The application deadline is rapidly approaching for the University of King’s College’s new program, Humanities for Young People (HYP), a new summer program for ambitious secondary students. A few spots are still available and HYP will be accepting applications until June 1st for the inaugural year of this exciting new program.
We live in a disruptive economy. Can anyone really predict what skills young people will need to succeed in tomorrow’s job market? How can we educate the next generation to be adaptable, flexible, and resilient?
HYP will encourage young people to think creatively and collaboratively, to engage with perspectives other than their own, and to allow these perspectives to enlarge their experience of the world. By bringing the richness of the past to bear upon the uncertainties of the future, HYP will be a catalyst for re-establishing the important place of the humanities in our public discourse.
“There’s a lot more to the humanities than tired barista jokes”, says Dr. Laura Penny, one of HYP’s co-directors. “We want young people to have a chance to develop their reading, writing, and speaking skills, and to see that these skills have real practical value.”
“These are skills you need to both enter and progress in the world of work today”, says Vice-President Kim Kierans. “I’m hoping HYP will ignite curiosity and passion in young people.”
HYP is for teens who want an intellectual challenge and a taste of college life. From July 10-16, students will study complex liberal arts texts with some of our most engaging professors, develop their reading, writing, and communications skills, and enjoy residential life at Canada’s oldest chartered university.
HYP is an academic adventure that will take students from Ancient Greece to multicultural Canada. HYP will also immerse students in Nova Scotia’s culture and history, with events like a pirate history cruise of Halifax’s harbour, and a Medicine Walk led by a Mik’maq elder.
HYP will conclude with a public symposium, The Humanities in Our Communities, at Halifax’s new and acclaimed Central Library. This symposium will feature the work of students, professors, and a keynote address from George Elliott Clarke, Canada’s parliamentary poet laureate and a passionate advocate for the humanities.
HYP is delighted to have the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, who have awarded the University a Connections grant to help fund this exciting new program. HYP is also thrilled to have the support of the Halifax Public Library.
HYP is open to all Canadian students from grades 9 to 11 with an interest in writing, in reading, and in thoughtful inquiry. Applications are available until June 1st on our website, hyp.ukings.ca.
