based on Qualia’s principle of democratic design, Lyceum students collaborate with the teacher to shape the curriculum and assignments, forging exciting challenges tailored to each group’s abilities and needs.

Tuition is just $625 per 10-week class!
Apply Now

Mondays

3:30 – 5:00 PM

Experimental Robotics

Tuesdays

3:30 – 5:00 PM

Trains: Engineering, History, and Lore

Wednesdays

3:30 – 5:00 PM

Strategy Games: Dungeons and Dragons

Thursdays

3:30 – 5:00 PM

Creature Lab

Fridays

3:30 – 5:00 PM

Tinkerer Lab

Fall 2026 Class Descriptions


Experimental Robotics (LEGO League)

Led by FIRST Robotics Championship Coach and Qualia Robotics Instructor Emir Altug

For Students 14 and Younger

Students will design, build, and program LEGO robots as they prepare to compete in FIRST LEGO League. Working in teams, participants will explore mechanical systems, sensors, coding, and autonomous robot design while developing solutions for official-style missions and challenges. Students will test their builds, troubleshoot problems, refine their code, and practice the teamwork and presentation skills needed for robotics competition. No previous robotics experience is required.

MONDAYS 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 
October 5 to December 14


Trains: Engineering, History, and Lore

Led by Qualia’s English, History and Science Faculty

For the ultimate train enthusiasts and railfans! All aboard for seven weeks dedicated entirely to trains! Students can share their favorite train facts, identify locomotives, compare famous rail lines, and connect with peers who are just as excited about railroading as they are. Guest conductors and engineers will also join us to discuss life on the railroad, answer questions, and share firsthand stories from the cab and the rails. We may even correspond by letter with America’s most notorious train robber, Darius McCollum!

TUESDAYS: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 
October 6 to December 15


Strategy Games: Dungeons and Dragons

Led by Dungeon Master and Qualia Culinary Arts Instructor Sam Schiffer

Roll for initiative and join an unforgettable tabletop adventure! Guided by an experienced Dungeon Master, students will create characters, form an adventuring party, and embark on a collaborative Dungeons & Dragons campaign filled with quests, puzzles, exploration, and role-playing. Players will learn how to use character sheets, ability checks, saving throws, spell slots, armor class, and the legendary twenty-sided die while developing strategy, teamwork, creative problem-solving, and improvisational storytelling. Whether negotiating with an NPC, investigating a mysterious dungeon, or facing a fearsome boss encounter, every choice will help shape the campaign. New and experienced adventurers are welcome! No experience necessary.

WEDNESDAYS: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 
October 6 to December 16


Creature Lab

Led by professional character designer and Qualia Ceramics Instructor Veronika Gamaley

Enter a creature workshop inspired by the imaginative spirit of Jim Henson’s puppet-making tradition! Students will dream up original monsters, puppets, and fantastical characters while learning the fundamentals of character and creature design. Using textiles, students will sketch their ideas, select fabrics, create patterns, cut and sew, stuff their creations, and add expressive features and details. By the end of the course, each young designer will bring a one-of-a-kind cast of stuffed creatures and puppets to life.

THURSDAYS: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 
October 7 to December 17


Tinkerer Lab

Led by Emmy Award–winning Artist and Qualia Art Instructor Andrea Shear

Our most popular Lyceum class returns! Andrea Shear invites students into an open studio to explore art materials, making, and creativity. Participants will experiment with a variety of artistic techniques while developing their own projects. The course emphasizes imagination, hands-on learning, and skill-building. Students will cultivate confidence and curiosity in a supportive, collaborative environment.

FRIDAYS: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 
October 8 to December 18


Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a Lyceum class?

  • Lyceum classes meet once a week after school (from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM).
  • The Fall 2026 term begins October 5 and ends December 18.
  • Monday class will not meet October 12, Indigenous Peoples’ Day
  • Wednesday class will not meet November 11, Veterans’ Day

Where do classes meet?

All classes meet on Qualia’s campus in Calabasas:
4345 Las Virgenes Road
Calabasas, CA 91302

(At Oak View and Las Virgenes Road)

Who can participate?

Students ages 10-16 may apply for Lyceum.  Participants are accepted based on demonstrated curiosity, academic performance, and enthusiasm for learning.

How can I get more information?

Please call or email Daniel Rolnik at Qualia: 

Email: Daniel@QualiaSchool.org
Call: 310-478-9900

How do we apply?

Please submit a separate application for each student here.