Thanks to your support, this year has been a big one for Crash Course! We’ve taken on everyone’s favorite dinner table topics: sex, religion, and politics. But, here’s the thing: although these subjects may seem different on the surface from biology or world history, our approach is the same. We lead with evidence and scholarly research, and we’re driven by curiosity, a love of stories, and the tireless pursuit of nuance. With these topics, as much as any others, the world is simply more interesting when we see it complexly. 

Your support is what enables us to create high-quality educational resources about challenging, and critically important topics. And together, our reach continues to grow. A recent report from the American Historical Association shows Crash Course is used in classrooms in every state, as often as a number of federally funded educational resources combined. 

Here's a recap of what we worked on in the last year, thanks to your views, shares, comments, and contributions to our Patreon and Crash Course Coin campaign:

What’s Out Now

Art History
Art history is not just the study of lone geniuses from centuries past who get Ninja Turtles named after them. This 22-episode series deconstructs the art history canon, highlighting a number of classics alongside a bevy of lesser known works — from ancient cave paintings to pride flags, and everything in between.

Religions
This 24-episode series explores how a variety of religions respond to life’s greatest mysteries. We consider how religion bumps up against other areas of life, from social identity to political systems to popular culture. And we discuss cults, magic, the supernatural, being “spiritual but not religious,” and other elements that skirt around the edges of how we see religion. 

Political Theory
Since the first time humans tried to organize ourselves, we’ve been asking many of the same questions. What is justice, and who gets to decide? What does it look like to live in a healthy society? This 13-episode series considers the biggest issues of our time through the age-old questions of political theory, bringing a variety of perspectives (from Socrates to Karl Marx to bell hooks and beyond) to modern political questions. 

Sex Ed
Releasing now, this 15-episode series tours the delightfully varied realm of human sexuality. With science and wit, but no shroud of taboo, we cover topics like anatomy, virginity, pregnancy, and masturbation. We also apply historical and sociological lenses to shed new light on cultural misconceptions. 

Native American History
We’re also currently uploading a 24-episode series on Native American History, which begins well before 1492 and extends into the present. It covers a wide range of topics from Indigenous worldviews and tribal sovereignty, to the complex web of Federal Indian Law, to the Land Back movement and issues of cultural appropriation. Along the way, episodes dispel common myths and stereotypes and highlight lesser-known stories of Native people, past and present. 

What’s Next?

Kids Literature
We’re excited to add a new series to our Kids channel! This 6-part series explores a variety of stories and storytelling techniques geared toward 3rd to 5th graders. In each episode, we’ll focus on a different book while highlighting critical comprehension skills like making inferences, synthesizing information from multiple texts, and comparing and contrasting.

Guest Lecture: The Cultish Power of Words
Our latest long-form guest lecture is coming up! It’s by social commentator Amanda Montell, the New York Times-bestselling author of Cultish and The Age of Magical Overthinking. The lecture dives deep into the influence that linguistic tricks have over us and demonstrates how these strategies are lurking in the most surprising of places. 

Latin American Literature
This 13-episode series won’t be able to answer exactly where Latin America begins and ends, but it will tell us a lot about the cultures and peoples who’ve lived there. We’ll look at some of the most influential novels, poems, and short stories from the pre-Columbian era to the 21st century. Along the way, we’ll pull back the curtain to understand how Latin American writers were shaped by the dynamic politics, history, and cultures around them.  

Scientific Thinking
This 7-part mini-series will teach learners the foundational principles underlying scientific thought, pulling back the curtain on processes like peer review, interrogating what makes sources reliable (or not), unpacking how consensus is reached, and revealing how scientific understanding changes over time. Ultimately, viewers will gain the ability to think more critically about the scientific information they encounter in their everyday lives. 

The Future of Artificial Intelligence
Could AI outsmart you? How will it transform the economy? What might losing control of AI look like — outside of science fiction? This 5-part mini-series will explore the capabilities and potential risks of artificial intelligence in our modern world.

Geology
The Earth we know now is very different than it was two billion years ago… and yet, to a rock, it’s the same world. That’s the heart of geology: while Earth is ever-changing, geologic rules and processes remain the same. In this 25-episode series, we’ll uncover constants that reveal our planet’s past and help us learn how to prepare for the future.

We couldn’t have done it without you.

Ultimately, Crash Course is possible because of one very important reason: you. Whether you’ve purchased a Crash Course Coin, supported us on Patreon, or shared videos with your students, friends, family, or coworkers, you are a part of this team. You are the reason we can keep making high-quality educational materials that support learners where they are.

If you want to, and are able to purchase a Crash Course Coin this year, they're available until June 2nd. We have so much more we want to do, and we are so grateful to have the support of those who pay for this content so that it can be free for everyone, forever.

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General History of the Crash Course Coin

The world isn’t set up for folks to produce high-quality educational materials that are accessible to everyone for free. But, together, with the support of our generous partners and audience members, we’ve created something magical: a world of our own where we do the impossible every day. 

What’s the Crash Course Coin?
Since 2012, Crash Course has produced more than 55 series made up of over 1,500 videos, covering not only the foundational courses of high school and early college but also filling gaps in our education systems around topics like Native American history, sex ed, and world religions. We’ve done all of that — educating hundreds of millions of viewers around the world — without charging them a single penny. And that’s due in no small part to the support of our audience.

Since 2021, Crash Course has released an annual, special edition coin. This collectable object represents our viewers’ ability to help us reach thousands more learners with free, high-quality educational material. Each year, we create a new design that speaks to the values of Crash Course and our audience. And each year, we are blown away by the support we receive. 

Support from the Crash Course coin and our Patreon make up around a third of our total budget. That means, on average, 1 of every 3 episodes in a given series are a direct result of audience support. Whether you’ve purchased a Crash Course coin, supported us on Patreon, or shared our videos with your students, friends, family, or coworkers: thank you. You are the reason Crash Course is and will always be free for everyone, forever.

History of Crash Course
In 2007, Hank and John Green started making YouTube videos as the Vlogbrothers. They often made videos about their own curiosities, like “What do red blood cells do?” or “What was up with the French Revolution?”. These videos were fun, fast-paced, and not afraid to go deep. In 2011, the Vlogbrothers received funding from YouTube to start an educational video series using their tried-and-true storytelling strategies, and Crash Course was born. 

What Makes Crash Course Unique
At Crash Course, we are committed to not only teaching the material, but to telling stories. We dive deep into the research behind how we know what we know, and we’re never afraid to point out what’s still left to learn. We seek out lesser known historical figures, highlight surprising twists and turns in scientific discovery, and show how everything is more beautifully complex than it seems.  

We lead with curiosity, so you’re never left wondering: when am I gonna use this stuff in real life? Instead, you might be wondering: holy cow, when did I suddenly get so interested in microbes? That’s the magic of Crash Course.

Educational research has shown again and again the value of engaging curiosity and telling stories to make learning stick, which goes to show why our videos are watched in classrooms throughout the country and the world. But we’re also proud that our videos are watched by casual learners — folks who, like us, plan to remain curious throughout their lives.