Bread Loaf School of English Begins Summer Sessions
June marks the start of the 106th summer session of the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English, a residential summer graduate program that takes place in three locations: the main campus in Ripton, Vermont; the campus of Lincoln College at the University of Oxford in England; and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. The school also offers online options through its Directed Research and Writing (DRW) and Critical Writing Tutorial (CWT) programs.
Roughly 210 students from 36 states, the District of Columbia, and 11 countries will pursue continuing graduate education or a Master of Arts or Master of Letters degree in English. They will study with a faculty of 45 in courses covering a wide range of traditional and nontraditional literatures, creative writing, pedagogy, and theater arts.
“The School of English gives teachers and other professionals a chance to plunge deeply into literary study in conversation with dynamic faculty and peers and to imagine ways to bring their study back to their schools and communities,” said Bread Loaf Dean Emily Bartels. “This is education with impact—and joy!”
Throughout the summer, Bread Loaf students enjoy a diverse cocurricular program of readings, lectures, panels, workshops, and other events. Each of the three campuses offers distinctive opportunities to enhance the academic program.
In Vermont, a professional acting ensemble works with students to stage a major theatrical production each summer (this year, an adaptation of three Greek plays). The ensemble also collaborates with faculty to bring performance into classes as an interpretive tool for understanding all kinds of texts.
Students in Monterey engage in the three-week Summer Institute in Global Humanities, an intensive residential program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies that explores global issues through a literary lens. The interdisciplinary coursework is designed to support students as they pursue and present their own independent projects in a final symposium.
At Oxford, students can take full advantage of the rich history surrounding them as well as access to one of the best libraries in the world. Courses include a number of field trips, such as theater excursions to London and Stratford and visits to local museums.
Founded in 1920 in Ripton, Vermont, the Bread Loaf School of English offers an innovative graduate curriculum in the fields of literature, pedagogy and literacy, creative writing, and theater arts. The program is tailored to K–12 English and language arts teachers, who make up roughly 75 percent of the student body. Its faculty come from leading colleges and universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. The school aims to provide a full-time, intensive educational experience enriched by the local culture at each campus.
More information is available at www.middlebury.edu/blse, 802-443-5418, or blse@breadnet.middlebury.edu.