HSDC Continuing Education Program

NEW CEU Project! This is part of our Banned & Challenge Book Series.

Nineteen Minutes is a Jodi Picoult novel about a school shooting in the fictional town of Sterling, New Hampshire, exploring themes of bullying, prejudice, and community reaction through the trial of shooter Peter Houghton, a former friend of popular girl Josie Cormier, whose testimony is crucial but conflicted. The story delves into the aftermath of the 19-minute tragedy, examining justice, memory, and the societal pressures that lead to violence, featuring returning characters like lawyer Jordan McAfee and detective Patrick Ducharme. (1.03 General Studies CEUs)

Project Requirements: Read the book and respond to 10 short easy questions, totaling a 3,000 word minimum.

Find it on our website *Link in Bio*

NEW CEU Project! This is part of our Banned & Challenge Book Series.

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Na**sm, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.

On Tyranny is a call to arms and a guide to resistance, with invaluable ideas for how we can preserve our freedoms in the uncertain years to come. (0.55 PPO-Professional Studies CEUs)

Project Requirements: Read the book and respond to 14 short essay questions, totaling a 3,000 word minimum.

NEW CEU Project! This is part of our Banned & Challenge Book Series.

The Handmaid's Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood set in the totalitarian, patriarchal Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States, where fertile women (Handmaids) are forced into reproductive servitude to repopulate a declining population. Told through the eyes of the protagonist, Offred, the story explores themes of female disempowerment, loss of identity, and the subjugation of reproductive rights, serving as a cautionary tale about how current societal trends could lead to extreme oppression. The novel has been adapted into a film, an opera, and a popular television series, with a sequel, The Testaments, published in 2019. (0.88 General Studies CEUs)

Project Requirement: Read the book and answer 10 short essay questions totaling a 3,000 word minimum response.

Find it on our website *Link in Bio*

NEW CEU Project! This is part of our Popular Culture Series.

Project Hail Mary is a 2021 hard science fiction novel by Andy Weir about Ryland Grace, an amnesiac astronaut who wakes up alone on a spaceship millions of miles from Earth with a mission to save humanity from an extinction-level threat. The story follows him as he pieces together his memories and uses science to solve an impossible problem, with the help of an unexpected alien companion. Praised for its humor, scientific accuracy, and engaging narrative, it's a New York Times bestseller and was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel. (0.93 General Studies CEUs)

Project Requirements: Read the book and respond to 14 short essay questions, totaling a 3,000 word minimum.

The Martian by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel about astronaut Mark Watney, who is stranded alone on Mars after his crew presumes him dead and evacuates during a storm. Told largely through his log entries, the story follows his struggle to survive using his botany and engineering skills to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, while NASA and his crew work to mount a rescue mission. The book is praised for its scientific realism, humor, and focus on problem-solving, and was adapted into a major film starring Matt Damon. (0.82 General Studies CEUs)

Project Requirements: Read the book and respond to 14 short essay questions, totaling a 3,000 word minimum.

Find it on our website at www.hsdcceu.org *Link in Bio*