The residential component of Question Everything will be held July 19–August 8, 2026 on the UMass Amherst campus. Participants will explore exciting philosophical issues in a fun and supportive environment. It’s a chance for participants to get a taste of college, meet new people, and most importantly, question everything! During the 2026/27 school year, participants will meet occasionally for college application parties, and will also have a chance to continue engaging in philosophical discussions and a civic engagement project.
Theme
Each summer, Question Everything focuses on questions that are subsumed under a specific theme. Our 2026 theme is “Freedom and Liberty.” We will explore questions such as:
- Do all humans have an inalienable right to liberty? (What are inalienable rights? What is liberty?)
- Are there circumstances under which other people can justifiably take away or limit your liberty? For example, is incarceration ever morally justified? Should prisons be abolished or completely rethought, as some people argue? Is it wrong for parents to severely restrict the liberty of their teenage children?
- Are some types of liberty more important than others? For instance, is there a moral right to free expression, and if so, does it have limits?
- Do young children have a right to liberty? Why or why not? Do non-human animals, such as chimpanzees, have such a right?
- Are we ever completely free in our choices or decisions? Is there a connection between having a right to liberty and having free will?
Who is Question Everything for?
This program is for rising high school seniors (that is, anyone who will start their senior year in Fall 2026) from Springfield and Holyoke, MA who are curious about life’s big questions and interested in exploring these questions with like-minded peers. You don’t need any prior knowledge of philosophy, and you don’t need a stellar GPA. Applications are open to all rising seniors from Springfield and Holyoke, MA, but we especially seek students who are from low-income households and/or will be the first in their families to attend college in the United States.
A typical day at Question Everything
During the three weeks of the summer program, you will live in a dormitory on campus. In your time off, you can explore the campus and hang out with other summer program participants; there will also be some social activities in the evenings and during the weekends. You’ll eat in the award-winning campus dining halls and you’ll have access to the gym, the library, and other amenities. It will be a full college experience!
On each weekday, we’ll meet from 9am to 4pm, with a 1-hour lunch break. The morning and afternoon sessions will feature a variety of activities. On most days, there will be an interactive presentation by a professor about an interesting issue related to our theme. The remainder of the time, you will engage in discussions, mock trials, role-play activities, and games, all connected to freedom and liberty. You will also acquire skills (such as college-level writing, reading, and oral presentation skills) that will help you succeed in college. Teaching Assistants, who are college students, will help you with your reading and writing assignments. You will also have time to do your own research about an issue that you find particularly intriguing and present your findings to the others.
The application process
Applicants will be asked to submit an application form and a high school transcript (unofficial), and also provide the contact information of a teacher or counselor who can write a short letter of recommendation. (Please pick someone who knows you well!)
You can apply through UMass’s Pre-College Application Portal. The deadline is April 6, 2026. Once your application (including a letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor) is complete, we will review your materials. We will tell you whether you’ve been accepted by the end of April.
Note: applying for this program and participating in it is completely free of charge to you! There’s no application fee, no deposit for accepted students, and no course fee. (Some other programs charge these fees, so if you read any information about submitting fees, please just ignore it).
Note also that you don’t need to be a US citizen to participate in this program. The application form will ask you about your citizenship, but that’s just because other UMass summer programs accept applications from students living abroad who need visas to attend. It does not make a difference for this program.
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns!
How much does it cost?
Applying to and participating in Question Everything is completely free. There are no fees at any stage—there’s no application fee, and if you get admitted, you automatically receive a full scholarship covering room and board, instruction, materials, field trips, transportation, etc.
Why should you apply?
- It’s a chance to explore fascinating questions about freedom and liberty with like-minded people.
- You’ll get to know several UMass professors and students, and you’ll get a taste of college.
- It’s an opportunity to discover philosophy, which isn’t usually offered in high schools.
- You’ll improve your critical thinking and reasoning skills in a fun and supportive environment.
- Having completed a program like this one can be helpful on college applications.
- The program will guide you through the college application and financial aid process.
- If you complete the program satisfactorily, you will receive 3 college credits. (But note that these credits may not transfer to all other colleges or universities.)
Question Everything is funded by the Teagle Foundation’s Knowledge for Freedom Initiative