I am the Faculty Mentor and organizer for the WMU Lyceum, a week-long philosophy themed summer camp for high school students in the Kalamazoo area. The camp has two aims: (i) to improve students’ critical thinking and writing skills in a fun, engaging manner and (ii) to expose students to the study of philosophy in a college setting. To achieve these aims, the Lyceum uses a theme-based curriculum: daily class sessions combine critical thinking exercises and discussions that are focused on a specific topic within the camp’s larger theme (e.g., Philosophy and Technology, Philosophy and the Environment).

Adam Waggoner and I developed a how to guide for those interested in starting up a summer camp like the WMU Lyceum.