NOTE: This is a post was originally posted on my personal blog, Humanist Notes — HumanistNotes.com

Are you looking to develop skills and knowledge on a broad range of topics from a humanist perspective? Does a group including atheists, Ethical Culture folks, religious humanists, Unitarians, and secular humanists sound interesting? What if they were from around the country?

There is a place where you can learn about the history of humanist thought, freethinking, and how secularism became a movement. You can develop a network of friends and colleagues from around the country. Meet with leadership from the largest humanist organizations. You even get to spend time annually in New York City and Washington D.C.

The Humanist Institute is a three year, low residency, graduate level program. You are part of a cohort class that gathers together three times each year in either New York or D.C. for intensive discussion work.

The next class starts this December! Find out more and Apply at www.HumanistInstitute.org.

I recently spoke at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis about my experience with the Humanist Institute. Read and listen to that presentation: Humanism at the National Level.

Here is the breakdown of each session’s theme:

Year One

• Session One: Essential Humanism
• Session Two: Being Human
• Session Three: Humanist Ideas in World Religions

Year Two

• Session Four: Leadership
• Session Five: Critical Thinking
• Session Six: Science, Methods and Uses

Year Three

• Session Seven: Contemporary Culture
• Session Eight: Aesthestics
• Session Nine: Celebration