Thanks to your support, this year has been another big one for Crash Course! We’ve wrapped up everyone’s favorite dinner table topics: sex, religion, and politics. But we’ve continued to double down on covering topical issues that are important to you — like Native American history, Latin American literature, and scientific thinking. No matter the subject, we lead with evidence and scholarly research, and we’re driven by curiosity, a love of stories, and the tireless pursuit of nuance. 

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

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
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
Our 24-episode series on Native American History 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.

Kids Literature
We’re excited to have added 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 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 features 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 can’t answer exactly where Latin America begins and ends, but it does 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 consider how Latin American writers were shaped by the dynamic politics, history, and cultures around them.  

Scientific Thinking
This 7-part mini-series teaches 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 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 explores the capabilities and potential risks of artificial intelligence in our modern world.

 

What’s Next?

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.

Big Questions on U.S. Government and Politics
With 2026 midterms approaching, we want to answer viewers’ big questions about how the government works (or, at least, is supposed to… theoretically work). This isn’t your basic orientation to the three branches of government, checks and balances, and the courts. It’s one step deeper — it’s a 15-episode primer for the words and phrases that viewers see in the headlines, on political platforms, and on their social media feeds. 

English Language Arts
English Language Arts have been a mainstay of American education since the era of “reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.” But in today’s landscape of information overload, literacy skills are more important than ever. Our 18-episode series will support ELA’s broadest impact, covering critical thinking, which today’s young people need to be able to spot misinformation and tell clickbait from reputable journalism. We’ll also cover the skills needed to research topics in-depth, make and dissect persuasive arguments, and understand perspectives different from our own. 

Marine Biology
Crash Course Marine Biology will explore the biology and ecology of Earth’s oceans and marine life, laying a foundation for aspiring marine biologists and curious lifelong learners alike. Over 15 episodes, we’ll dive into oceanography and marine biodiversity, from mangroves to the deep sea and from microbes to whales, considering how the ocean’s health affects us all.

Crash Course Imprint
We’re so excited about the launch of our imprint with Penguin Random House! We’re working toward releasing several formats in 2027, including our Crash Course Lit series, which will bring you annotated versions of classic literature and our Crash Course Guide series, which provides fun and fascinating overviews of subjects from Biology to US History. 

Crash Course’s Mission

At Crash Course, we’re committed to making learning accessible and fun for as many people as possible. Many of the topics we cover are undertaught and underfunded, with limited high-quality resources available to teachers, students, and learners of all ages. We work to fill those gaps — both for kids in school now and for lifelong learners committed to continuing their education.

But, here’s the thing: it’s expensive to make high quality educational material, especially when you cater to what the world needs rather than the appetites of algorithms. Each Crash Course video is worked on by 20+ human people who are absolutely devoted to quality and integrity, from subject matter experts to writers, editors, producers, animators, hosts, fact checkers, and more.

 

We can’t do 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 May 29. 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.