Napier Courses
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:
-
Maximize the mutually rewarding possibilities unleashed by collaborative learning between elders and undergraduates.
-
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.
-
Provide opportunities for transformational learning through participation in real world change-making.
Napier Courses Offered for Spring Semester 2027:
There will be five Napier intergenerational courses offered at the Claremont Colleges in Spring 2027. An information session will take place on October 7, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the Napier Common Room at Pilgrim Place.
1. ANTH 90: Work and a Good Life. Pitzer College - Prof. Claudia Strauss
Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 am to 12:15 pm.
Faculty: Professor Claudia Strauss
Description: In recent years, the ways in which we work for a living have changed and brought with them new questions about the place of waged work in a good life. This course will draw upon readings, films, and interviews to explore cross-cultural differences, historical change, and variation within this society in how work is organized and in what is considered a good life. Awareness of that diversity will help us imagine possible futures and new social policies.
2. Feminism and Science. Pomona College - Prof. Susan Castagnetto
Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:45 pm to 4 pm
Faculty: Professor Susan Castagnetto
Description: While the stereotype of the scientist as a white male in a lab coat has been slowly changing, women are still underrepresented in some scientific fields. This class will examine women in the history of science, continuing barriers to their participation, and where things stand today. We will also consider why having a diverse scientific community matters, what constitutes scientific knowledge, and science in the public interest. Topics will address the environment, reproductive issues, women's health, and the science of sex differences. Material includes popular and academic readings, films, and guest speakers. The course is discussion-based, with multiple opportunities for undergraduate-elder co-learner collaboration.
3. Histories of Second-Wave Feminism. Claremont McKenna College - Prof. Diana Selig
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm.
Faculty: Professor Diana Selig
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. Through primary sources and scholarly interpretations, we will explore the movement’s goals, contradictions, and achievements and assess its lasting impact on American society.
4. Human-Centered Design. Harvey Mudd College - Prof. Fred Leichter
Schedule: Tuesdays (1:15 pm to 2:30 pm) and Thursdays (1:15 pm to 4 pm)
Faculty: Professor Fred Leichter
Description: The course introduces students to human-centered design approaches for innovative problem-finding and -solving. Human-centered design begins with a deep understanding of people and social contexts. The course includes fundamental readings in design thinking, interactive design methods and processes, and a hands-on project. Students will learn how user research, synthesis, idea generation, and prototyping can be integrated into different phases of the design process. Napier elders will join the class and the student project teams for an immersive six-week co-design project.
5. Effective Learning Across the Lifespan. Claremont McKenna College - Prof. Sharda Umanath
Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:15 am to 12:15 pm
Faculty: Professor Sharda Umanath
Description: Our lives are spent learning, both formally and informally. We use our accumulated knowledge to navigate and interact with the world around us. This course is an in-depth look at what psychological science has discovered about how we learn best, how memory itself works, and how both change as we age. We will also delve into how metacognition - the ways in which we think about our own learning process and memories – can give insight into our learning. The basic goal of the course is for students to gain concrete evidence-based strategies and approaches for effective learning all their lives
For more information or for a hard copy of the application form, contact:
John Howell – jhowell@earlham.edu
The Napier Initiative courses are open to students at all five Claremont Colleges.
Elders and Professor share their enthusiasm about Napier Courses:
“I was totally enriched by the experience.” - Class elder
“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
“…undergraduates were curious about older adults and open to questions and additions to class discussion from the elder students.” Class elder
Click here to link to an article, by David Mann, about a Napier course.