Harlem Clemente Course for the Humanities

The Clemente Course for the Humanities is a full year rigorous academic program for people living in economic distress, with required courses in Moral Philosophy, Literature, U.S. History, Art History, and Critical Thinking and Writing, taught by faculty from leading universities.  Conceived of by N.Y.U.’s Earl Shorris in 1995 as a modality for alleviating poverty and redressing injustice, more than ten thousand students worldwide have attended a Clemente course, and over fifty percent have successfully completed it.

The aim of the course is to bring the clarity and beauty of the humanities to people who have been deprived of these riches through economic, social, or political forces.  Many graduates of the Clemente Course have gone on to two- and four-year colleges.

Classes typically meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–8:30 pm, beginning the first week of October and ending the second week of May. In addition to free tuition and books, childcare and transportation is provided without charge. The Harlem Clemente Course is accredited by Bard College, which gives six college credits, readily transferable, to students who complete the course.

Dr. David Kittay conceived of bringing Clemente to Harlem, and has been working on this project for several years. He partnered with CV because of our deep connections to the Harlem community and experience working with struggling, low-income families. Classes are held at the Drew Hamilton Community Center in Harlem.

For more information about the Harlem Clemente Course, visit harlemclemente.org.