Bridgewater College announces the receipt of a $300,000 grant from The Teagle Foundation to launch a new summer institute that will bring underserved local high school students to campus to study for two weeks and earn college credit.
Bridgewater’s Future Scholars Institute will give rising juniors and seniors the opportunity to experience campus life and earn two college credits. The institute will be led by BC faculty and focus on the relationship between individual freedom and the public good. It will take place on the BC campus from July 13-26, 2025, and is free to participating students.
“We feel very fortunate to be able to offer the program participants a chance to jump-start their own scholarly journey as they grapple with timeless issues related to the balancing of individual rights and public responsibilities,” said Dr. Jeffrey Pierson, BC dean for graduate and special programs.
Participating high school students will live on campus and enroll in an interdisciplinary course designed to explore questions about freedom, democracy and government. Students will read and discuss texts ranging from John Locke’s political essay “Two Treatises of Government” (1689) to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963) to Robert Putnam’s nonfiction book “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community” (2000). Included in the course is a visit to Washington, D.C., to help students connect historical and contemporary struggles for freedom.
This summer’s program is open to high school students in the Classes of 2026 and 2027 who live in Augusta, Page and Rockingham counties, Va.; Harrisonburg, Waynesboro and Staunton, Va.; and Pendleton County, W.Va. Admissions preference will be given to students who would benefit from additional support in understanding the American college experience, such as first-generation college applicants, low-income students and those from underrepresented minority groups.
“This program is more than just an academic experience—it’s a chance for students to live and learn like college students. Beyond the classroom discussions on individual freedom and public responsibility, we hope to help students feel more prepared for the college application process and for the challenges of higher education. Through the Future Scholars Institute, they will gain both the intellectual skills and the confidence they’ll need to succeed in college and beyond,” said Ben Erickson, director of community engagement.
The Future Scholars Institute is funded by a grant from The Teagle Foundation, a New York-based philanthropic organization that supports the liberal arts in higher education. The institute is part of the foundation’s Knowledge for Freedom program.
“The Teagle Foundation is delighted to partner with Bridgewater College,” said Teagle president Andrew Delbanco. “We are thrilled that young people from the local community will be introduced to the mind-opening college experience under the guidance of Bridgewater faculty.”
For more information and to complete an application, visit the Future Scholars Institute website. Up to 30 students will be selected to participate and will be notified in early spring.
Media Contact:
Heather Cole
Editor & Director of Media Relations
hcole@bridgewater.edu
1/15/25
