Newcomb Summer Session is a selective pre-college program for high school students offered by the Newcomb Institute of Tulane University. More information can be found about each course by clicking the course name. Apply to Tulane Pre-College Programs by visiting the Admissions page.
Communications for Feminist Civic Engagement
Instructor: Dr. Aidan Smith
Course Offered: July 6 – 10, July 13 - 17
Students are passionate about social issues in their communities. But how can they get the word out and effect change? In this course, students will learn the tactics of persuasive communications necessary to advocate for causes they believe in. Students will practice these methods, from effective public speaking to strategic social media, to create effective communications. Seminar discussions will focus on contemporary issues of gender, politics, and advocacy work.
Learning from Women of the Civil Rights Movement Past and Present
Instructor: Dr. Jamie Morgan
Course Offered: June 22 - 26, July 6 - 10
Journey across the history of the Deep South to uncover the under told stories of women who transformed the Civil Rights Movement. From the young girls integrating New Orleans schools to the Freedom Riders and Mississippi Delta organizers that birthed the Blues, this course spotlights the courage and creativity behind America’s long march to freedom. Through oral histories, music, and reflective projects, students will explore how women have built community power, led strategic resistance, and shaped the nation’s struggle for equality. Discover history through the voices that made change possible and examine how their lessons continue to resonate today.
Media and Reproductive Health
Instructor: Dr. Clare Daniel
Course Offered: June 29 – July 2
How do television, film, and new media technologies reflect and shape public opinion and policy around reproductive issues? This course focuses on relationships among reproductive health, popular media, social media, public policy, and movements for reproductive rights and justice in the United States. By analyzing a range of today’s media – from Jane the Virgin and Teen Mom to sex ed and fertility apps – students will gain an understanding of key issues within reproductive health and politics, including the effects of social inequalities on reproductive freedom and outcomes, while practicing important academic skills to increase college readiness.
Women and Activism in Louisiana History
Instructor: Dr. Amanda Johnson
Course Offered: June 15 - 18, June 29 – July 2
Journey across the history of the Deep South to uncover the under told stories of women who transformed the Civil Rights Movement. From the young girls integrating New Orleans schools to the Freedom Riders and Mississippi Delta organizers that birthed the Blues, this course spotlights the courage and creativity behind America’s long march to freedom. Through oral histories, music, and reflective projects, students will explore how women have built community power, led strategic resistance, and shaped the nation’s struggle for equality. Discover history through the voices that made change possible and examine how their lessons continue to resonate today.
Women’s Life Writing: From Autobiography to Instagram
Instructor: Laura Wolford & Dr. Aidan Smith
Course Offered: June 29 – July 2, July 20 – 24
This course explores how women have represented themselves across centuries — from early autobiographies and diaries to memoirs, hybrid essays, and digital storytelling. Students will read excerpts from women writers across time and create their own life-writing pieces. Together, we’ll ask: How do we find our voices? How do stories shape identity? What does it mean to share our lives in public — in person and online? Students will explore how women tell their stories, from diaries and oral histories to social media and zines. Students will study voices from the Newcomb Archives, listen to oral histories and podcasts, analyze digital storytelling, and create their own collaborative zine or digital project that connects past and present women’s experiences and reflects on how they document and share their own lives.
