Its anchor program is the first-year course, which is offered in partnership with Bard College and for which students may receive six units of college credit.

Faculty members are largely from first-rate universities such as University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute, and DePaul University.

Tuition is free, and the Illinois Humanities Council provides free childcare, free books, and transportation. The six units of credit are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.

This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Admission is by application only. Refer to syllabus for changes in course schedule.

Nine out of ten Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, and most do so around a family table. Food and tradition are the heart and soul of this most-loved, most-observed holiday. Thanksgiving has become the origin myth of America and the expression of deeply held American cultural ideals. As it considers the evolution of Thanksgiving, from the "First Thanksgiving" in 1621 to the present day, this program invites the audience to think about what this holiday and its food traditions mean for American culture and identity.