Great Expectations in the Global Imaginary
Summer Institute on Dickens and Decolonizing Literary Curricula
UC Santa Cruz
June 30-July 18, 2025
The University of California, Santa Cruz is excited to announce the upcoming NEH Institute, Great Expectations in the Global Imaginary, designed to empower K-12 educators with innovative strategies for teaching literature through critical race studies, postcolonial theory, and adaptation studies. This three-week institute, running from June 30 to July 18, 2025, is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and hosted by the Dickens Project, a premier international consortium dedicated to the study of Charles Dickens and Victorian culture.
This immersive professional development opportunity will bring together 25 educators from diverse disciplines—English, History, Government, Journalism, Theatre, and the Arts—to reimagine their teaching practices. Focusing on Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, participants will explore the novel’s global adaptations, including works such as Jack Maggs by Peter Carey (1997), When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro (2000), and Great Expectations adapted by Tanika Gupta (2010).
How to Apply
Applications are now open to all eligible K-12 educators, with a particular focus on high school teachers from underserved communities.
- Application Deadline: 11:59 PM, March 5, 2025
- Participant Notification: April 2, 2025
- Acceptance Deadline: April 16, 2025
To apply, visit https://teachers.ucsc.edu.
For further information, please contact Courtney Mahaney at cmahaney@ucsc.edu.
Empowering Educators for the Future
By fostering inclusive approaches to literature, this institute reflects UC Santa Cruz’s commitment to innovation and equity in education. It is an unparalleled opportunity for educators to reimagine how they teach canonical texts and to inspire a new generation of critical thinkers.
About NEH Seminars and Institutes
NEH Seminars and Institutes are designed to enrich the teaching and understanding of humanities topics for K-12 educators. Participants receive a certificate upon completion, though the programs are not intended to replicate graduate-level courses.
About the Dickens Project
The Dickens Project, based at UC Santa Cruz, is an international research consortium focused on the life, work, and times of Charles Dickens, fostering dialogue between scholars, educators, and the public.