What is a Napier Course?

Since 2012 the Napier Initiative has been partnering with the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges to offer intergenerational courses related to fostering justice for all people, caring for the earth, or nurturing peace and reconciliation. The courses provide a platform for bringing theory and practice together, enrolling undergraduate students with an interest in learning more about justice issues and how to bring their knowledge to bear on making real world change. Retirees from Pilgrim Place and local communities may enroll as fully participating co-learners at no cost.

 

Napier Courses Aim to:

 

1. Maximize the mutually rewarding possibilities unleashed by collaborative learning between elders and undergraduates.

2. Develop intergenerational interactions that encourage undergraduates to form and act upon vocational and avocational commitments to leadership in a variety of arenas for justice oriented action.

3. Provide opportunities for transformational learning through participation in real world change-making.

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Napier Courses Offered for Spring Semester 2026:

Napier Courses Offered for Spring Semester 2026:

There will be five Napier intergenerational courses offered at the Claremont Colleges in Spring 2026.

 

1.Philosophy 39: Gender, Crime and Punishment -- Pomona College

Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:45–4:10 pm.  

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Faculty: Susan Castagnetto (scastagn@scrippscollege.edu).

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Description: This course explores issues of crime and punishment through a lens of gender, also considering intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality. It examines issues that bring women into the criminal justice system, face them in prison and on release, the impact of the system on mothers and families, and the gendered structure of prison. The class may include participation in a multi-session writing workshop with women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women (CIW) on six Tuesday evenings.

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2. History xxx: “Histories of Second-Wave Feminism -- Claremont McKenna College

Schedule: Tuesdays, 2:45-5:30 pm.

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Faculty: Diana Selig (diana.selig@claremontmckenna.edu)

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Description: This course examines the rise, evolution, and legacy of the “second-wave” of feminism in the United States from the 1960s to the 1980s. We will analyze key texts, legal battles, grassroots organizing, and ideological debates that shaped feminist thought and activism. Topics include work, family, health, education, culture, and politics, with attention to internal tensions over race, class, and sexuality. We will explore the movement’s goals, contradictions, and achievements and assess its lasting impact on American society. In addition to primary source readings and documentary films, the course will incorporate oral history interviews, visits to archival collections at the Denison library, and attendance at the conference on “Feminism—Past, Present and Future” at CGU.

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3. LEAD 151: Interpersonal Dynamics -- Harvey Mudd College

Schedule: Tu 7:00-9:45 pm.

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Faculty:  Zorman Werner (wzorman@hmc.edu)

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Description: Have you ever wondered how others really experience you in groups—or how you can give and receive honest feedback in ways that deepen trust and connection? This course, modeled after Stanford’s legendary “Interpersonal Dynamics,” invites you to explore those questions in a supportive, small-group setting. We will create a living laboratory where students and elder co-learners from the community learn together by reflecting, across generations, on real interactions in the moment. Participants practice giving and receiving feedback, noticing group dynamics as they unfold, and building more authentic, resilient relationships. Together we will practice the art of being fully present, communicating openly, and learning from differences. No lectures—just real conversation, curiosity, and growth.

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4. CHST 124: People & Power: The History and Practice of Community Organizing --Pomona College

Schedule: Wed 1:15-4:00 p.m.

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Faculty: Tomás Summers Sandoval, (tfss@pomona.edu) & Community Co-instructor: Paul Cromwell, Pilgrim Place, (PaulAllanCromwell@hotmail.com).

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Description: Originating in the United States but now used all over the world, “community organizing” is a set of methods for bringing together large, diverse populations of people to build power and make significant democratic change. The course is a reading seminar and practicum designed to explore the history of community organizing and train students on its theory and practice. Primarily focused on organizing with and within Latinx populations, the course is team-taught by a historian and a professional organizer. It is designed as an intergenerational learning community.

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For more information or for a hard copy of the application form, contact:

Pilgrim Place: John Howell – jhowell@earlham.edu

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Mt. San Antonio Gardens & Community:  Paula Hui – huihouse@gmail.com.

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The Napier Initiative courses are open to students at all five Claremont Colleges.

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Elders and Professor share their enthusiasm about Napier Courses: 

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“I was totally enriched by the experience.” - Class elder

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“Elders in the class bring unique perspectives to class discussion…..as they bring a lifetime of experience and achievement to what would otherwise be simply intellectual discussions.”   - Professor

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“…undergraduates were curious about older adults and open to questions and additions to class discussion from the elder students.”   Class elder

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Click here to link to an article, by David Mann, about a Napier course.