Summer Programs in Philosophy for High School Students, 2021 Edition


Please use the comments section on this post to share information about 2021 summer programs in philosophy for high school students.

(If you have information about a summer program for undergraduate students, please post it in the comments at “Summer 2021 Philosophy Programs for Undergraduate Students.” If you have information about a summer program for graduate students, please post it in the comments at “Summer 2021 Philosophy Programs for Graduate Students.”)

[from a calendar features images by Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige]

If you are organizing such a program, please add a comment to this post that includes:
– program name
– dates
– location (is it currently planned as an online event, physical event, physical event with some online participation, physical event with an online contingency plan?)
– contact information
– application deadline
– a description of the program
– link to further information

Thank you!


Warwick University MA in Philosophy
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David Levy
David Levy
2 years ago

My colleagues and I at SUNY Geneseo are excited to announce our new summer pre-college program for rising high school seniors and new high school graduates.

Program Name: Geneseo Summer Institute in Justice and Ethics in Modern America

Dates: July 12-August 5 (meeting weekly Mon-Thurs, 3:00-5:00); plus a 2-day research symposium August 17-18

Location: online

Contact: Program Co-Directors Carly Herold ([email protected]) or David Levy ([email protected])

Application Deadline: April 6

Program Description: It’s never too early to shape a more enlightened world view. Our brand new Summer Institute in Justice and Ethics in Modern America can help you do that. It’s a four-week, remote study program that examines the ethical and political challenges that currently face American society.

High school seniors and recent high school graduates will earn college credit while previewing the expectations of the modern college classroom. You’ll read college-level material, engage in respectful discussion, explore different interests, and learn about college life from outstanding Geneseo faculty members and current student mentors.

Students will gain research experience and hone their skills in critical thinking, reading, and oral communication. They will collaborate with multiple faculty members and fellow participants and benefit from the mentorship of current Geneseo undergraduates.

The program will focus on six questions with contemporary relevance to our theme of Justice and Ethics in Modern America, emphasizing the connections between theory and practice:

  1. A More Perfect Union: What Are the Foundations of a Just Society? 
  2. What’s the Connection Between Morality and the Law? 
  3. What Obligations Do We Have as a Result of the Legacy of Slavery? 
  4. What Makes a Good Leader? 
  5. Should There Be a Limit to Free Speech? 
  6. How Should We Respond to Injustice, Both as Individuals and Communities? 

Link for Further Information

Ali Kaveh Aenehzodaee
Ali Kaveh Aenehzodaee
2 years ago

The philosophy department at Ohio State will hold its annual Philosophy and Critical Thinking (PACT) summer camp for high school students. Scholarships are available, so all who are interested are encouraged to apply!

Program
OSU’s Philosophy and Critical Thinking (PACT) presents: Thinking About Disagreement

Dates
Session I: June 14th-June 25th 2021
Session II: June 28th – July 9th 2021

Meetings will be held 3-4:30 Monday, Wednesday and Friday over the course of a 2 week session

Location
PACT 2021 will be held fully online

Application deadline
Priority deadline is May 1st

Contact
[email protected]

Website
https://philosophy.osu.edu/pact

Description
We encounter disagreements in nearly every aspect of our lives. To name a few ongoing controversies, we disagree over: reproductive health, criminal justice reform, freedom of speech, digital privacy, “cancel” culture, taxation, election outcomes, climate change, voting rights, bathroom policies, mask mandates, and the existence of God (Whew!). That’s a lot of disagreement and it only begins to scratch the surface. Now more than ever, disagreement seems to be an unavoidable, and often uncomfortable, part of living alongside other humans. It can spark heated debate and inspire mass protests. But it can also renew our perspectives on the world and help us achieve mutual understanding.  
It’s not surprising, then, that the topic of disagreement raises many deep questions: 

  • What is the nature of moral disagreement and how does it differ from scientific disputes or religious quarrels? 
  • What is the value of political disagreement? How can people with fundamentally different political viewpoints come to share and promote a shared democratic society? 
  • How should we combat political polarization?
  • What are the best ways to break down echo chambers and reopen dialogue with the “other side”?
  • How, if at all, should we change our beliefs when reasonable and well-informed people disagree with us?
  • What should we do when nothing seems to resolve our disagreement? How should we reconcile our differences? 

These are just some of the questions we’ll discuss in our time together at PACT!

Cassie Finley
2 years ago

The Iowa Lyceum is a free, week-long, pre-college philosophy summer camp hosted by the University of Iowa. This year’s Lyceum is focused on The Nature of Reality, so we will be exploring all things epistemology and metaphysics. Each day, a University of Iowa philosophy professor introduces a topic and then leads discussion and answers questions. The rest of the day is facilitated by graduate students, using games, videos, and other media to explore philosophical questions. The week culminates in student presentations on questions of their choosing!
The 2021 Iowa Lyceum will be held over Zoom this year, so we are opening applications to students ages 13 to 18 across the United States!
Dates: June 21st-25th, 9:00 am – 1:30 pm CDT
Deadline to Apply: May 31st, 2021
To apply or find out more, visit philosophylyceum.org.uiowa.edu
Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Kristopher G. Phillips
2 years ago

My colleagues and I at Southern Utah University are pleased to announce that this year’s Utah Lyceum will take place this summer.

Our theme this year is Happiness and the Good Life. We will discuss classical and contemporary questions regarding the nature of happiness and its connection to value theory generally including:

  • What is happiness?
  • What does it mean to live well?
  • What is the connection between happiness and morality?
  • How do different views in metaphysics and epistemology affect how we understand human happiness?

We welcome students between the ages of 13-18 for the free, five-day camp. We will provide all participants with texts related to the theme.

The Lyceum will run from 10a-2p (MDT) each day from June 14-18.

Dates: June 14th-18th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm MDT
Deadline to Apply: June 5th, 2021
To apply or find out more, visit https://www.suu.edu/utahlyceum/
Contact [email protected], or [email protected] with any questions.

Kristopher G. Phillips
Reply to  Kristopher G. Phillips
2 years ago

To be clear, I meant to say that it will take place virtually, on zoom.

Lily Perkins
1 year ago

The philosophy department at Ohio State will hold its annual Philosophy and Critical Thinking (PACT) summer camp for high school students. Scholarships are available, so all who are interested are encouraged to apply!
Program
OSU’s Philosophy and Critical Thinking (PACT) presents: Freedom and Flourishing

Dates

In person sessions:
Session I: June 6-10, 9:00am-4:00pm
Session II: June 13-17, 9:00am-4:00pm
Please note that both one-week long sessions present identical content. You will be asked to indicate your preferred session (if either) on your application. 

Online Session (The Greatest Hits of PACT 2022): June 20-July 1, MWF 3:00-4:30pm

Location
PACT 2022 In-person sessions will be held at the Ohio State University
Application deadline
Priority deadline is May 1st
Contact
[email protected]
Website
https://philosophy.osu.edu/pact
Description
The Ohio State Philosophy and Critical Thinking (PACT) Summer Camp is a perfect introduction to the exciting world of philosophical thought. This weeklong summer learning program for high school students is organized and led by the Department of Philosophy at The Ohio State University. It’s designed to introduce students to philosophy through learning experiences that are rigorous, engaging, and fun. For the 2022 PACT Summer Camp, we are offering two, week-long sessions for an in-person camp experience as well as one “Greatest Hits” online camp experience. Over the course of our time together, campers will form a community of inquiry where they can reflect on the issues they care about most, practice their debating skills, share some laughs, and (along the way) tackle some of the biggest questions in philosophy today. 
Questions we will explore through examination of media, guest lectures, discussions, and debates:

  • Do we have free will?
  • Is happiness more important than freedom?
  • Can too much freedom be bad for you?
  • How should we think about the good or virtuous life?
  • What can we learn about freedom and the good life from diverse philosophical traditions?
  • Is it ever OK to restrict someone’s freedom?

These are just some of the questions we’ll discuss in our time together at PACT! See you there.