usa programme 2026

A one-week online summer course that challenges students to think critically, debate big ideas, and build the intellectual confidence needed for today’s world.

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About

CATALYST USA is designed to provide a structured and intellectually stimulating experience that gives students the essential skills for academic success and to become the change they want in the world.

✓ Study and understand the implications and impact of AI in our everyday lives.

✓ Empower students to tackle complex philosophical conundrums with evidence-based mindset.

✓ Develop a student lead Change Project aimed to diagnosis and solve a global issue.

✓ Taught by Winchester College’s expert educators, known for academic excellence.

✓ Receive a certificate and personalised transcript highlighting strengths and growth areas.

Curriculum

Dive deep into the topics defining the future.

    • Emerging Frontiers - Explore how AI, synthetic biology, and self-replicating systems are transforming society.

    • Ethics & Regulation - Debate the risks, benefits, and global impacts of these technologies.

    • Bostrom’s Black Ball Hypothesis - Examine civilisational risks where innovation could threaten humanity.

    • Live Turing Test - Test AI’s ability to think and reason like a human.

    • AI Governance - Draft an ethical charter for responsible AI development and oversight.

    • Exploring Humanity - Question identity, morality, and consciousness through philosophy.

    • Philosophical Frameworks - Apply Platonism, deontology, and utilitarianism to real-world dilemmas.

    • Personhood & Transhumanism - Investigate AI consciousness and human enhancement.

    • Critical Thinking - Practise building, defending, and refining arguments.

    • Evolving Ethics - Discuss how ideas of justice and morality change over time.

    • Student-Led Inquiry - Tackle a real-world issue using research and critical thinking.

    • From Idea to Action - Move from defining a problem to developing and testing solutions.

    • Public Presentation - Defend your proposal at a live exhibition.

    • Future Readiness - Gain practical tools for solving academic, professional, and global challenges.

activity highlights

  • LIVE TURING TEST

    Examine how language defines human identity and explore how machines learn to imitate it through interactive demonstrations and a live Turing Test.

  • ROUND TABLE: THE ETHICS OF AI

    Debate the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence through a guided roundtable discussion. Students exchange ideas on creativity, freedom, and responsibility, connecting personal viewpoints to broader societal questions.

  • REFLECTIVE WALK

    Journey through a guided 45-minute walk blending philosophy with lived experience. Encounter stories and thought experiments that prompt reflection on identity, perception, and how we experience the world.

  • MORAL MINECRAFT

    Build and debate ideas using a conceptual “Moral Minecraft” board, exploring questions of self, community, and reality. Students construct and defend their own theories through collaborative discussion and reflection.

  • CHANGE PROJECT: DEFINING THE PROBLEM

    Work collaboratively to identify and define a real-world challenge, from pollution to poverty. Students learn to anchor their ideas in a clear, actionable problem statement that forms the foundation of their Change Project.

Key details

  • Dates: 8th June → 12th June

  • Duration: 11:00 EST → 16:00 EST (with breaks)

  • Format: Online, live interactive sessions

  • Fee: £1,925

“The technology, the interaction, being part of a global team, — there were so many benefits of CATALYST that it's just been a wonderful enhancing experience for him.”

— Sonya (parent)

education isn’t just knowledge — it’s how you think.

Apply now