What is the Oakland Clemente Course in the Humanities?

THE OAKLAND CLEMENTE COURSE IN THE HUMANITIES IS A FREE AWARD-WINNING COLLEGE COURSE IN THE HUMANITIES THAT EXPLORES THE MUTUAL STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY, LITERATURE, ART HISTORY, U.S. HISTORY, AND CRITICAL THINKING AND WRITING.

The course is free and seeks to serve adults who have faced barriers to higher education, and who are looking for an engaged community of peers to explore great moments of history, art, philosophy, and literature. By prioritizing discussion and life experiences as part of what it means to be an engaged citizen and critical thinker, the Clemente Course is a participatory approach to education where each individual has a voice.

For those who aspire to attend college in the future, the Oakland Clemente Course also offers an opportunity to experience a college classroom and earn 3 transferable college credits from Bard College at no cost.  

A high school diploma or GED is not required for admission. Childcare, transportation assistance, and books are provided to students free of charge.

Student Testimonials from the 2023 Spring Semester:

I've been in many educational spaces before as a student and as a teacher, the empowering spaces the professors cultivated at Clemente were something special. The selection of resources were always well thought out, facilitation of learning done with our humanity in mind first, and with these two, the types of connections I was able to make with students were something I'll remember for life by the transformational impact they made on my development. 

-Eunhae Han

Attending The Clemente Class humbled my thinking towards how I viewed people at a time I felt alone in society. I enjoyed learning and being heard by like minded people who come from different or the same life experiences.

-London Outlaw