The Venture Course in the Humanities provides adults facing economic barriers with a chance to start college. Modeled on the Clemente Course in the HumanitiesSM, created by educator and journalist Earl Shorris in 1995 and now an international movement, Venture is a year-long, introductory humanities course taught by university and college faculty in Salt Lake City, Ogden and southern Utah (Cedar City region).

Venture includes sections in literature, American history, art history, philosophy, and writing/critical thinking. Successful students of Venture in Salt Lake City will receive credit from Westminster College in Salt Lake City. In Ogden, Weber State University provides credit for Venture. In southern Utah, Venture students receive credit from Southern Utah University.

Venture will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Horizonte Instruction and Training Center (1234 S Main St), beginning in September. In Ogden, the Venture Course meets 6:00-8:00 p.m. from September through April at Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership (3159 Grant Ave). In southern Utah, Venture will be held on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City, days and times TBA.

Residents of Ogden wishing to apply for Venture should contact Shannon Butler, 801-626-6424 or sbutler@weber.edu or apply online by clicking the following link:

Ogden - Online Venture Application

Residents of Salt Lake City should contact Jennifer Bauman, 801.635.7915, j.bauman@utah.edu or apply online or through the mail at the links below

Salt Lake City - Online Venture Application

Salt Lake City Venture Application by Mail (pdf)

Printable brochure (pdf)

The Venture Course in the Humanities is now being offered in southern Utah (Cedar City region) through a partnership with Southern Utah University.

Southern Utah residents wishing to apply for Venture may contact Lindsay Fullerton, 435.865.8430, venture@suu.edu or apply online by clicking the following link:

Cedar City - Online Venture Application

Curious about Venture?

steve "Read an essay from a Venture alumnus about the profound effect the course has had on his life”: Essay

Click an icon below to watch an 11 minute streaming video featuring interviews with graduates of the first Venture Course in the Humanities.

Venture Video

Or read a Deseret News feature article about Venture by Elaine Jarvik

Journey of the mind How Socrates, Bernini and Sartre enriched 16 lives

Or, to hear Jeff Metcalf, English professor at the University of Utah and on the Venture faculty, talk about his experience teaching Venture students, click here.

For Students:

Major funding for Venture is provided by:

Alternative Visions of the Chicago Community TRUST

Alan E. & Jeanne H. Hall Endowment for Community Outreach

CIT Bank

Emma Mary Deland Foundation

George Q. Morris Foundation

Marriner S. Eccles Foundation

O.C. Tanner

Rocky Mountain Power Foundation

Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts and Sciences. 

In partnership with:

Westminster

Horizonte Learning

SUU