Are you the type to leave things, even important things, to the last minute? Don’t feel bad. You’ve still got two days to apply to join us for one of two tracks in the Summer Seminars on intelligent design. Offered by the Center for Science & Culture between July 8-16 in Seattle and organized with undergraduates and grad students in mind, the seminars convey everything about ID, in a scientific and humanistic context, that gets left out of the curriculum at most universities.

The deadline is Thursday, April 7. Applying is not burdensome, but it is selective. Find an overview here. And look here for specific information on the seminar on Intelligent Design in the Natural Sciences, and the C.S. Lewis Fellows Program on Science and Society.

The teachers are among the very best the ID community has to offer, including Michael Behe, Stephen Meyer, Richard Sternberg, Jonathan Wells, John West, Paul Nelson, Winston Ewert, Jay Richards, Ann Gauger, Douglas Axe, Bruce Gordon, and others. Reviews we’ve received from participants confirm that this is a superb opportunity. Says one graduate:

As a biochemistry student, the summer seminar in the natural sciences made me realize that intelligent design can hold up to standards of scientific rigor and complexity. I entered the seminar thinking that ID theory was a simply argument for design, and I left amazed at the intricate complexity and depth of ID research. There is no limit to how complicated and in depth scientific arguments for ID can be, and I have gained a whole new appreciation for the work of ID scholars in science. Thank you for this opportunity!

Says another student:

This seminar was just amazing. On the one hand the organization was impeccable; on the other, the flow and contents of the sessions were very well thought out and delivered. Speakers were all high profile and with very solid careers and research. Their academic quality is incredible and their defense of ID as well as critics of Darwinism is consistent, respectful, and open to the new discoveries of science. I liked this seminar very much. I hope DI keeps on doing it for more and more people every year.

This is how you complete your education:

My first encounter with ID was via Ben Stein’s documentary Expelled. The opportunity to meet and talk with many of the people profiled in that film was great, as it allowed me to establish personal relationships with them. As a PhD student in the sciences at a secular university, I have greatly benefited from this seminar. Specifically, being armed with an arsenal of material (i.e., the books Discovery Institute sent to us) will be very helpful for quotes and references to infuse in class discussions or one-on-one conversations when opportunity or necessity arises. The in-class conversations and interpersonal interactions during meals also contributed a lot to my learning about ID, the origins debate, the weaknesses and flaws of evolutionary theory, and the latest news relating to this subject. Finally, the opportunity to stay connected to other attendants of the seminar will be valuable going forward — both for continuing dialogue about ID as well as getting and sharing suggestions and support if/when controversies arise. Thank you for conducting a top-notch program and for providing the scholarship to attend. Without the latter I would not have been able to attend. I am leaving the seminar with a very positive impression of Discovery Institute and the people who comprise it.

The rewards are intellectual, social, and yes, for some, perhaps spiritual too:

This program has given me the chance to reconcile intellect with faith for the first time in my life… Discovery Institute has shown me how empirical evidence does not have to stand at odds with a designer, and that is everything to me. Thank you so much for creating a space where I could meet others at different points on this same journey. I have learned so much. I am also grateful for a moment of inspiration that this week has offered me.

Scholarships are available, but time is running short. If you know a student who might be right for our program, please share and help us get out the word!

Photos: Douglas Axe, Stephen Meyer, Jay Richards, by Janine Solfelt.