History of Humanities 101 at Lakehead University

Lakehead University’s Humanities 101 program began to take shape after Christina van Barneveld, of the Faculty of Education, read an article about a unique approach to adult education. This article and the idea of providing an accessible learning opportunity for community members helped to inspire Lakehead University’s Humanities 101 program.

To examine the possibility of creating a non-credit educational program for the community, Dr. van Barneveld as well as volunteer faculty members, staff, students, and the community established the Operational Planning Committee.

Planning Paved the Way

The Operational Planning Committee began developing Humanities 101 by analyzing the successes and challenges of other programs. Through this, they realized that they could build on the experiences of other institutions while adapting the program to meet the unique needs of Lakehead's communities (Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ontario).

To understand the communities' specific requirements, the committee consulted potential students, community service providers, and volunteers. After six months of initial planning, the Operational Planning Committee developed a detailed plan, which includes the following:

Strategic Aims
Action Plan
Evidence of Need
Funding Strategy
Ongoing Monitoring and Review

Once a plan was in place, the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) began to execute it by working with volunteers as well as community members and community service agencies.

Implementing, revising, and sustaining Lakehead’s Humanities 101 program has been an ongoing process spanning from 2004 to today.

Need More Information about Our History?

For more information about the development of Humanities 101 as well as its history, please see the following documents:

To contact the program developers, please see our Contact Us page. To access our Contact Us page, click the following link: