Three adult students seated at a seminar table, one speaking while the others listen.

A free college course for adults in Worcester.

Up to six college credits from Bard College. No tuition, and no cost for books.

Apply now Support our students

6credits from Bard College, for work that meets the standard
2National Humanities Medals
10,000+adults have taken the course since 1996
750+graduates in Massachusetts

What you’ll study.

Five subjects, taught by college faculty across the year. You read the real thing and talk about it together.

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Literature and Poetry
Consider how poems are made and what they speak to us, sharing insights with one another to explore why some poems move us so deeply.
U.S. History
Learn about our nation's history and discover how our study of the past influences our understanding of the present moment.
Philosophy
Explore the most fundamental questions about truth, beauty, justice, and the good while examining your own beliefs about what is good, what is valuable, and what is just.
Art History
Analyze the cultural meaning and social contexts that influence the making of art and the uses of art across different eras; tour the galleries at the Worcester Art Museum.
Critical Thinking and Writing
Connect your own ideas to the topics we discuss and debate; put your thoughts into writing to gain clarity and inspiration.

The practical things are covered.

The course is built so the usual obstacles do not decide who gets to succeed.

Tuition
Free. You pay nothing
Books and tablet-style computers
Provided as needed for all five courses
Travel
WRTA buses are fare-free across Worcester
Children’s program
On-site during every class, ages 3–12, space permitting

Words from our grads.

Listen to what grads say about why they joined, what they experienced, and how they changed.

Read their stories →

History is shaped by the people who speak up
Gertrude Malesi
I don’t just hope for a better future — I help create it
Donna Evans
You just want to know more and more and more
Doreen Samuels · Class of 2016

“I believe in my life, my future, my tomorrow and the tomorrow of my children because when you educate one person in a household you have educated a whole household.”

Doreen Samuels — Clemente Worcester, Class of 2016

A network behind every student.

Clemente Worcester is made possible through the support of many of Worcester's most important educational, clutural and philanthropic instituitions an individuals.