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DAY CAMPS

Summer Seminar for High School Students

Flourishing Persons: Individual, Social, Self-Transcendent

2026 Applications Open!

Dates:
July 13th – 17th 2026

Type:
In-person day camp. No lodging or virtual option provided.

Eligibility:
Rising juniors and seniors in high school & rising freshmen in college.

Priority Deadline:
April 13th

Standard Deadline:
April 30th

Houston Institute welcomes high school applicants who are serious about their studies, eager to pursue the truth, and willing to reflect upon their beliefs. No prior study of philosophy is necessary, just the willingness to read the assigned texts, to learn from HI’s professors, and to dialogue with peers. Any high schooler committed to genuine conversation in a spirit of friendship and truth-seeking is welcome, regardless of his or her beliefs. 

What will we cover?

What is our human nature? Can we know it? How? And what does it look like for humans to flourish, thrive, or be at their best? This summer seminar will engage with some of the greatest thinkers – both philosophical and literary – in exploration of these themes.

In the company of thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Shakespeare, Tolkien, and Viktor Frankl, we’ll dive into questions such as: 

  • Are humans just atoms? And is life just about pleasure?

  • What does it mean to say that humans are rational animals?

  • Do we need each other to thrive individually?

  • How do we come to see our purpose?

  • Do humans need virtues? Do humans need authority?

  • Do humans need leisure?

Readings will be provided over a month ahead of time and students are expected to read them with care. Seminars will involve lively conversation about life’s most pressing questions.

Faculty

Victor Saenz, PhD

Victor Saenz, Ph.D., is the Executive director of the Houston Institute. He is currently a Lecturer for Rice's undergraduate Program in Writing & Communication.

He works primarily on ancient Greek philosophy and his academic work has appeared in Apeiron, Ancient Philosophy Today, and The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy.

Christopher M. Petter, Ph.D

Christopher M. Petter, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of English, Core Fellow, and Chair of the Department of English at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

His scholarship addresses American literature of the twentieth century and liberal education pedagogies.

“

True leisure is being able to think freely through the beauties of our world…This kind of thinking seems to have been lost in our modern world, where all that matters is what you can get from your education and how you can advance. The Houston Institute’s mission aligns with the values of this world that we have lost and imbues them into the minds of people willing to participate with them on a personal and individual level.

Rising high-school senior from San Antonio
“

Each day included a series of seminars in philosophy and literature, and each lesson was built on the previous one so that by the final day, we explored some of the most profound concepts in each area. I was surrounded by a small group of open-minded and motivated students, and through our discussions and debates we grew to be close friends.

Incoming freshman at University of Texas
“

[I learned that] moral relativism forces people to deny their humanity, as they cannot comment on the beliefs or actions of those around them without surrendering what it means to be a relativist…I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar and treasure what they have taught me; I think it would prove a valuable experience for anyone seeking the truth and interested in challenging the world around them.

Incoming freshman at University of Dallas

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Houston Institute
2101 Dryden Rd.
Houston, TX 77030