“Question Everything” is a philosophy summer program for rising high school seniors from Springfield and Holyoke, MA. It is inteded for students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in higher education (first-generation, low-income, as well as racial, ethnic, or linguistic minorities). All participants receive full scholarships.
Participants spend three weeks on the UMass Amherst campus. They form a tight-knit community in which they collectively pursue the titular goal of the program: question everything. Students gather every weekday from 9am–4pm to engage in a variety of philosophical activities connected to that year’s chosen theme. They explore challenging philosophical questions and respond to them with dialogue, writing, role-play, and group projects. Students are led in these activities by the Center’s directors, guest speakers, undergraduate TAs, and a graduate student.
In addition to exploring big questions, participants will get a taste of college life: they stay in one of the university’s dormitories, eat in its dining halls, and have access to the gyms and libraries. They also attend evening and weekend programming that is partly recreational (e.g. game nights, field trips, etc.) and partly academic (e.g. college information sessions), and are elegible to receive 3 college credits upon successful completion of the program.
To find out more or for information on how to apply, visit the Question Everything website or contact the program co-directors, Julia Jorati and Ned Markosian .
Question Everything is funded by the Teagle Foundation’s Knowledge for Freedom Initiative. In 2023 we received additional support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).