Sphere College
Sphere College is a fledgling, free college for adults located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in April 2009 to provide education to adults who do not fit the prevailing model of higher education.
Program of Study
The program of study in Sphere College proceeds in three Phases:
- In Phase I, Self and Other, students embark upon a journey to acquire a deeper understanding of self, and to develop their understanding of how similarly and differently people experience the world: to discover what motivates the beliefs and actions of humanity. This is accomplished primarily through reading, discussing and writing AbOUT works of literature and philosophy and their relationship to contemporary issues and the students’ own experiences. It also involves activities in the arts, sciences and humanities. In this phase students will seek to identify the direction of their future studies.
- Phase II, Tool Acquisition, involves the acquisition of interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to support and implement the student’s goals.
- In Phase III, Action, students draw upon their continually-developing knowledge to put their passion into action by implementing a project that is a good fit for the student.
Movement through the phases proceeds according to the schedule of the student.
Educational Philosophy
The educational philosophy of Sphere College is influenced by other experimental institutions, including Black Mountain College and Hampshire College, and incorporates elements of self-organization. The underlying principle is that no one individual is capable of having sufficient knowledge of the system to completely design it beforehand. The institution reacts to demands in real-time and must provide sufficient infrastructure to ensure progress toward the common goal, embodied in the mission statement.