ASPEN–The opportunity to participate in a seminar that fosters leadership skills, and understanding of why the teachings of history’s greatest leaders are important (from Plato, to Martin Luther King Jr.) is up for grabs. It is known as the Teen Socrates program, and is hosted by The Aspen Institute.

The seminar is held over President’s Weekend each year at the Institute’s campus in the West End (The Aspen Institute, the Washington, DC based education and policies studies organization, was founded in Aspen in the 1950’s with a mission to foster values-based leadership skills.) The Institute holds several teen seminars each year, usually centered around leadership skills.

Last year, renowned Supreme Court lawyer and Georgetown University Constitutional Law Professor,  Neal Katyal taught a course on the Supreme Court, and its role in our everyday lives.  Students from up and down the valley, state, and the country attended the three-day seminar. Prior to the start, all of the students did several readings of historical and current Supreme Court cases so on the days of seminar, students could discuss and argue different aspects of the case. Katyal encourages students to look into participating in this very unique experience.

“The Teen Socrates program is a great way to give curious students advanced knowledge about an exciting new area of study,” Katyal says.  ‘When Justice Antonin Scalia passed away on the second day of the class, it was tremendously sad, but it gave us all a chance to think about his legacy and how the Court will change in the years to come.”

Katyal was in communication with his colleagues in DC and shared insights with the group about what he expected to happen in the weeks and months to come.

One of the AHS participants, senior, Ethan Burkley, learned a lot from the program.  “I think that Americans often overlook the impact the Supreme Court has on all of us, younger people especially. I learned that debating over a topic, and learning to argue effectively for a topic you may not agree with, is a vital part of anyone’s education. It was awesome to be able to learn how to debate from such a talented and seasoned professional,” Burkley said.

AHS junior Francesca Seeman also shared a bit about her personal experience with me, as she has participated in it for several years.

“I think that everyone should have the opportunity to experience something along the lines of this program; an experience where civil, researched, and pointed discussion on specific topics is combined with and differences of opinion within the group which results in really interesting discussions. The fact that kids from all over the country (and sometimes the world) come to Aspen to participate in these seminars is wicked cool, ” Seeman said.

For me personally, the Teen Socrates Seminar was an experience that offered the opportunity to learn from an expert professor, the likes of whom most of us will not experience until we get to college, and to expand my knowledge about a subject area I didn’t really know much about, our justice system. This was my first year participating. It also introduced me to the art of debate and exposed me to many different opinions and perspectives from a new group of teens.

Zoe Brown, program associate at the institute, helps plan the seminar every year. “The discussions challenge fundamental aspects of the students’ worldviews, and many of them come out of the seminar feeling more empowered to make a difference and passionate about learning,” Brown said.

This year’s seminar will have a new topic and format that has not yet been announced, but will aim to deliver the same kind of spirited, insightful discussion and debate on pressing issues of the day. Once all the details have been finalized, the Institute will announce the program and registration will open on Nov. 6th. There is a cost for the course, but scholarships are available. The course is perfect for any curious Aspen students looking to enhance their President’s Weekend this year. For more information, interested students should go to:  

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/teen-socrates-seminar-winter-2016/ for information about the 2017 program and available scholarships.