Humanities 101
The August 2003 issue of Reader’s Digest magazine contains an article entitled “Humanities 101” by Margo Pfeiff, detailing University of British Columbia’s education outreach aimed at creating post-secondary opportunities for the underprivileged. Humanities 101 is a unique program and we have been inspired to initiate such a program here at the U of A. We currently have an ongoing partnership with the Boyle Street Community Co-Op and the Learning Centre Literacy Association, both located in Edmonton’s inner-city.
Objectives of Humanities 101
Humanities 101 is an organization that offers non-credit post-secondary courses to underprivileged populations in Edmonton. Graduate students and professors from a variety of disciplines including English, Native Studies, Film & Media Studies, Art History, Industrial Design and photography donate their time to teach one to two hours a week. Our objective is not necessarily to provide students with knowledge, but with an opportunity to experiment, be creative, and share experiences that may otherwise have gone unheard.
The benefits of such a project are not only philanthropic in nature, but also extend to cultivating a forum where knowledge and experience can be exchanged and nurtured. Therefore, both student volunteers and instructors gain perspective from participating in this program. Many opportunities are available for students and community members to take part in this exciting project, either has class facilitators or administrators.
For more information:
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, we can be reached at
The Reader’s Digest article can be found at
http://www.readersdigest.ca/mag/2003/08/humanities.html
The program at UBC is found at
http://humanities101.arts.ubc.ca/