Igniting the Spark of Independent Thought in Young Minds
The New Hampshire Institute of Libertarian Sciences is excited to announce the fifth annual "Liberty Summer Scholars" program, a rigorous two-week residential seminar designed for high school students (ages 16-18) who exhibit exceptional curiosity, critical thinking skills, and a budding interest in ideas that challenge the conventional wisdom. In an educational landscape dominated by standardized tests and often one-sided political narratives, this program offers a rare opportunity for young people to engage with the rich intellectual tradition of libertarianism—a tradition centered on reason, individual rights, and the power of voluntary cooperation. The program is not about indoctrination, but about exploration; we provide the tools and the challenging questions, and the students build their own understanding.
Program Curriculum: A Crash Course in Freedom
The Summer Scholars curriculum is fast-paced, interactive, and interdisciplinary. Mornings are dedicated to seminar-style discussions led by NHILS faculty and advanced graduate students. Each day focuses on a core theme.
Week One: Foundations. Day 1: Philosophy - What Are Rights? Examining concepts of natural rights, utilitarianism, and the social contract from Hobbes to Rothbard. Day 2: Ethics - The Non-Aggression Principle. Applying this core axiom to real-life ethical dilemmas. Day 3: Economics I - The Miracle of the Market. Using simulations to understand spontaneous order, price signals, and the division of labor. Day 4: Economics II - The Failures of Intervention. Studying price controls, tariffs, and central banking through historical case studies. Day 5: History - The American Experiment Re-examined. A critical look at the Founding, the Constitution, and the expansion of state power.
Week Two: Applications. Day 6: Law - Could Laws Be Private? Exploring polycentric law and anarcho-capitalism. Day 7: Technology - Tools for Freedom. Hands-on workshops in basic cryptography and the philosophy of open-source. Day 8: Strategy - How Do We Get There? Debating political action vs. agorism vs. communitarian secession. Day 9: Current Events. Applying libertarian lenses to today's headlines on war, healthcare, and digital rights. Day 10: Synthesis and Final Projects. Students present their analyses of a chosen issue.
Afternoons are for activities: film screenings (like Island of Rose or The Philosophy of Liberty), guest lectures from entrepreneurs and activists, field trips to local agorist businesses or historical sites, and project work in small teams. Evenings are for informal socializing and debate, often around a campfire.
Pedagogy and Student Life
The pedagogical approach is Socratic. Lecturing is minimal. Students are expected to have completed short readings beforehand (accessible excerpts, not dense tomes) and come prepared to discuss, defend, and modify their views. Faculty act as facilitators, constantly questioning assumptions and encouraging students to reason from first principles. The atmosphere is one of intense but respectful intellectual combat. We cultivate a community where it is safe to be wrong, as long as one is willing to follow the logic where it leads.
Students live in dormitories on the NHILS campus, supervised by resident advisors who are current NHILS undergraduates. This immersive experience fosters deep friendships and a sense of belonging to a community of curious peers—an antidote to the isolation many intellectually gifted libertarian-minded teens feel in their home schools. The program emphasizes personal responsibility and freedom within a framework of voluntary communal rules.
- Selection Process: Competitive, based on an essay responding to a thought-provoking prompt, a teacher recommendation, and a demonstrated record of intellectual initiative.
- Financial Aid: Thanks to donor generosity, full and partial scholarships are available to ensure the program is accessible to all talented students, regardless of means.
- Outcomes: Past scholars report the program was "life-changing," providing them with an intellectual framework they carried into college and beyond. Many have gone on to attend NHILS for their undergraduate studies or become activists and builders in their own communities.
A Gateway to a Lifetime of Learning
The Liberty Summer Scholars program is more than just a summer camp; it is an intellectual awakening. For many students, it is the first time they encounter a systematic, principled defense of individual liberty and are surrounded by peers who share their passion for big ideas. It teaches them not what to think, but how to think critically about society, morality, and their own future. We aim to send these scholars back to their homes and schools not as dogmatic adherents, but as empowered, questioning individuals equipped to challenge statism in all its forms and to become the next generation of thinkers, creators, and leaders for a free society. Applications for this transformative experience are now open.