79-343 Education, Democracy, and the Arts

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Can we learn to be more creative? How can the arts enrich education? And how can education and the arts help us achieve democracy? Through a series of historical case studies, hands-on workshops, and collaborations with local high schools, this course will empower students to rethink how education can cultivate creativity and strengthen democracy. Too often, schools favor rote memorization and authoritarian discipline, yet there are many teachers who inspire creativity and foster democracy. Creative democratic education has often occurred outside the classroom—in the "freedom schools" of the civil rights movement, for example. In this course, we will study the relationship between education, creativity, and democracy, while partnering with LEAP, a CMU initiative that empowers high school students to contribute to their communities through storytelling in the arts and humanities.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Fall 2026

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