Stanford Summer Humanities Institute

Study the depths of the human experience.

Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week residential program where rising high school juniors and seniors explore the big questions at the heart of the humanities in seminars led by distinguished Stanford professors. Studying the humanities allows students to dive into the depths of the human experience, engaging history and the arts to better understand different cultures and learn more about the way we think, speak, and interact with the world.

In their history, literature, or philosophy courses, participants spend the first two weeks intensively studying, attending daily lectures by faculty members, and participating in group discussions and activities in the afternoon. During their third week, participants work closely with their professors, graduate students, and writing mentors to produce original research projects. Over the course of three weeks, participants gain the ability to navigate complex texts and create powerful arguments using the documents left behind by thousands of years of humanities scholars.