Winning Words
Welcome to Winning Words: Thinking, Speaking, and Acting Philosophically
Winning Words is a very special afterschool program for local young people in elementary and middle school. With Winning Words, youth on Chicago’s South Side are taught the joys of philosophy and provided with greater educational opportunities for practicing considered self-expression, rational and cooperative conversation, and thoughtful self-examination. They learn the arts of philosophical dialogue and the famous Socratic method, along with debate, public speaking and reading, dramatic performance, and teacher-directed classroom reading and discussion. And they do this in ways that are engaging and inspiring—fostering the sense of wonder that is at the root of true learning, intellectual growth, and ethical reflection. With Socrates, we believe in the examined life. With the famous American philosopher John Dewey, a founding figure at the University of Chicago, we believe in learning by doing, and in breaking down the barriers between school and society.
With Winning Words, younger students in local public schools are given the opportunity to learn from and be mentored by some of the most successful college students in the world: those at the University of Chicago. Working under the guidance of The Civic Knowledge Project, the University of Chicago students are specially trained to bring the Winning Words program to these younger students at their own schools. And those younger students are also given many opportunities to visit the Hyde Park campus of the University of Chicago to engage in exciting educational activities—debate tournaments, theatrical performances, and other programs that can inspire these young people with a vision of just how rewarding and relevant college life can be. Please help us spread the word about Winning Words! We welcome your participation!
If you are interested in bringing the Winning Words program to one of our southside schools, please contact the Director of the Civic Knowledge Project, Bart Schultz, at 773/834-3929 ext. 1, or rschultz@uchicago.edu Teachers or other professionals who work with us on site are eligible for stipends and other benefits.
More background on Winning Words: (PDF)
Some Winning Words Sources Material: Great Speeches from the South Side of Chicago (PDF)
The Civic Knowledge Project Will Work To
Leave No Child Inside
Leave No Life Unexamined
Leave No Voice Unheard
Please Say Yes To The CKP!