Reliance College

An education that actively and engagingly prepares you to thrive– intellectually, morally, and socially.
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[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

Some students come once. Nora Gibes keeps coming back.

A recent PhD graduate in biochemistry and a multi-year Great Connections attendee, she joined us in Spain and left with a new sense of how we got here.

"It gave me a new perspective on the course of history that brought us to where we are today."

That's what happens when you study ideas where they were born.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

This is what the support of our generous sponsors builds. 

John Mugabi came on our recent Spain Study-Vacation and left with more than notes. In our programs, our students and participants learn trace ideas about rights, commerce, and government back to the real circumstances that produced them, and to question competing arguments instead of accepting them as handed down.

Now John's taking that back to Uganda, where he founded Action for Liberty and Economic Development, to pass it on to the next generation.

Every scholarship reaches further than one student.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

The students who come through our programs don't just leave changed. They come back.

This spring, two Great Connections alumni joined our Board of Trustees, another is building our new alumni network, our first AI Proof U™ cohort wrapped up with former Yahoo CTO Raymie Stata, and we welcomed a new Development Officer to the team.

Catch up on everything happening at Reliance College. 👇

https://t.co/PDOgvmD64A

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

Admiral James Stockdale survived years as a prisoner of war — not because of military tactics alone, but because of the classics.

“Education in the classics and in the principles of human relationships gave me far better preparation for being a prisoner of war than traditional survival training.”

In an AI-driven world, it’s still the timeless human skills — judgment, resilience, clarity, character — that give us strength.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

🚨 𝟲𝟮% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟯𝟰% 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺.

This isn’t just a poll statistic. It’s a sign that millions are flirting with ideas that history has proven lead to tyranny and mass suffering. From Mussolini to Hitler to Stalin, collectivist systems - whether labeled socialism, fascism, or communism - have crushed freedom and destroyed lives.

At Reliance College, we believe the antidote is education rooted in liberty. Our students study the Great Books and learn to think critically about history, economics, and philosophy - so they can recognize failed ideas and defend freedom with confidence.

💡 As Hayek warned, socialism doesn’t safeguard liberty -- it erodes it. The best defense is a generation that knows the truth.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

What do Columbus's ships, a 16th-century village uprising, and the Rock of Gibraltar have in common? They all shaped the history of freedom, and we saw them firsthand. 🇪🇸

Our travelers (ages 17 to 80, from the American West to Uganda) just returned from an unforgettable educational journey through Spain. We walked the halls of the University of Salamanca where thinkers first universalized the concept of rights, stood in Fuente Obejuna where villagers defied tyranny, and looked out over Africa from atop Gibraltar.

One traveler put it best: "You learn while having fun experiences and company."

Read the full recap, including reflections from our scholarship recipients 👇

https://t.co/G6TkqiFJr3

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

Reliance College founder Marsha Familaro Enright with Great Connections Seminar co-facilitator Sule Bertram at the @ObjStdInstitute LevelUp conference this past weekend. Students there were keenly interested in our programs!

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

⏰ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁. Tomorrow (June 30th) at 11:59 PM is your final deadline to apply for the Great Connections Summer Seminar. After that, the doors close for 2026.

👉 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘁 https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS 

From 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟱 – 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, the Great Connections Summer Seminar brings students together for a week of immersive learning at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

This is not a typical summer program. It’s a dynamic intellectual experience where students explore powerful ideas from philosophy, literature, science, and history through collaborative Socratic discussions, creative activities, and real-world exploration.

Participants strengthen the core abilities that shape thoughtful, independent lives:
✅ critical thinking
✅ clear communication
✅ intellectual curiosity
✅ personal reflection
✅ collaboration with ambitious peers

💬 “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” — Aristotle

🌎 Designed for students ages 16–24 seeking a deeper kind of education — one that challenges them to think, question, and discover their own ideas.

📍 University of Illinois at Chicago
📅 July 25 – August 1, 2026

🚀 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

What does it really mean to be free—and what do we give up (if anything) to live together?

This summer, explore Rousseau and other great thinkers in a week of bold conversation, big questions, and fresh perspectives.

🧠 July 25 – Aug 1, 2026 | Chicago | Ages 16–24 | Great Connections Seminar

𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙩 https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

What if you could step into the places where history’s greatest thinkers lived, reasoned, and transformed the world? For Bill Rein, The Great Connections program did just that.

From reading Aristotle at Aristotle’s Lagoon to exploring Plato’s Academy in Greece, Bill experienced the ideas of these great minds not as distant relics but as living, practical lessons. The program goes beyond textbooks—it’s about learning in context and connecting timeless ideas to real-world action.

The result? A deeper understanding of philosophy, history, and how to apply these principles to make the world a better place.

✨ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼! ✨

Join us to discover how timeless ideas can transform your future. Apply today: https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

🎓 College degrees are losing value. AI is replacing entry-level jobs. So what can actually prepare you for a future of constant change?

👉 Read how the liberal arts - and a Great Books education - could be the answer.

https://t.co/tsdYRZGhoE

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

Education beyond the lecture hall: At Reliance College, we embrace an ownership model that puts you in control of your learning journey.

By diving deep into texts, understanding authors' reasoning, and defending your ideas, you gain the skills needed for meaningful dialogue and collaboration in civil society.

It's more than education—it’s preparation for a future where understanding diverse perspectives and finding common ground matters most.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝘁 https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS

#EmpoweredLearning #CriticalThinking #RelianceCollege #EducationForLife

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

Each year at the Great Connections Summer Seminar, students ages 16-24 hail from places such as Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador, and all directions of the U.S. One participant came because her sister loved it so much she returned three times! ❤️

At the end of the week, students testified that the program had not only significantly enriched their ability to think well and their knowledge, but also their understanding of what is going on in the world. And it had also buoyed their spirits! 

They were especially impacted by their ability to speak their minds without fear of criticism, shunning, or reprisal. 

They became great friends and allies in the quest for successful lives, grasping the great connections between reason and love. 🤝

We still have a few openings for the 2026 Great Connections Seminar: Reason and Love. Apply today at https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

At Reliance College’s Great Connections, learning extends far beyond the classroom. Students from across the globe come together, many exploring a new city for the first time.

At our annual Summer Seminar in Chicago, this means diving into the city’s rich history with scavenger hunts, discovering landmarks, and of course, enjoying iconic deep-dish pizza.

Whether exploring the Great Fire’s legacy or immersing yourself in local culture abroad, the program combines intellectual growth with unforgettable real-world experiences.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

In 2008, an unknown figure named Satoshi Nakamoto released a nine-page white paper that introduced Bitcoin - a peer-to-peer digital cash system. It wasn’t just a payment tool; it was the blueprint for a decentralized monetary network that could operate without banks or governments.

Bitcoin has since sparked a global movement, created a trillion-dollar industry, and challenged the foundations of modern finance. But what kind of mind could imagine such a thing?

At Reliance College, we believe the answer points to the liberal arts at their best: not abstract theory, but a framework for understanding - and changing - the world.

Satoshi’s design wasn’t born of one specialty. It required:

👉 Cryptography to secure transactions

👉 Computer science to coordinate a decentralized network

👉 Economics to understand money and inflation

👉 Game theory to align incentives without coercion

👉 Political philosophy to imagine money beyond state control

👉 Mathematics to model risk and probability

👉 Software engineering to make it all run in the real world

Bitcoin, in other words, is a liberal-arts achievement disguised as code.

At Reliance, we train students the same way: to grasp complex systems, ask fundamental questions, and connect ideas across domains.

Read Plato or Hayek, and you’re learning about justice, value, and order.

Study mathematics, and you sharpen the rigor Satoshi used. Engage in collaborative problem-solving, and you practice the reasoning his protocol encoded.

Satoshi didn’t just write code - he made a moral statement about trust and human coordination. He was a systems thinker. That’s exactly what a true liberal-arts education produces.

Whether or not you become the next Nakamoto, you’ll live in a world shaped by people like him. To understand it - or reshape it - you need more than technical training. You need the intellectual range of the liberal arts.

That’s what we offer at Reliance College.

Because the world doesn’t need more rule-followers.

It needs more builders.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

In The Great Connections Seminars, we use specialized methods which strengthen reasoning skills and independent judgment.

These include a focus on the objective basis of knowledge in every field, physics to poetry, as well as the relation between abstract ideas and real-world consequences.

We combine these methods with content from world-changing classic texts, modern science and economics, and a special emphasis on reasoning, logic, psychological self-awareness, and practical skills, for a content-rich program.

Students learn to think for themselves as well as implement ideas in the world.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

💡 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 “𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹”?

Think again.

According to the New York Federal Reserve, graduates in Philosophy are currently facing 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 than those in:

✅ Computer Science
✅ Business Management
✅ Chemistry
✅ Public Policy
✅ And even Economics.

At Reliance College, we ground students in the Great Books and collaborative Socratic inquiry—not to escape the real world, but to master it. 

Our students learn how to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems—the exact skills top employers are desperate for.

🎓 In a rapidly changing economy, deep thinkers have the edge.

👉 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿—a powerful, three-day immersion in reasoning, dialogue, and self-discovery in downtown Chicago, IL!

🔗 https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

"𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘅, 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗲, 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼… 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲!" 💡

At the Great Connections Seminar, participants dive into powerful, often contradictory ideas from history’s greatest thinkers. Rather than being told what to believe, students are challenged to critically analyze, discuss, and form their own conclusions. 🙌

The result? A transformative experience that sharpens your ability to think independently and argue effectively.

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

At the Great Connections Seminar, learning isn’t just about absorbing ideas—it’s about making connections.

As each session builds on the last, participants engage deeply, drawing insights across discussions and fostering a shared intellectual journey.

With no hand-raising, conversations flow naturally, encouraging awareness, respect, and true dialogue.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴? 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝘁 https://t.co/DVtYfT3eAS

#GreatConnections #DeepThinking #CollaborativeLearning

[Reliance College @RelianceCollOrg]

🌍✨ The world is more malleable than it seems. With clarity, passion, and relentless drive, you can shape it around your vision—faster than you think.

At Reliance College, we help students harness that same energy: to question deeply, think independently, and act boldly.

#RelianceCollege #GreatConnections #EntrepreneurialMindset #ThinkForYourself