The Great Ideas Summer Institute

This year’s theme  is “The Idea of Citizenship in the American Republic.” Students will discuss the Greek origins of Western politics, Roman understandings of citizenship, the case for the American Revolution, the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist debates, and the creation of the United States Constitution. Students will also look at conceptions of citizenship and republicanism articulated through the works of Abraham Lincoln, the 19th Amendment, and Justice Thurgood Marshall.

All classes are discussion-oriented and are led by full-time Samford professors. Classes consist of three daily sessions (two in the morning and one in the afternoon).

Most high schools teach using secondary texts (traditional textbooks explaining key historical events or summaries of important documents). At GISI, you will read the original texts and discuss them with a community of intellectually curious students and professors who will challenge you to think about the material on a deeper level, including the historical and philosophical contexts. This experience will make you a better high school student and help prepare you for college.  In addition, you will develop a mature and reflective understanding of American citizenship, and the history and political philosophy of constitutional republics.