Quest 1 courses should fall naturally within one of the six themes and examine essential questions relevant to that theme.
AI and the Human Experience
This category invites courses that explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the ways we live, work, create, and understand ourselves as human beings. How do we preserve our humanity in a world dominated by AI? Courses might examine ethical, social, cultural, and philosophical questions raised by AI, as well as its impact on individuals, relationships and meaning in contemporary life.
How Stories Shape Us
Stories—whether through literature, film, oral traditions, or digital media—shape the ways we see ourselves and the world. This category seeks courses that investigate how storytelling creates meaning, preserves culture, sparks change, and reflects individuals and communities across time and place.
Great Conversations
Some ideas, questions, and debates transcend time and place, shaping the way societies evolve and people think about the world. Courses in this category will engage students in these enduring conversations, encouraging them to grapple with foundational texts, influential thinkers, and big questions that continue to resonate today.
Conformity and Change
Societies are built on both tradition and transformation. This category seeks courses that examine the tension between forces that encourage conformity (pattern makers)—such as social norms, laws, and culture—and forces that drive innovation, rebellion, and change (pattern breakers).
Time and Memory
How we understand the past shapes how we understand ourselves and our future. This category invites courses that explore memory, history, and the ways different cultures, disciplines, and technologies, record and interpret time.
Outside the Box
Some of the most transformative learning comes from unexpected connections and unconventional approaches. This open-ended category invites creative, interdisciplinary courses that challenge traditional boundaries, foster curiosity, and encourage students to think in new ways.