Immerse yourself in courses designed around freedom of expression, open inquiry and the transformational power discourse.
- Learn from passionate expert educators dedicated to providing an enriching and engaging learning experience.
- Listen, learn, and engage about, with, and across difference and disagreement.
- Develop academic and personal skills
- Build essential leadership skills and bring learning back to schools and communities.
Join us for a summer of engagement and growth.
Current Offerings — Summer 2024
PARR 11600
Social media presents a variety of current case studies in which to examine the tensions between freedom expression, private industry, and government regulation. The tensions exhibit in elections, politics, schools, employment, and our personal lives as we and social media companies learn to navigate this new landscape. This course explores the complexities of these issues from a basis in the theory, principles, and practices of free expression and their very tangible manifestations in personal, professional, and civic contexts. Students will read classical and current texts on freedom of expression, examine case law in free speech, and explore current controversies and statements and policies of social media organizations. At the same time, students will participate in a simulation of Congressional Hearings on social media regulations. Assuming roles as Senators, journalists, lobbyists, and leaders of social media organizations, students will actively bring their learning into practice by navigating the world of social media, politics, and policies.
For more information and to apply, click here.
Previous Offerings
PARR 11300
Communication is foundational to the human experience and shapes our lives – personal, professional, and political. Communication skills are also highly correlated with college and professional success: critical thinking, argument, writing, perspective-taking, and research skills are all foundational to a liberal arts education and life beyond college. The objective of this course is to help students develop these essential skills through an introduction to the principles and practices of public discourse: advocacy, argument, and speaking. Over the course of three weeks, students will research, build, and present a persuasive case on a civic issue. Through exercises, workshops, and assignments, students will study and apply theory and develop essential research, critical thinking, speaking, and writing skills. The University of Chicago has long been a prominent proponent of free expression, which depends on the ability to engage in productive public discourse and on the ability to open up public space so that others can also speak freely. This course extends that tradition by preparing students to actively engage in the public sphere.