Great Books Summer Program 2022 Catalog

greatbooks

summer program

®

2022

Exciting sessions for middle and high school students!

On the campuses of

Haverford Pepperdine Amherst Madrid Oxford Tall Ship & Online too!

Welcome to Great Books Summer Program 2022!

Welcome to GBSP’s unique world of literature, thinking and discussion, and summer fun!

For twenty-one years, families like yours have chosen Great Books programs for their aspiring, curious, and active-minded middle and high school students.

GBSP is first of all, a welcoming and inclusive community.

We value each and every student. We value ideas and open discussion. We encourage critical thinking and respectful listening. We practice the art of civil discourse.

And we have a huge amount of fun. Reading. Discussion.

Debate. Electives in Theater. Art. Music. Writing. Poetry.

Philosophy. Public Speaking. Along with Games and Pick-up Sports.

Students have come to GBSP from all 50 states and more than 45 countries. They go on to attend some of the top colleges in the US and the world. Most importantly, we hear from so many parents and students that Great Books Summer Program has been a significant and positive influence in their lives.

The importance of our mission took new meaning last summer as we welcomed students back to campus after months at home. Now more than ever, it is wonderful for students to reconnect with others in a supportive learning community.

We would be delighted to get to know your young person and your family.

We look forward to hearing from you!

With all best wishes,

David S. Ward President and Co-Founder

Literature & Discussion Programs

P.S. Look for our new icons throughout the book to help you find the perfect program!

For middle and high school students. One, two, three, or four-week programs.

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Read, think, and discuss with us! Amazing literature, lively seminars, and much more.

For students entering grades 6-8 and 9-12

Haverford, Pepperdine, Amherst, Online

Mission Statement The mission of the Great Books Summer Program is to create warm and lively communities of learning where free inquiry, reason, and civil discourse shape critical thinking skills.

We engage with enduring texts of literature and philosophy to discover and explore the great human issues and questions.

We strive for respectful, probing conversation in search of knowledge, insight, and a better understanding of ideas, our neighbors, and ourselves.

Most of all, we invite students to embark on the quest to develop one’s own best thinking.

Writer’s Workshops

Grow writing skills and refine your voice.

Essays, poetry, short stories, and beyond.

Literary Travel Adventures

Take an exciting literary adventure on land or sea. Academics and exploration in one!

For students entering grades 6-8 and 9-12

For students entering grades 9-12

Pepperdine, Amherst, Online

Madrid, Oxford, Tall Ship

©2021 Great Books Summer Program

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Why Great Books?

For twenty-one years, outstanding students have come together at some of the world’s most prestigious universities for the Great Books Summer Program. Led by top professors and distinguished educators and scholars, our students spend their days enjoying the kind of intellectual experience most can only dream of during the school year.

A Unique Experience A chiefly residential program with some online and day program sessions, Great Books gives middle and high school students a taste of the university experience in a safe, fun, and supervised environment. They’ll be part of an international learning community enjoying a challenging curriculum, arts and literature electives, and social activities outside of class.

form strong connections with our academic directors and program assistants.

For many of our students, this is the first time they have come together with young people who are equally passionate about reading and the discussion of ideas. As a result, students push themselves to take the academic risks that foster meaningful growth. Students encourage each other and quickly bond to form lasting friendships.

The Great Books learning community is open, inquisitive, inclusive, and warm.

Our unique combination of academic rigor and supportive environment gives students the tools and confidence to pursue their gifts now and well after summer has ended.

“I felt comfortable and Evaluation Upon successful completion of the challenged speaking with Close Mentoring and program, students will receive a Certificate of Completion and an Evaluation Letter. peers who helped me An Inclusive Community These letters provide detailed insight into At Great Books, every student is mentored by each student’s accomplishments throughout argue my beliefs… our caring faculty and staff. Our intentionally the program and are a great addition to a discussions with the staff smaller program sizes allow students to college or boarding school application. about the readings helped Admissions Office: Here to Help! me fine-tune my critical The Great Books team is comprised of parents, educators, and professionals thinking skills.” who are passionate about the many benefits of summer academic programs for — Rafael, Boston, MA

students. Call, email, or text with questions. We’re glad to help!

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203-612-9470

✉ info@GreatBooksSummer.com

Your child will gain valuable thinking skills in a prestigious university setting: • Explore classic and contemporary literature • Engage in lively discussion • Build critical thinking skills • Gain new powers of perception and self-expression • Develop greater confidence • Learn with world-class professors and scholars • Make friends from around the world

Teaching by Asking Questions Building Skills through Shared Inquiry Great Books Summer Program students explore important ideas through the time-honored teaching method of Shared Inquiry. Dating back to the days of Socrates, Shared Inquiry is teaching by asking questions. It encourages in each student the habit of close, reflective, analytical reading and critical thinking. It also teaches empathy and communication skills as students engage together in probing dialog, in civil discourse, about the big ideas that shape our lives and world.

Developing Leaders and Thinkers Participants develop the ability to hone in on key concepts and to more readily understand the subtleties in literature and in life. Whether students have a future in the humanities or STEM, the Socratic approach makes students stronger and more rigorous thinkers. And, it makes articulate communicators, better prepared to thrive in increasingly competitive universities and beyond.

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Dr. Ilan Stavans, Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities, Latin American and Latino Cultures at Amherst. GBSP Co-founder.

Dr. Steve Volk, Professor of History Emeritus at Oberlin College and Center for Teaching Innovation & Excellence director.

Dr. Joseph Coulson, President and Chief Academic Officer of Harrison Middleton University and past president of GBF.

Dr. Wes Alcenat, Assistant Professor of History at Princeton University. Previous Associate Fellow at Harvard University.

Noah Rosenblum, JD, Assistant Professor of Law at New York University and former Yale Legal History Fellow.

Dr. Annie Seaton, Visiting Assistant Professor of Humanities at Bard College.

Graduate of Wellesley and Harvard.

Our Renowned Educators

Meet more on our website!

Andrew Sanchez, DPhil candidate and Ertegun Scholar at the University of Oxford and graduate of Harvard and Oxford.

Dr. Amos Rothschild, Associate Professor of English at St. Thomas Acquinas College and graduate of Yale, Fordham, and BU.

Dr. Kathryn Miller, Associate Professor of Mediterranean History and International Studies at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Max Suechting, PhD candidate in Stanford University’s Program in Modern Thought and Literature. Graduate of Amherst College.

Dr. Amanda Lagji, Assistant Professor of English and World Literature at Pitzer College, one of the Claremont Schools.

Dr. Irina Troconis, Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies at Cornell and graduate of NYU, Cambridge, and Amherst.

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The Great Books Difference Distinguished Faculty

Our Talented Mentors

Every Great Books session, online or on campus, is led by distinguished university professors and experienced teachers from the finest educational institutions in the country. In addition to possessing exceptional academic credentials and intellectual depth, each member of our faculty is dedicated to sharing his or her passion for literature and ideas with our bright young students.

Our faculty members are prize-winning authors, scholars, and teachers whose wide range of interests and backgrounds enrich each student’s experience at the Great Books Summer Program. Imagine your son or daughter participating in a discussion on Don Quixote, led by Professor Ilan Stavans, whom the New York Times described as “The czar of Latino culture in the U.S.” or spending lunch discussing Walt Whitman with a PhD candidate teaching undergraduates at Stanford. At Great Books, we give students a true taste of university life both by living on campus and gaining valuable learning experience with educators from esteemed universities.

Program Assistants

Each summer we bring together a very select group of outstanding college and graduate students through a competitive nationwide search for Program Assistants (PAs). Counselors are chosen from scores of applicants based upon their academic excellence, intellectual enthusiasm, outgoing personality, maturity, and experience in working with younger people.

The Program Assistants help facilitate seminar discussions, collaborate with students on their electives, and organize fun indoor and outdoor activities. Each Program Assistant is assigned to a “pod,” a small group of students on their dorm floor. PAs lead informal evening discussions, assist their students with daily camp life, supervise, and ensure that everyone has a wonderful experience.

Mentors and Scholars

Our staff hails from universities like Yale, Amherst, Wesleyan, Columbia, UChicago, Tufts, Swarthmore, St. John’s, Brown, Stanford, Oxford, and more. They bring diverse talents to the program and a shared love of literature. Exceptional role models for Great Books students, our Program Assistants have included Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars, Latin translators, philosophy majors, blossoming novelists, rugby stars, guitarists, debate team members, actors, musicians, artists, and entrepreneurs.

NEW Seminars for Adults too!

Wish you could join these amazing teachers in the classroom? You can! Call us or visit GreatBooksSummer.com/adults to learn more.

“It would be easier to describe the PAs with a string of adjectives: wonderful, fun, inventive, hilarious, helpful, understanding, nice, friendly, supportive…and great in every way!”

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— Emily, Lamoine, ME

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Literature & Discussion Read and Discuss Great Books and Big Ideas

Our traditional literature and discussion programs are the backbone of summer at Great Books.

With programs for grades 6-8 and grades 9-12 on multiple campuses as well as online, there is a time and date to suit nearly every schedule.

With literature as the catalyst for lively seminars, Great Books students embark on an amazing intellectual journey designed to challenge and support intellectually curious minds and prepare them to take command of their own best thinking and powers of expression.

Great Books Summer Program delivers excellent preparation for seminar-style college classes, for the life skill of thinking well on one’s feet, and in no small measure the SAT critical thinking section.

Each morning, students gather for two exciting seminars led by our distinguished Academic Directors, who are professors, educators, and scholars. Great Books Academic Directors are typically from top universities like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Oberlin, Amherst, Cornell, Oxford, Columbia, and others. Seminars focus on short selections of literature that students have read together the prior evening in their pod of 6-8 students. Pods are guided by a dedicated Program Assistant, a carefully chosen college or grad student with a passion for literature, experience in mentoring, and a desire to foster an intellectual community of middle or high school students.

Discussion at seminars invariably raises big questions like, “What does it mean to live a good life?,” “What do I owe my neighbor?,” and, “What must we do in the face of injustice?.” Questions arise

naturally from the close examination of the text at hand. Students learn to use the textual evidence to shape their thoughts.

Subsequent smaller break-out groups are open forums for deeper discussion.

Our Curriculum

The Great Books Summer Program curriculum is carefully shaped by our Academic Directors, who choose enduring texts that are superbly suited for scrutiny and analysis, require deep understanding, and inspire lively conversation.

Each week is curated to explore timeless literature both ancient and modern. Previous selections have included Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Dante’s Inferno, Jorge Luis Borges’ The Aleph, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, and many more.

New Readings and New Themes Every Week Every session delivers new academic content — new readings and themes packed with thought-provoking and challenging materials for students.

Prior weekly themes have included “Books that Changed the World.” When seeking social change, what holds the most weight? An idea, a sword, or a

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poem? Can a solitary writer scribbling in an attic change the course of history with prose? What is the relationship between the written word, the world itself, and society around us? From Sun Tzu’s Art of War to The American Constitution.

From Samuel Johnson to Pablo Neruda.

From Silent Spring to How the Other Half Lives. In this probing journey across

time, genre, and culture; we examined the power of literature to shape communities, movements and even nations.

Regardless of which camps and sessions students attend, the themes and selections are sure to foster intriguing questions and fruitful discussions!

Writer’s Workshop Now in its seventh year, our Writer’s Workshop has grown!

We’ve expanded to include programs for grades 6-8 and grades 9-12 on both coasts and online too!

Emphasizing creativity and skill building, Writer’s Workshop places students in small groups led by our expert faculty of professional writers and university writing instructors.

Young writers come away with new ideas, more advanced skills, a brimming portfolio, and refined sense of their own voice.

Create and Grow in Writer’s Workshop Writer’s Workshop is a warm and welcoming community of beginners and more advanced young writers alike. Days begin with a seminar aimed at awakening creative impulses and learning key writing skills like voice, time, style, vivid description, and more. Students engage with creative writing prompts and exercises that make practicing new techniques fun.

Supervised writing time follows before students head to lunch. Refreshed, they proceed to workshop for two hours of critical engagement with one another’s work, divided into small groups led by expert faculty.

For all age groups, afternoons also include a free-time period to unwind. Dinner follows and reading time precedes fun evening events. The week culminates with a celebratory “coffeehouse” gathering on Friday evening where students read selections from their work.

The Writer’s Workshop Intermediate Program, for rising grades 6-8, will give students the opportunity to try their hand at a variety of genres. Students explore writing poetry, short stories, creative essays, and more. They learn tips to overcome writer’s block and practice giving and receiving constructive, individualized critique.

In the Writer’s Workshop Senior Program, for rising grades 9-12, students choose one of the following program tracks for afternoon workshop: Fiction: The Fiction track focuses on key elements like point of view, character and world building, dialogue, and more.

Students build a portfolio as they engage with creative prompts and exercises that can be built upon in the future. As they hone their craft, students gain the skills necessary to develop, revise. and edit their pieces while workshopping with peers.

Nonfiction: The Non-Fiction track will focus on the art of the personal essay.

Students will explore the creative potential of essays by reading and examining expository, argumentative, and narrative essay forms. Students learn the essential building blocks of structure, expression, vivid description, and more. This is especially good for students wishing to cultivate the skills to write a powerful college admissions essay.

Poetry: The Poetry track will focus on generating writing that explores poetic language, including cadence, rhythm, visual texture, and meaning. Students will examine poetry compared to more traditional prose forms. Students will write new material, develop ways of talking about their own work and the work of others, and learn strategies for revision.

Admissions Office

Have questions? Call, text, or email:

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203-612-9470

✉ info@GreatBooksSummer.com

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The Joy of Self-Expression: Art and Literature Electives Arts Electives

Creative, Collaborative Projects and Performance Our arts electives provide students with an outlet for creativity and collaboration. Led by highly-talented artists and teachers, arts electives culminate each Friday in a studentrun showcase performance, a highlight of the program!

• Theater students delve into traditional elements of stage craft and performance technique, such as voice, movement, and prop construction. They then create an original performance piece.

• Creative Writing enthusiasts craft poems, short stories, essays, and more as they probe the campus and their environs.

• Music is the place where instrumentalists, vocalists, and aspiring composers combine their talents to create together.

• Visual Art students explore new skills like portrait drawing, en plain air painting, street art styles, zines, filmmaking, and sculpture. The finished pieces form the “opening” of our gala evening.

Beyond the core curriculum, many Great Books programs offer art and literature electives each day.

These classes allow an opportunity for creative expression and the chance to explore special topics in literature.

To begin the process of putting students in charge of their own educational journey with us, students select their electives based on personal areas of interest and the course choices presented at orientation each week.

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Literature Electives

Diverse Literature Courses for Enrichment Our literature electives provide students the opportunity to select from an array of exciting special topics classes, taught by our accomplished Program Assistant team. Each daily, hour-long literature elective focuses on a particular author, genre, time period, theme, or style of writing.

Previous electives have included the Sonnets of Shakespeare, Greek Mythology, Journalistic Writing, Franz Kafka’s Short Stories, Southern Gothic, Monster Literature, Irony vs. Sincerity, Graphic Novels, and more. Choices vary weekly and include something exciting for everyone!

World-Class Academics & Fun! Intermediate Program for students entering grades 6-8 For younger students, the Great Books Summer Program is often a time of intellectual awakening, as their own personal powers of critical thinking and perception blossom. Through stimulating questions and expertly led discussions, young minds learn how to make connections between the themes and scenes of great literature and their own lives and aspirations. We help students gain confidence and find their own voices to share their ideas. In addition to practicing and developing language skills, self-expression, and reasoning, students develop their ability to listen carefully and consider the views of others. The end result is a more thoughtful young person who is better able to articulate opinions based on evidence and who possesses the confidence to be heard and to lead.

A Typical Day 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast

9:00 a.m.

Senior Program for students entering grades 9-12 The Great Books Summer Program will be a positive academic influence on your young person. The senior sessions provide the opportunity to help each other hone their creative instincts and intellectual risktaking. Advanced reading selections and greater peer-to-peer interaction lead to exciting discussions and debates. Students take command of their own best thinking and powers of expression. GBSP is excellent preparation for seminar-style college classes, for the life skill of thinking well on one’s feet, and in no small measure, for the critical reading portion of the SAT. Senior program attendees also meet with college professors and students from top universities to discuss college choices and experiences. Successfully completing a program of this caliber is an honor to note on college applications.

Time for FUN!

Summer is a time to relax and have fun with new friends too. At Great Books, we balance academic pursuits with play. There are lots of fun activities to choose from every afternoon. Field games, museum visits, and hanging out with friends on the quad are just some of the possibilities.

| Senior Program

Poetry Cup

9:15 a.m.

Seminar: Plato’s Republic

10:00 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m.

Seminar: Borges’ The Aleph and Magical Realism

11:15 a.m.

Discussion Group

12:15 p.m.

Lunch

1:00 p.m.

Literature Elective: Slam Poetry

2:00 p.m.

Art Elective (art, music, theater, and creative writing)

4:00 p.m.

Free Time: Campus Tour, Field Games

5:30 p.m.

Dinner

6:15 p.m.

Reading Time

7:00 p.m.

College Panel: Choosing the Right School

8:30 p.m.

Guest Speaker: Sarah Kay

9:30 p.m.

Pod Reading and Discussion

Intermediate programs follow a similar daily schedule.

Evening events range from foam sword tournaments, movie night, open mic (talent optional!), mixers, guest speakers, our performance night, and more!

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On the campus of

Haverford College

One, two, and three-week sessions from July 10 to July 30 For Students Entering Grades 6-8 and 9-12 Great Books Summer Program is excited to return to Haverford College in 2022. At this historic campus, students will enjoy 200 acres of award-winning architecture and landscape, including a nationally recognized arboretum, a 3.5 acre duck pond, and beautiful gardens. Nestled just outside of Philadelphia, this serene and dynamic campus is known for its academic rigor.

Academics

In our summer at Haverford, GBSP will hold three weeks of literature and discussion programs. We will celebrate the classics and philosophy, including American and world literature.

John Updike, Rachel Carson, James Baldwin, Joyce Carol Oates, Aeschylus, Gabriela Mistral, and Albert Camus are just some of the many writers who are bound to be of interest. Plus, students

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who take a multi-week program can look forward to weekend activities; for example exploring Independence National Historical Park and other points of interest.

Haverford College Haverford, Pennsylvania

Founded in 1823, Haverford is one of the country’s top liberal arts colleges. While now a non-sectarian college, Haverford is deeply rooted in the Quaker values of integrity, truth, peace, and equality.

This prestigious school is ranked 7th among liberal arts colleges in America and 8th of all small colleges in America. Even as a small institution, the college’s alumni include five Nobel Prize laureates, six Pulitzer Prize Winners, 85 Fulbright Scholars, 20 Rhodes Scholars, 69 Watson Fellows, five MacArthur Fellow, and 27 Guggenheim Scholars.

On the campus of

Pepperdine University

One and two-week sessions from June 26 to July 9 For Students Entering Grades 6-8 and 9-12 In 2022, we are pleased to celebrate our first summer as guests on the campus of Pepperdine University. The breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean and backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountain foothills create an idyllic setting for a summer of literature and fun.

classics, American writers, and European philosophers. With Writer’s Workshop following our week of Literature and Discussion, why not immerse yourself in great literature and stay for a second week to author some of your own?

Academics

Pepperdine University Malibu, California

Join Great Books for one week of literature and discussion, one week of writer’s workshop, or both on this gorgeous new Great Books campus. We will take advantage of the sunny Malibu landscape and cool sea breezes to inspire our reading and our writing too.

Our curriculum in California tends to feature some world literature such as Borges, Murakami, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and also explore a treasure trove of Greek and Roman

Pepperdine University, founded in 1937, is a private research university and ranked by US News as one of American’s best national universities and most innovative schools. Founded in the Christian tradition, Pepperdine is autonomous from the church and includes a diverse community of students. The 830acre campus in beautiful Malibu provides the best of relaxed California living with easy access to the nearby vibrant arts and cultural scene of Santa Monica.

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On the campus of

Amherst College

One, two, and three-week sessions from June 26 to July 16 For Students Entering Grades 6-8 and 9-12 Great Books Summer Program is thrilled to return to our inaugural campus in our 21st year. Here, on the paths that Emily Dickinson once walked and on the lawns where Robert Frost once taught, Great Books students are guests at one of the most beautiful campuses in America.

Academics

The Great Books Summer Program at Amherst will include both our literature and writing programs! We will revel in the rich, literary heritage of New England and look back to the classics and broadly to world literature too.

Discussions at Great Books at Amherst often spring from the writings of Whitman, Hawthorne, Locke, the Greeks, American founding documents, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, Maya

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Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Ursula LeGuin. Every week’s curriculum is unique, and with Writer’s Workshop too, it is exciting to stay for multiple sessions!

Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst College, founded in 1821, is widely regarded as one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the world. Home of the nation’s first undergraduate neuroscience program, Amherst is located in Western Massachusetts, close to the beautiful Berkshires. With an endowment of more than $3.5 billion, Amherst’s academic and athletic facilities, including the Mead Art Museum and Robert Frost Library, are among the best in the nation.

Multiple Time Zones!

Join us Online

One and multi-week sessions from June 19 to August 5.

For Students Entering Grades 6-8 and 9-12 Great Books Online is back for summer 2022. With the same distinguished faculty and scholars as our on-campus programs, these live online classes bring all of Great Books’ core academics to you. Students experience college-style seminars, engage in lively discussion, and enjoy summer camp fun with other literary-minded students.

Academics

There will be seven weeks of our traditional Great Books literature and discussion programs and writer’s workshops too.

We will explore world literature, the classics, philosophy, and more. Writers like Sophocles, Homer, Shakespeare, Italo Calvino, Elizabeth Bishop, Alice Walker, and Derek Walcott are just some of the many who are likely to be included in this summer’s readings.

This is nothing like “online school.” The medium may be digital but that’s where the similarities end. This is world-class enrichment — interactive and full of opportunities for social connections and fun! Amazing guest speakers too!

Multiple Time Zones And Convenient Schedules Daily classes will run from 12:30pm – 5:00pm Eastern (New York) and 9:00am – 2:30pm Pacific (California). Select weeks will run from 9:00am – 2:30pm Beijing. Every day balances time for academics, mentoring, friendship, and activity breaks to snack, stretch, and move.

“Katie had an awesome first day and was texting…with her pod to prepare for their talent show. It far exceeded my expectations for how a remote camp could create a social experience.”

— Ann, Menlo

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Literary Travel Adventures Open to students in grades 9–12.

These intentionally smaller programs combine exploration, adventure, and academics to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Students take part in two seminars and small group discussions each academic day.

Excursions and outings are planned to ensure that students have a rich experience of the host campus and locale.

Community

At Great Books, we are committed to providing a safe, fun, and engaging environment with plenty of opportunity for students to interact outside of classes. Great Books Travel programs allow students the chance to engage with the literature and the local landscape to have an enriching learning and cultural experience. While some students come with a friend, the vast majority come alone, so we give special attention to helping campers connect and build lasting friendships.

Travel

Students joining our travel programs may arrange their own flights around recommended itineraries.

Chaperoned ground transportation is available to and from the specified airports for all literary travel adventures.

Supervision

Students at Great Books are assigned to pods which are comprised of several students and one collegeaged Program Assistant. Living on the hall with the students, Program Assistants are involved in every aspect of the students’ day. They accompany students on and off campus and provide academic mentoring. In addition, the dedicated administrative team provides supervision, support, and leadership.

Evaluation

Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive an Evaluation Letter. A great addition to college applications, these letters provide information regarding course material covered and detailed insight into each student’s personal and academic accomplishments throughout the program.

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Literary Madrid

One and two-week sessions from July 3 to July 16 For Students Entering Grades 9-12

Back for its second year, the Great Books program in Spain is an experience like no other. Students will enjoy a delightful blend of excellent academics and the best of the grand and beautiful capital city and dazzling cultural center of Madrid.

Culture, Art, & Academics

Throughout the program, students will be immersed in the sights, sounds, and history of Spain and experience la vida española. Students will spend mornings taking part in Shared Inquiry seminars and discussion. Our curriculum is rich with world literature, including select Spanish texts (in translation) to celebrate our locale. Afternoons will include walking tours, a

stop at the historic Plaza Mayor, museum visits, and incredible cultural experiences like flamenco and tapas!

Great Books will be hosted by Colegio Mayor Chaminade on the campus of Complutense University of Madrid, one of the most prominent universities in Spain. Knowledge of Spanish is not required as all reading and discussion will be in English. Those wishing to hone their Spanish skills will have ample opportunity to practice if they choose!

Literary Madrid is a wonderful stand-alone program or can be combined with Literary Oxford to continue the adventure.

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Literary Oxford

One and two-week sessions from July 17 to July 30 For Students Entering Grades 9-12

Our Oxford program strikes the perfect balance between outstanding academics and exploration in one of the most enchanting cities in England.

Culture, Art, & Academics

different colleges that comprise Oxford, including Christ Church and New College, which were featured in the Harry Potter movies. We visit famous museums and other landmarks rich with literary history.

In addition, we also explore a glorious palace, listen to bonechilling (and hilarious) tales on the famed Oxford ghost tour, and spend an afternoon punting on the Thames.

We spend our mornings taking part in Shared Inquiry seminars and discussion. We take advantage of our location to create a curriculum that includes a broad array of British literature and features visits from Oxford dons, authors, and other luminaries. Even our PAs have included Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars and PhD candidates.

Students may join us at Oxford for a one or two-week program.

Open to students entering grades 9-12.

Weekend and afternoon excursions throughout the two weeks allow us to have a truly varied and exciting experience. Students see the

Literary Oxford works well as a stand-alone program or can be combined with Literary Madrid for a longer adventure!

Somerville College, University of Oxford Oxford, England Somerville College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Oxford was the first university in the English-speaking world, established around 1096. Founded in 1879, Somerville is one of the newer colleges among the 38 which make up Oxford.

Its alumnae include two prime ministers, Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher, and Nobel Prize winner Dorothy Hodgkin. Somerville is situated close to the city center and bordered by the vibrant neighborhoods of Little Clarendon and Jericho.

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Tall Ship Adventure

One-week session from July 24 to July 30 For Students Entering Grades 9-12

Great Books is excited to announce our second year of Tales of the Sea: a Tall Ship Adventure. This is a literary voyage of a lifetime for students entering grades 9-12!

Living and participating as crew members from the moment they step aboard, students will learn alongside the talented, tall ship training staff. Time will be split between Great Books seminar and discussion and sailing education with visits to coastal islands, and whale watching too!

Exciting Exploration & Academics

Imagine yourself in the shoes of Ishmael, as he embarked on his legendary whaling voyage. Or relive the anticipation of Jim

Hawkins as he stowed away onboard the Hispaniola to search for buccaneers and buried gold in Treasure Island.

Tales of the Sea will marry the study of maritime literature and lore with living and learning to sail on a tall ship. Shipmates will work together to learn navigation basics, sails and rigging, the watch system, nautical terminology, safety checks, and more.

Our literary discoveries will include seafaring tales by authors like Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Homer, and other masters of maritime legend and lore.

Tall Ship Adventure, Coast of Maine Working with a renowned provider of world-class sailing education, this one-week program will be staffed by the seasoned, professional, tall ship crew in addition to the Great Books team.

Students will live aboard the vessel as crew throughout the week for a truly authentic experience. During the program, participants will disconnect from the electronic world as they immerse themselves in literature and life on the water.

While sailing experience is not in any way required, each student must bring a sense of enthusiasm, a desire to learn, and a willingness to live the active seafaring life.

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Schedule & Tuition Senior Program for grades 9-12

Madrid and Oxford Programs

Haverford College Campus Literature & Discussion

Dates

Length

Tuition

July 10 – July 16 July 17 – July 23 July 24 – July 30 July 10 – July 23 July 17 – July 30 July 10 – July 30

One week One week One week Two week Two week Three week

$2495 $2495 $2495 $4990 $4990 $7485

Literary Travel Campus Madrid Madrid Madrid Oxford Oxford Oxford

Literature & Discussion Length

Tuition

June 26 – July 2

One week

$2695

Writer’s Workshop July 3 – July 9

One week

$2695

Combine Writer’s Workshop & Literature for a two-week session!

Literature & Discussion Dates

Length

Tuition

June 26 – July 2 July 3 – July 9 June 26 – July 9

One week One week Two week

$2495 $2495 $4990

Writer’s Workshop One week

$2495

Combine Writer’s Workshop & Literature for a two or three-week session!

Literature & Discussion Dates

Zone

Length

June 19 – June 24 June 26 – July 1 July 10 – July 15 July 24 – July 29

Eastern Eastern Eastern Asia

One week One week One week One week

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Literary Travel Location

Dates

Portland, ME July 24 – July 30

Length One week

Tuition $2995

On-Campus Tuition and Fees

Materials and Events Fee This fee of $225 for one-week, $475 for two-week, and $675 for three-week domestic on-campus programs includes digital reading anthologies, books, notebook, snacks, t-shirt, and water bottle.

Events include guest speakers, evening programs, films, and social activities. Multi-week camper fees include Saturday meals, lodging, and special activities.

Literary travel program materials and events fees are $425 for one week and $725 for two weeks and include all of the above plus meals and admission for any day trips and other organized special events.

Tuition $795 $795 $795 $795

Writer’s Workshop Eastern One week $795 Asia One week $795

Combine weeks to create your perfect summer schedule!

Tall Ship Adventure

Limited Day Programs Available Day programs may be available on our Amherst, Pepperdine, and Haverford campuses. Call for details.

Great Books Online

July 3 – July 8 July 31 – Aug 5

Tuition $2995 $2995 $6190 $2995 $2995 $6190

Tuition includes all instruction and supervision, three meals per day, and housing. There is a $250 registration fee per student. Tuition variance reflects differing costs of room and board at host campuses.

Amherst College Campus

July 10 – July 16

Length One week One week Two week One week One week Two week

Join us for one destination or both!

Pepperdine University Campus Dates

Dates July 3 – July 9 July 10 – July 16 July 3 – July 16 July 17 – July 23 July 24 – July 30 July 17 – July 30

Admissions Office Have questions about our programs or placement?

We are happy to help!

Call, text, or email: ✆ 203-612-9470 info@GreatBooksSummer.com

✉

Intermediate Program for grades 6-8 Haverford College Campus

Amherst College Campus

Literature & Discussion

Literature & Discussion

Dates

Length

Tuition

Dates

Length

Tuition

July 10 – July 16 July 17 – July 23 July 24 – July 30 July 10 – July 23 July 17 – July 30 July 10 – July 30

One week One week One week Two week Two week Three week

$2495 $2495 $2495 $4990 $4990 $7485

June 26 – July 2 July 3 – July 9 June 26 – July 9

One week One week Two week

$2495 $2495 $4990

Pepperdine University Campus Literature & Discussion

Dates

Length

Tuition

June 26 – July 2

One week

$2695

Writer’s Workshop July 3 – July 9

One week

$2695

Combine Writer’s Workshop & Literature for a two-week program!

Writer’s Workshop July 10 – July 16

One week

$2495

Combine Writer’s Workshop & Literature for a two or three-week program!

Great Books Online Literature & Discussion Dates

Zone

Length

June 19 – June 24 June 26 – July 1 July 10 – July 15 July 24 – July 29

Eastern Eastern Eastern Asia

One week One week One week One week

Tuition $795 $795 $795 $795

Writer’s Workshop July 3 – July 8 July 31 – Aug 5

Eastern One week $795 Asia One week $795

Combine weeks to create your perfect summer schedule!

Airport Transportation Airport transportation can be arranged to and from select airports.

This service is $125 each way and includes a staff chaperone.

Refund Policy Payments for tuition and fees are refundable until March 12, 2022.

The registration fee is non-refundable. Cancellations received after March 12, 2022 forfeit full tuition and all fees. Cancellation requests must be made in writing and refund eligibility will be determined by postmark or email date.

Payment Schedule

Application Deposit $625, which includes a $250 registration fee, is due with application for on-campus programs. A $95 registration fee is due with application to online programs.

Payment Options To accommodate our families, we have three payment options. Full pay: families pay all tuition and fees upon registration. Installment payments: families pay the deposit upon registration and the balance of tuition and fees is broken into equal monthly payments charged to a credit card with the final payment in May. Auto payment: families pay the deposit upon registration and authorize GBSP to charge the balance of tuition and fees to a credit card on April 8, 2022.

Final Payment Final payment is due by May 6, 2022. Applications submitted after May 6 require full payment upon enrollment. Enrollments are accepted as long as space is available.

Discounts

Sibling Discount If two or more siblings attend, each sibling receives a savings of $100 on tuition for on-campus programs and $50 for online programs.

Referral Discount For each first-time on-campus attendee you refer to the 2022 season, you will receive a $100 savings on your tuition.

Financial Aid

Limited financial aid may be available based upon demonstrated need. Visit our website for information or contact us via email at info@GreatBooksSummer.com or by phone at 203-612-9470.

Financial aid forms along with a student application are due

by April 8, 2022. To contribute to the scholarship fund visit: OpenBooksFoundation.org

GreatBooksSummer.com | 203-612-9470

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Essential Information

Supervision

Medical Care

Trained and experienced Program Assistants supervise students for their entire stay and are each assigned to lead a “pod” usually made up of 6-8 students. In addition, adult faculty and staff reside in the dorms and are present at discussions, meals, and all activities. Students are required to stay within the safety of the supervised group and to observe pertinent rules concerning free time. All employees of Great Books Summer Program must clear a rigorous personal background check.

Prescriptions and over-the-counter treatments will be administered by our adult staff with a signed parental permission notice. Our campuses either have on-site health facilities, nearby clinics, or community-based physicians who are on-call for participants in the Great Books Summer Program. A completed medical form is required to attend.

Accommodations and Meals

Students are ordinarily assigned to single or double rooms and are housed by gender and age in the dormitories. While many of our students come to the program by themselves, if there is a request for a friend or sibling roommate, we will do our best to meet it.

Most of our meals are provided by the college dining services.

They offer a wide selection of nutritious foods and beverages and can accommodate special dietary concerns if we are notified in advance. We may also have barbecues, picnics, and ice cream sundae parties. Snacks and water are provided in the dorms.

Great Books is Year-Round too!

See our website for exciting school-year and school break programs and events.

Apply online now! GreatBooksSummer.com 22

How to Apply GBSP Quick Facts Founded: 2002

Alumni: 7000+

Student to staff ratio approximately: 6:1 Seniors per session: 55 average Intermediates per session: 35 average Demographics: Students from 50 states and over 45 countries Our students hail from: England, Canada, Turkey, Croatia, Georgia, Israel, Greece, Argentina, Guatemala, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Estonia, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong (SAR), Russia, China, Brazil, Denmark, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, Peru, Portugal, Jordan, UAE, India, Spain, Jamaica, and US. Our students have gone on to attend: Harvard, Dartmouth, Columbia, Wesleyan, Reed, Carnegie Mellon, University of Chicago, Bowdoin, Haverford, Oberlin, UVM, Swarthmore, Northeastern, UConn, Stanford, Yale, and more.

Faculty/staff from: Harvard, Amherst, Stanford, Oberlin, University of Chicago, Oxford, Cornell, Berkeley, Columbia, UPenn, UMass, and Yale among others.

Admission to the Great Books Summer Program is open to all students entering grades 6-8 and 9-12 (in September 2022) who complete the application and whose application is supported by a teacher, counselor, principal, or head of school. We strongly suggest that applications be sent in as early as possible to reserve your spot for summer 2022. Acceptance to the program may be granted or denied at the sole discretion of the program administrators.

Step 1: Visit Our Website

Go to www.GreatBooksSummer.com and click the orange “Register Now” button at the top of the homepage.

Step 2: Secure Your Spot

Your space will be reserved once you complete the application, choose your Campus and Sessions, and provide the $625 Application Deposit by Visa® or MasterCard®.

A $95 deposit is due with application to online programs.

We will confirm receipt of your application normally within 48 hours via email.

Step 3: Teacher Nomination

As part of the registration process, you will be asked to provide contact information for a teacher, counselor, principal, or head of school to endorse your application. Once this information is provided, we will seek a recommendation on your student’s behalf.

Educators can endorse applications by visiting our website.

The Great Books Summer Program is independent of Amherst College, Pepperdine University, Haverford College, University of Oxford, and Complutense University of Madrid. All names are trademarks of their respective owners. Great Books Summer Program and Great Books Global Forum are trademarks of Great Books Summer Program. The information contained herein is accurate at the time of printing. We reserve the right to change any part of the program. This program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national or ethnic origin, or disability. Admission to the program is limited and shall be granted or denied at the sole discretion of the program administrators. ©2021 Great Books Summer Program. Images of Amherst College courtesy of Amherst College Public Affairs office.

GreatBooksSummer.com | 203-612-9470

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®

Meet World-Class Authors & Filmmakers

A mission partner of the Great Books Foundation In addition to the core curriculum, Great Books students enjoy lectures and talks with visiting writers, including Pulitzer Prize winners and other thought leaders from the worlds of literature, publishing, film, and the arts.

Esteemed guests who have visited us: Dr. Rob Reich

Professor of Political Science at Stanford University.

Wesley Morris ➤

New York Times cultural critic-at-large and Pulitzer Prize winner.

Lois Lowry

“Each summer, students ages 12 to 17 gather…

They attend lectures, participate in discussions, eat meals, and live together as a community of precocious thinkers.”

Emily Esfahani Smith, The Wall Street Journal

Visit our website for more details about our 2022 guests!

GreatBooksSummer.com

greatbooks

summer program

®

PO Box 743 79 Sanford Street, Suite 200 Fairfield, CT 06824

Award-winning American author of The Giver Quartet and other works for young adults.

Chris Columbus ➤

American filmmaker, director of Home Alone, and producer of many classics.

Dr. Chris Bobonich

The CI Lewis Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University.

©2021 Great Books Summer Program

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