Halifax Humanities Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Founded | 2003 (as Saint George's Friends of Clemente Society)[1] |
|---|---|
| Founders | Angus Johnston, Gary Thorne[2][3] |
| Type | Registered charity (Canada) |
| Registration no. | 864790878RR0001[4] |
| Focus | Adult education; humanities education; access to education |
| Headquarters | 2222 Brunswick Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia[4] |
| Location | |
Region served | Halifax Regional Municipality and Nova Scotia[5] |
Key people | Amy Bird (director)[1] Katie Carline (interim director; 2025–26)[1] |
| Website | halifaxhumanitiessociety |
The Halifax Humanities Society is a Canadian registered charity based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that provides free, non-credit, university-level humanities education to adults living on low incomes or facing other barriers to post-secondary education.[6][5] The organisation is best known for Halifax Humanities 101, an eight-month "Great Books" programme modelled on the curriculum of the Foundation Year Program at the University of King's College.[7][8]
The Society traces its inspiration to the Clemente Course in the Humanities, a free humanities education model piloted in 1995 by author Earl Shorris in Manhattan, New York City.[9][10] Halifax-based community advocates formed the "Saint George's Friends of Clemente Society" in 2003; by October 2005 it was registered as a charitable organisation and launched an eight-month pilot project, Halifax Humanities 101.[1] The programme, which focused on "great books" of Western culture, intended to enrich those living in material poverty, was free of charge, taught by volunteer university professors, and supported by provision of books and materials.[11]
In 2017, the University of King's College publicly recognised director Mary Lu Redden with an honorary doctorate, praising Halifax Humanities for providing university-level humanities education to adults on low incomes and highlighting outcomes such as graduates continuing to further study.[8][12]
- Halifax Humanities 101 is the society's primary focus. An eight-month non-credit humanities course that traces Western philosophy, literature, theology, political theory, and art, taught by volunteer professors from local universities (primarily University of King's College, Dalhousie University, and Mount Saint Vincent University), and offered free of charge with book provision and supports such as bus tickets and childcare subsidies for those who need them.[7]
- The Angus Johnston Alumni Seminar, open to graduates of Halifax Humanities 101,[13] functions as a continuation of the 101 course and focuses on one topic or time period each year, similarly making provision of books, transportation support, and volunteer leadership.[14]
- The Bonita Shepherd University Access Program, through which partner universities allow alumni to audit or take courses without tuition fees, named for a member of the first graduating class of Halifax Humanities 101 and board member who passed away in 2022.[15]
- Halifax Thinks is a by-donation course using recorded lectures and periodic tutorials, intended to support the Society's free programmes, with a suggested donation for those interested in the society's educational offerings but not facing the same financial barriers as those for whom Halifax Humanities 101 is offered.[16][14]