WHAT's special about
this summer school?
Georgetown University and the John Locke Institute are proud to collaborate to provide an exceptional learning opportunity for exceptional young students curious to understand Politics and Government.
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This one-week course is the perfect introduction for ambitious, high-caliber teenagers to five important fields within political science: political institutions, political philosophy, political economy, strategic game theory, and public policy.
But, unlike other summer programs, this is not about teaching facts. It is about inviting young students to go back to first principles in order to approach the big questions in politics with a wide-open mind. It is about cultivating the intellectual humility to accept you may be wrong, even if many others agree with you, and nurturing the intellectual courage to trust that you may be right, even when most others are against you.
DATES:
27 JULY - 2 AUGUST
Is this for me?
Ages 12 - 15
Even very bright students normally begin to think seriously about high-level academic enrichment only when they are nearing the end of secondary school. But our Junior Summer School students are different. At a young age you are already drawn to big ideas, you love to hear bold claims about contentious topics - as long as they are backed up with careful reasoning - and you are becoming restless about how little you know about the questions that matter most.
We are looking for curious, open-minded students who want to challenge each other, and be challenged, to listen and think and express your best thoughts. At the Junior Summer School you will make friends with some of the most interesting people you could hope to meet.
INSTITUTIONS
We are governed not only by politicians and laws, but also by institutions. In order to understand the American system of government, we must know about the Constitution, and about the three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.
We take a historical approach to see how they came to be what they are, but we also invite you to imagine how they might have been different, to contemplate what the goals of politics should be, and to evaluate how well our institutions advance those goals.
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
We are also governed by ideas.
What is justice? What is liberty? How important is equality, and what kind of equality is most important? How do rights help us achieve peace and prosperity, and where do they come from?
What should we do when two ideals come into conflict, for instance when we are asked to sacrifice privacy for security, or to give up individual autonomy in order to empower officials to pursue collective goals?
And what can we learn from the thinkers of the past, such as Hobbes and Rousseau, Smith and Marx, and John Locke himself?
WHERE WILL I STAY?
Some of our Junior Summer School students will come from boarding schools, and will be comfortable about being in a new and unfamiliar environment. Many others will be less confident, and for some it will be the first time they have been away from home for more than two or three days at a time.
Our aim is to make sure all students love every minute of their time with us. We are intellectually demanding, which is what bright, ambitious students need, but we are also gentle and nurturing, so our students know they are in a community that is courteous and kind.
Students will be staying at Georgetown University, in twin rooms with ensuite bathroom facilities. We enforce the evening curfew strictly to ensure that every student is safe and accounted for twenty-four hours a day.
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Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the college dining hall.
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ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
Arrival
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You should plan to arrive at the summer school on Sunday 27 July.
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It is your responsibility to determine whether you need a visa and, if so, what kind of visa you need and how you should apply for it. Every overseas student must have a valid passport to enter the United States. You can find all the information about US visas here. For your purpose of travel, please select “Tourism or Visit”. Depending on your country of citizenship you may find that you are able to enter the USA on the Visa Waiver programme (ESTA). We can provide individual support, on request, for those who will need a visa.
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We advise you to purchase travel insurance.
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Departure
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On the departure day, Saturday 2 August, check out is at 10am.
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Our staff will be available to help you on the departure day so you don't miss your flight!
