The 2026 Summer Institute: Toward a More Perfect Union will mark the country’s 250th anniversary with a forward-looking series of conversations about the future of the American experiment. By late July, we anticipate that audiences will have encountered plenty of historical retrospectives and the predictable swing between overly patriotic and overly critical narratives. Our goal is different: To convene voices from across American culture—journalism, the arts, science, philanthropy, civic life, and beyond—and explore how the nation’s founding values have been, and continue to be, tested, reshaped, and reimagined. The Institute asks how these ideals can be stewarded, strengthened, and carried into the future.

Speakers & Interlocutors

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About

The Summer Institute is College of the Atlantic's week-long convening of ideas that welcomes experts from around the world to share their perspectives on the most pressing issues of our time.

The 2026 event will begin on Sunday, July 26th with a private screening of Once Upon a Time in Harlem, held at The Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor. The rest of the week, Monday, July 27 - Friday, July 31, sessions will be held under a tent on the North Lawn of College of the Atlantic. The beautiful coastal campus is home to a vibrant and diverse community of students, staff and faculty. 

For those who cannot attend in person, livestream registration is available for each session. 

Ways to Give 

The COA Summer Institute is free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

To support COA summer events, please consider making a donation here. If you’d like to join The Champlain Society or renew your membership, please click here. 

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Not sure if your membership is current? Please contact Amy Morley at amorley@coa.edu or 207-801-5627.