Next Steps & Alumni Opportunities

Congratulations!


You did it! Graduating from a Clemente Course is a huge accomplishment, whether you finished last week or decades ago. We like to say, “Once a Clementine, always a Clementine.” Whichever program you participated in, you are part of a larger community that stretches from the East to West Coast of the U.S., from the American South to Canada, and even to partners in Europe and Australia. We invite you to participate in this larger community in the years to come. 


Here are some ways to keep engaged with Clemente...


  • Stay in Touch

  • Telling Your Story Course

    We’re excited to invite Clemente alumni across programs to join the Telling Your Story fall course! 


    Telling Your Story is a free, online course designed specifically for Clemente graduates who want to keep growing personally and professionally. This not-for-credit course will guide participants through the many ways to use storytelling as a powerful tool, drawing on their life experience and Clemente humanities education. 


    Alumni from any graduating class are welcome—whether they are looking to connect with fellow alumni, return to school, explore a new career path, or simply prepare for the next chapter. 


    Details and the registration form for the Fall 2026 course (Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm ET, October 6th - November 10th) will be posted in late July!

And some ways to keep learning...

  • Clemente Special Sessions

    Clemente National offers special lectures and sessions online for Clemente students & alumni throughout the year.


    *Opportunities will be shared here as they are available!


    Past special lectures have included:

    • The Bible in American Culture Reading & Discussion with Dr. Claudia Setzer
    • Classroom4 Film Screening & Discussion
    • Environmental Humanities: Place, Race, and the Artist as Activist
    • Thinking with Du Bois in the 21st Century
    • Meet the Filmmaker: Screening and Discussion of ACCEPTED
    • Cultivating the Creativity Mindset:  Alumna Samantha Jordan Shares Her Story

  • Library of America Online Courses

    Current LOA Online Course Opportunity:


    The Clemente Course in the Humanities and Library of America are pleased to offer scholarship seats for Clemente students and alumni to participate in a the Reading America series, an eight-part series of online classes with Annette Gordon-Reed, Joshua Cohen, Colm Tóibín, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and more. 


    Starting this June 2026, this series of online classes will feature leading contemporary authors on the LOA writers that resonate deeply with them and have something vital to tell us at this moment.


    This Clemente scholarship registration applies to a series pass, opening access to all eight online classes. Attendees can attend specific sessions they are interested in and access recorded sessions.  


    Clemente scholarship: FREE | Regular series pass: $350 & Individual Passes: $50 



    **We will keep this registration form open for late-breaking additions to sessions.

    Register for the LOA Reading America Series Here

  • The University of Chicago Graham School Online Courses

    The University of Chicago Graham School partners with the Clemente Course to offer free course enrollments to Clemente alumni. Through this partnership, alumni can enroll at no cost in Graham School's Open Enrollment, Writer's Studio, and Basic Program Open-to-All non-credit courses — small, discussion-based seminars in literature, history, philosophy, and writing that typically cost between $540 and $715. Up to 40 free enrollments are available each year (10 per quarter). 


    This partnership honors a shared commitment to expanding access to the liberal arts, and a shared history: Clemente’s founder, Earl Shorris, was inspired by his own experience in the University of Chicago's Great Books Program to bring that same transformative education to underserved communities. 


    Spots are available now for Summer II and Autumn 2026. Registration for Summer II closes August 25th, and Autumn closes September 22nd. 


    Ready to learn more? Browse all courses Clemente alumni are eligible for here and fill out the Expression of Interest form to get started.


    Special thanks to Clemente Advisory Board member Dr. Trish Bredar for cultivating the connection between The Graham School and Clemente! 


    UChicago Graham School Online Course Expression of Interest Form

  • Independent Learning

    Now that you have completed Clemente, you have even more  skills to super-charge your own learning.  Here are some sites with great free resources:


    Library of Congress

    Check out resources for families& today in history


    Khan Academy


    Zinn Education Project


    Smithsonian Museums

    Resources including podcasts, and subject-specific collections like art & design.


    Purdue  Writing Lab


    New York Public Library


    Words without Borders


    Rattle Foundation


    Project Gutenberg

And paths to complete your degree!

  • Request a Transcript

    • Your Clemente Course Academic Director is always a great first point of contact, since Clemente courses around the country have different accrediting institutions.
    • If your course is accredited by Bard College click the button below. Check "Other" under "school you attended," and write the name and city of your Clemente Course. Write the year in which you graduated for "Dates of Attendance" and "Date Awarded" and the number of credits you earned for "Degree."
    Request Bard Clemente Transcript

  • Ask for Advice

    Think about what the right option is for you.  Do you want to obtain an Associates (AA) or Bachelor's Degree (BA)?  Does your state offer free community college or scholarships to state universities?  Are there other paths to degree completion?  


    Your Clemente Course Academic Director is an excellent first port of call, but Clemente HQ is also happy to answer questions and put you in touch with relevant experts.

    Email Clemente HQ with questions