The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute offers its Hurst Student Seminar: High School Great Ideas to students in the 10^th and 11^th grade valley-wide each year. This seminar, now in its twenty-first year, is modeled after the Aspen Institute Executive Seminar which has been convening leaders from around the world for over 70 years.

The four-day seminar is dedicated to enhancing leadership, problem solving, and critical thinking skills for high school students living in the Roaring Fork Valley. Students are challenged to think more critically and deeply about their values and ideas, and those that make the good society. Our proven method of text-based dialogue offers participants a neutral forum in which to reflect on timeless human values, pursue common ground, and cultivate a richer understanding of the human condition. Participants emerge from the seminar with a new perspective as they confront the difficult choices of our ever-changing world.

Moderated in traditional Aspen Institute Socratic style by expert moderator, Allyson Breyfogle, students read selections by such authors as Plato; Aristotle; Virginia Woolf; Hobbes; Martin Luther King, Jr.; and others.

A past high school participant wrote, “The experience I had at this seminar is almost indescribable.  This was one of the best experiences I have ever had.  …I will carry this wisdom and passion for knowledge with me for the rest of my life.  Thank you!”

Schedule*

Tuesday, November 14: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Session I: The Known and Unknown

Wednesday, November 15: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Session II: Boundaries and Expectations

Thursday, November 16: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Session III: Balance and Perspectives

Friday, November 17: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Session IV: Loss and Discovery

*Refreshments will be provided each day. Please plan to arrive by 1:45 pm to get settled.

Fee: $175, includes all sessions, readings, and light refreshments. Scholarships are available.