A free, week‑long residential program for rising seniors from the Durham area.
Are you a high school junior who wants to ask big questions about meaning, society, and the universe? Are you curious how people have answered these questions in the past—from Socrates to the American Founders to Martin Luther King Jr.? Would you like to stretch your reading, writing, and conversation muscles? Do you want to live in Duke's dorms and “try college” for a week?
Applications for Duke’s Transformative Ideas High School Seminar are due May 25.
Program Details
- When: Monday – Friday, July 13–17
- Who: 12–16 rising seniors from Durham-area high schools
- Where: Duke's West Campus
- Cost: Free
- What: Deep reading, shared meals, cultural site visits, and daily seminars with Duke professors
What You Will Experience
- Introduction to influential texts from Plato, Confucius, Augustine, Descartes, and others
- Small-group seminars led by Duke professors
- Conversations and shared experiences with peers from across Durham
Seminar Topics Include
- Freedom, Politics, and Civic Life
- Meaning, Value, and Purpose
- Science, Society, and the Universe
About the Program
This seminar is part of the Teagle Foundation’s Knowledge for Freedom (KFF) network. The program invites students to join a long conversation about freedom, personhood, meaning, and civic life—stretching from ancient Greece to twenty‑first‑century Durham.
Who Should Apply?
Duke’s Transformative Ideas Summer Seminar is designed for students who live and/or attend school in Durham County. It is open to students interested in any college major—including those who are still wondering whether college is right for them.
Priority will be given to first‑generation college students and students who do not otherwise have access to a pre‑college program like this one.
Think this might be for you? Apply by May 25.
Application Materials
To apply, you will need:
- Three short essays to help us get to know you. We recommend drafting them in directly into this template.
- Your high school transcript. If you have taken college courses, please include a college transcript as well. Durham Public School students can request transcripts here:
https://durhamnc.scriborder.com/applicationCurrent - A reference. Provide the name and email address of a teacher, coach, or administrator who can speak to your academic work, character, and community involvement.
- Parent/guardian consent. Applicants must confirm they have permission to participate. Accepted students must stay in Duke dorms and attend all seminar activities July 13–17, 2026.
Know a Student Who Should Apply?
If you know a Durham-area rising senior who would benefit from this program, please let us know.
Questions?
Dr. Micah Harris
Micah.Harris@Duke.edu