Hillsdale College: Academic Adventures Beyond the Classroom

Hillsdale College, known for its commitment to truth and knowledge at any age, extends its educational reach beyond the traditional classroom setting with a variety of engaging programs. Among these are unique opportunities for both high school students and adults to immerse themselves in learning while exploring the world. This article delves into the High School Summer Study and Travel Programs, as well as other enriching programs offered by Hillsdale College, such as the Hillsdale Hostels, lecture series, and seminars.

High School Summer Study and Travel Programs

Hillsdale College offers rising high school juniors and seniors (age 15 or older) the chance to earn three college credits through its High School Summer Study and Travel Programs. These programs combine rigorous academic study with immersive travel experiences to cultural and historic destinations both domestically and abroad.

Program Structure and Curriculum

Travel courses begin with an initial study period on the Hillsdale campus, followed by on-site learning at the chosen destination. These courses are designed to encourage students to take up great English authors as they write about human beings confronting extreme experiences in their lives. All trips are led by Hillsdale faculty members, who are extraordinary teachers with expertise in the subjects of their courses.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Thanks to the support of generous donors, scholarships are available to outstanding applicants to cover a portion of the High School Summer Study and Travel Programs costs. Consideration is granted based upon the strength of the application, and no additional paperwork is required.

Practical Considerations for Participants

Insurance: Students are required to have a health and accident insurance policy in effect to travel in these programs. For abroad courses, the policy must provide worldwide coverage. It is recommended to inform your insurance agent of your travel plans and obtain a policy identification card.
Flights: Flights should be booked after being accepted to the program, when optimal travel dates and times will be communicated. Alternate travel plans can be arranged in consultation with the head of summer programs and the travel agency. Additional fees may apply if you require changes to your international flight itinerary.
Technology: A laptop (or tablet) computer is not necessary and should be left at home.
Emergency Preparedness: Part of orientation will include information for students about how to act in case of an emergency, and each will receive an emergency contact card.
Academic Credit: Upon successful completion of the academic portion of the program, students will be issued a letter grade for the course. Provided they have passed with a “C” or better, they will earn three Interdisciplinary Studies credits, applicable to undergraduate studies at Hillsdale College and potentially transferrable to any other regionally accredited undergraduate institution. Acceptance or rejection of these credits is ultimately at the discretion of each institution.
Parent Accommodation: Should parents wish to stay on campus while dropping off their student, they are encouraged to stay at the Dow Leadership Hotel and Conference Center.
Communication: Wi-Fi will be available in most hotels abroad; however, phone coverage depends on your phone provider’s policy abroad.
Passports: Passports will be collected and held securely by the Admissions chaperone throughout the trip.
Additional Expenses: Apart from the program fee, students are responsible to purchase their own lunches while traveling, as well as pay for the cost of transportation to and from Detroit Metro Airport on the first and last day of the program. If students are flying, a complimentary shuttle from the Detroit airport to Hillsdale College will be provided. It is also recommended students set aside a small amount of funds for souvenirs. If traveling abroad, currency exchange is recommended at your local bank before travel. A debit card with limited funds is also encouraged.

Safety Record

Thankfully, there has not been a single safety concern or incident to date in any of these programs.

Read also: Hillsdale College Sports

Other Educational Programs Offered by Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College extends its commitment to lifelong learning through a variety of other programs designed for adults and educators. These programs reflect the college's dedication to promoting the principles of civil and religious liberty, as well as fostering an understanding of the timeless themes that form the foundation of a well-rounded education.

Hillsdale Hostels: Learning Vacations

Hillsdale Hostels offer learning vacations where participants can experience college all over again-college as it was meant to be. These programs provide an opportunity to spend time with others who love lifelong learning and discuss the great ideas and principles that sustain the country with some of Hillsdale College’s most distinguished professors.

Free Monthly Speech Digest

Hillsdale College provides a free monthly speech digest dedicated to promoting the principles of civil and religious liberty. This publication offers a valuable resource for those interested in staying informed about important issues related to these fundamental freedoms.

Nationwide Seminars

Hillsdale College holds seminars nationwide that address important issues facing modern American society. These seminars provide a platform for engaging in thoughtful discussions and exploring potential solutions to the challenges of our time.

Center for Teacher Excellence (CTE)

The Center for Teacher Excellence (CTE) builds on Hillsdale College’s mission through seminars of classical curricula and subject mastery. These seminars are designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide a high-quality classical education to their students.

Read also: Academics at Hillsdale College

College Lecture Series

Hillsdale College hosts one of the largest college lecture series in America, held on its campus four times a year. Eminent scholars, journalists, cultural critics, and policy makers weigh in on topics ranging from the films of Frank Capra to monetary policy. Guest speakers have included statesmen, political scientists, historians, novelists, economists, foreign policy experts, and more.

Accessibility Initiatives

Hillsdale College is committed to ensuring that its online resources are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. To fulfill this commitment, the college aims to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.

Screen-Reader Optimization

As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters the site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate the site effectively. In this process, the college provides screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, they provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination.

Color and Animation Adjustments

Users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. People with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button.

Content Highlighting and Audio Muting

Users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. Users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing, so the option to mute audio is provided.

Browser and Technology Support

Hillsdale College aims to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. While there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible, the college is continually improving its accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, the college encourages you to share your feedback.

Notable Figures Associated with Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College boasts a distinguished network of faculty, alumni, and affiliates who have made significant contributions in various fields. Here are a few notable figures associated with the college:

Larry P. Arnn: The 12th president of Hillsdale College. He received his B.A. from Arkansas State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in government from the Claremont Graduate School. He also studied at the London School of Economics and at Oxford University, where he served as director of research for the late Sir Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill. He served as president of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy from 1985-2000. From October 2020 to January 2021, he served as co-chair of the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission.
Brian Wesbury: Chief Economist at First Trust Advisors L.P. His previous positions include Vice President and Economist for the Chicago Corporation and Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for Griffin, Kubik, Stephens & Thompson. He has also been a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Congress. He has written for several magazines, newspapers, and blogs, and he appears regularly on television, radio, and podcasts to discuss the economy and financial markets.
Sean Davis: Co-founder and CEO of The Federalist. He previously served as the chief financial officer of the Daily Caller. He has also been the chief operating officer of Media Trackers, a state-based non-profit organization devoted to investigative journalism. Prior to that, he served as an economic policy adviser for former Texas Governor Rick Perry.

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