We understand that not all college students today are eager to learn, and that college professors who love teaching have additional responsibilities on campus that can distract from the formative classroom experiences that inspire teachers to pursue the academic life in the first place. ISI Forums, however, are an opportunity to get paid to teach your favorite subject to students who are hungry for a comfortable but challenging learning atmosphere that encourages free thinking and inquiry.
Interested teachers who work on college campuses and teach undergraduate students are invited to apply to participate in an ISI Forum during the Fall 2024 â Spring 2025 academic year. This program is intended to broadly introduce students to the conservative and Western intellectual tradition and is meant to take place over the course of an afternoon, allowing enough time for fellowship and deep learning. Teachers who apply and are accepted into the program will receive a $400 honorarium upon successful completion of all of the program requisites, which are listed below. ISI also provides $800 for any costs related to the forum, including books for up to 16 people, two meals, venue reservation fees, etc.
The Benefits of ISI Forum Grants
- We will pay for the venue, the books, and the meals so you can focus on designing a seminar that will expose students to the Western and conservative intellectual tradition
- $400 honoraria when you teach five or more students
- Lecture on a topic that aligns with ISIâs educational program but that draws from your own interests and expertise
- Recruit students you want to attend your seminar so you can directly impact the intellectual growth of students in your academic community
- Enhance your teaching portfolio and experience. Upon successful completion of the ISI Forum, you are encouraged to include the ISI Forum in your CV as a specialized teaching experience
- Use ISI Forum grants to showcase your expertise in your field. This is a chance to raise your profile within and beyond your academic community and further your involvement within our faculty network
ISI Forums give you the freedom to teach a seminar related to one of our five pillars of education: Political Philosophy, Economic Freedom, American Experience, Technology and Human Dignity, and Arts and the Imagination.
Will you help us educate the next generation of American leaders?
Testimonials
âISI’s seminars are like oases in the desert of higher learning. No organization matches its ability to bring together serious young students in the pursuit of wisdom. ISI students are universally the most astute and engaged that I have had the pleasure of teaching.â
- Dr. Casey Wheatland – Texas State University
âAnyone who is downcast about Generation Z hasn’t spent enough time with ISI. it’s been my privilege to engage college students from many parts of the country at ISI events. Consistently, I have encountered intelligent, curious, and well-prepared young people eager to engage thoughtfully on great issues. The next generation of conservative American leaders will owe a debt of gratitude to ISI.â
- Dr. David Goldman
“ISI is one of the most important educational institutions left in the United States. It forms friendships and relationships between faculty and students rooted in the ideas that shaped our cultural inheritance and thus it helps to form the future leaders upon whom our continuance as a great nation depends.”
- Dr. Khalil Habib – Hillsdale College
How it works
ISI Forums give you everything you need to teach the perfect seminar. We want to empower professors to teach their best students the topics that interest them most. We will provide you with a $400 honorarium plus all the funding and best practices you need to lead a successful seminar.
- ISI Forum teacher must lead recruitment efforts, book the event space, and buy/distribute books (with ISI Forum funds).
- ISI Forum teacher must use funds on expenses related to the ISI Forum. Descriptions of the spending will appear in the RAMP card issued to teacher.
- ISI Forum teacher must direct students to complete the student survey during the meeting time.
- ISI Forum teacher must complete the After-Action Report with a list of students who theyâve IDâd as a âtalent pickâ for further involvement with ISI’s national programs.
Fill out the form below. If your seminar topic is accepted, we will provide you with our guide on how to design the best seminar possible. Once youâve told us the date you plan to hold the seminar, we will send you a Visa credit card so you can purchase all the supplies youâll need. All applicants should expect to hear back within one week of submission.
All applications are vetted by ISI staff to ensure programming is consistent with ISIâs mission and values, but we do encourage teachers to draw from their own interests and expertise to provide students a structured experience.
Interested teachers can browse the ISI Educational Approach Topics document located below for forum ideas.
You must also select a text that students must read ahead of the ISI Forum. The “Best Practices” section below has more recommendations about the best amount and types of texts.
Once your application is accepted and youâve received the funds, youâre ready to invite students.
During the seminar, you will have the students fill out a feedback survey, which takes roughly 10 minutes. Once the seminar is complete, you are required to complete an After-Action Report detailing how the seminar went, your feedback, and identifying your best students. Once youâve completed all required reporting and surveys, you will receive a $400 payment.
ISI Forum Grants Best Practices PDF
The ISI Educational Approach Topics PDF
