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Our Aim


We partner with various institutions like schools, libraries, museums, and more, offering engaging programming to the public. Led by volunteers from UNC's Department of Philosophy, we believe in the power of philosophical inquiry to enrich lives and foster a thriving civic society.

In the News

 

Ongoing Efforts

Ancient Tragedy in the Community

This annually recurring project aims to create an intergenerational space for community members to grapple with life’s inherent tensions and contradictions, and to ask questions that are grounded in the richness and lived experience of folks across the lifespan.

Service Learning with the National High School Ethics Bowl

“Ethics Bowl and Democratic Deliberation” is an undergraduate community engagement course in Philosophy offered in the fall semester. In this course, UNC undergraduates have the unique opportunity to combine the philosophical study of ethics with service to high school students across the country.

Intergenerational Philosophy

In partnership with the Orange County Department of Aging, we are committed to creating opportunities and spaces for intergenerational encounter and intergenerational dialogue. In “Philosophy across the Lifespan” experiential education course in philosophy, UNC undergraduates participate in regular discussions with older adults in the Triangle Area.

Philosophy in Juvenile Justice

Thanks to the support of UNC’s Humanities for the Public Good, the Outreach Program launched a multi-year program entitled “Dialogue and Transformation: Bringing Philosophy to Juvenile Justice Centers in North Carolina.”

Ethics in the Workplace

In partnership with UNC Human Resources, we regularly offer a training module on ethics in the workplace, centering on case studies and intentional discursive practices that aim to promote a collaborative and vibrant workplace culture.

Deliberative Pedagogy in Teaching

We regularly work with teachers to produce curricular resources, assignments, and lesson plans that promote ethical inquiry and deliberation in the classroom.

Philosophy by Mail with Correctional Facilities

Thanks to a partnership with North Carolina’s Department of Public Safety, the Outreach Program offers extracurricular discussion programs with adult correctional facilities across the state of North Carolina. The basic aim of the Philosophy by Mail program is to facilitate philosophical reflection on questions and issues at the core of human existence and to create opportunities for meaningful social interaction.

Philosophy for Older Adults

At its core, philosophy is about asking perennial and intractable questions and critically reflecting on our beliefs and values. We believe it is best practiced in the company of others and we regularly partner with retirement communities across the Triangle Area to provide philosophy programming of various kinds.

Philosophy in K-12 Schools

We work with a number of primary and secondary schools across the Triangle Area to integrate philosophy and ethics into the classroom. With some of our primary school we partners we use picture books and fun activities to generate conversations with children about values and big philosophical questions.

 

2023-2024 Outreach Fellows

Aurora Yu

Aurora Yu

Intergenerational Outreach Fellow
Read Aurora's Bio

Aurora is a fourth-year graduate student in the Philosophy Department with interests primarily in Early Modern Philosophy, Ancient Greek Philosophy, Moral Theory, and 20th century Continental Philosophy. She is charged with planning, overseeing, and helping to deliver Intergenerational Colloquia Series for older adults in the Chapel Hill area.

Dashiell Shulman

Dashiell Shulman

K-12 Schools Outreach Fellow
Read Dash's Bio

Dash is a first-year PhD student in Philosophy. As the K-12 Schools Outreach Fellow, Dash will oversee and implement a number of grant-funded programs centered on promoting ethical reflection among middle and high school students.

Heidi Segars

Heidi Segars

Undergraduate Assistant for Program Assessment & Evaluation Fellow
Read Heidi's Bio

Heidi is a junior from Raleigh, NC studying Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Education. As an Ethics Fellow in the EthicsEd pod, she is passionate about incorporating ethical conversations into various educational spaces. She is excited to combine her interests in psychology research and ethics outreach to assess the efficacy of Parr Center programming, both on and off campus.