Hello John,
It has been a busy and productive fall semester for ISI. As we near the halfway point of the academic year, I want to share some updates about how ISI has been reaching, teaching, and launching the next generation of conservative leaders.
Honors Conference | August 3–9
ISI gathered our top fifty students for a week of lectures on the principles of ordered liberty, small group discussions, and networking opportunities.
Homecoming Weekend | September 19–20
250 alumni, supporters, faculty, and students gathered on our campus in the Brandywine Valley to discuss this year’s theme: Golden Age Mindset: How to Restore Western Civilization.
American Politics and Government Summit | October 9–11
We hosted over 170 professors, graduate students, and guests for an academic conference reflecting on the centennial of Winston Churchill’s speech, “Mass Effects in Modern Life.”
Collegiate Network Editors Conference | November 7–9
Our Collegiate Network team, along with keynotes from Tim Carney and Ann Coulter, prepared our top student journalists to continue promoting free speech on their college campuses.
ISI’s flagship student program, ISI Forums, are faculty-led small group seminars that introduce the principles of conservatism and the key texts of the Western canon. This fall, we’ve tripled the number of on-campus Forums. With thirty-nine seminars already completed or confirmed, our program is more in demand than ever before. ISI Forums are exploring topics such as:
- Cicero and Kirk: Statesmanship and Prudence (Cedarville University)
- The American Nation: Idea or Culture? (Grove City College)
- Robert Nisbet and the Quest for Community (Yale University)
Forums are intellectually enriching for students nationwide. Hear what our students have to say themselves:
- “Our conversations definitely influenced my way of thinking moving forward, and broadened my political views within my own beliefs as well as the political ideologies of my peers.”
—Zeutzius McCall, Pepperdine University
- “The discussion prompted me to think deeper than I had previously about how I, as a Christian, should interact in the political world.”
—Jacob Boetig, John Brown University
We’re currently supporting a roster of 115 campus chapters nationwide, including new chapters this semester at Georgetown University, Ohio State University, UC Berkeley, and more.
ISI’s Collegiate Network of eighty-eight conservative student publications continues to expand its influence nationwide with the recent inception of Yard Report at Harvard University and an upcoming, invite-only workshop with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat.
In August, ISI launched its latest flagship series, Project Cosmos, which has garnered over six million views across platforms. This series of intimate, living-room-style conversations gathers leading thinkers on the Right to explore the challenges of contemporary American life and ask defining questions about our future.
Project Cosmos reaches students in the digital landscape where they already are.
- “I loved this podcast format because it felt thoughtful and intentional rather than combative. Project Cosmos creates space for nuanced conversation that seems increasingly rare in today’s media landscape.”
—Elsa Johnson, Stanford University
If you’re a student and want to learn more about getting involved with ISI, whether by starting/joining a campus chapter, launching a CN paper, or hosting a speaker on campus, we’ll connect you with a member of our Programs team. Please email any inquiries to [email protected].
We’re grateful for a productive semester thus far and look forward to continuing to educate for liberty in the year ahead!
Best regards,
Johnny Burtka
President and CEO |
