Act Five Courses
The Academic Program for Act Five
The following courses are embedded into weekly rhythms at Act Five. Beyond the classroom, students learn together around dining room tables, at the edge of riverbeds, on farms, around campfires, and in coffee shops and church sanctuaries. Each course is equivalent to a first-year university level 3-credit course and is accepted as transfer credit at participating academic institutions.
Note: Act Five courses are experiential and adaptive to individual student learning needs. Students are able to earn graded evaluations for courses or participate without grades, based on academic priorities for each student.
*Note some additions and changes to course names and descriptions for the 2024-25 academic year.
The Six Acts: Biblical Foundations
Full-year course
This course explores the Bible as a story from creation to revelation, where students learn to read scripture the way Jesus did. Students learn to see God’s character in the story and wrestle with their own place in the narrative. Students discover a Jewish hermeneutic, practices of exegesis and a view of the whole narrative of scripture in order to encounter God and scripture in new ways.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Articulate how the rhythms of creation, fall, redemption and restoration flow through scripture and how the competing narratives of shalom and empire continue to impact our story today.
- Recognize the themes of the biblical story–justice, redemption, mercy, righteousness, rest, home, hospitality and more.
- Grow as “faithful improvisers” as they embody the hope of the biblical story.
Place, Home & Land
Fall course
Steven Bouma-Prediger writes that “we care for only what we love. We love only what we know. We truly know only what we experience.” Starting from Hamilton, this course explores issues of social justice, dislocation and homemaking, and concludes with teaching from Indigenous leaders, locally and on Manitoulin Island. Students are led through place-based and land-based learning to draw connections between urban and rural environments and consider the proper scale of development and its implications for home and thriving communities.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Comment on the cultural trends–key issues of environmental and social justice– that have played a role in our disconnection from the land
- Draw connections between the stories of the Six Nations reserve, Hamilton, the surrounding watersheds, and the various places encountered throughout the course.
- Practice place-making & home-making, from growing food, sourcing locally and creating budgets, in a manner that reflects a Christian ethic.
Wilderness Leadership Education
Full-year course
Wendell Berry writes of “[going] to wilderness places to be restored, to be instructed in the natural economies of fertility and healing, to admire what we cannot make.” This highly experiential course begins in Temagami, where students discover their place outside of urban environments and consider the deeper implications of what it means to be instructed by the natural economy. Through three wilderness adventures led by Coldwater Canada, students will learn how to prepare for backcountry expeditions, grow in their problem-solving capacity and build resilience as they face the elements and challenges of navigation together.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the formative place of the wilderness, and its role in sending us back to our “home” places.
- Complete necessary tasks for wilderness survival like fire-building, outdoor cooking, knot-tying, and navigating.
- Solve problems creatively and face challenges confidently.
Introduction to Spiritual Disciplines
Full-year course
This course invites students to consider the pace of modern life and how practicing spiritual disciplines can reorient disordered rhythms. From the Ignatian Examen to the Benedictine Rule of Life, students develop tools for spiritual formation. This course celebrates the diverse streams of Christianity and the role imagination plays in expanding their capacity for empathy and compassion. Throughout the year, students will hear many different stories of people working out their faith, culminating in an evening of student stories.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand the purpose of spiritual disciplines in modern life and the challenges of a digital culture that distances humans from embodied experiences.
- Articulate an understanding of how single narratives can shape culture and, therefore, spirituality.
- Develop postures of humility and curiosity around the stories of others, and notice how spiritual disciplines equip humans to be faithful to their values and beliefs.
Christian Vocation and Discernment: Field Placements
Winter course
Through one-on-one coaching, workshops and panel discussions, students discover how to channel their God-given strengths and passions into fulfilling careers. They consider vocation in relation to the world’s great needs and the challenges of identifying a calling in a world centered around the demands of technology and the marketplace. Beyond resumes and cover letters, students learn how to network and connect with mentors who can guide them as they step into their term two field placements in the community. The field placement experience is designed to give students an opportunity to further engage in the city, gain experience working alongside Christians committed to restoration, and consider post-secondary career and education pathways.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Articulate an understanding of vocation rooted in a calling to become like Christ and to participate in God’s mission.
- Develop and demonstrate transferable skills necessary for a range of work environments.
- Write, edit and update high quality resumes and cover letters from a deep understanding of their personal values and the values of the workplaces they seek to participate in.
- Successfully apply for college or university, find jobs or internships and secure housing arrangements for the next season of their lives.
Field Placement INT-180
Winter course
In term two, after learning more of their core values, strengths and interests, students step into the community to work in local businesses, non-profits, the trades and other organizations. This experience is designed to give students an opportunity to further engage in the city, gain experience working alongside Christians committed to the work of restoration, and consider post-secondary career and education pathways. Students will apply to their placements during term one, honing their interview and resume-building skills for future endeavours.
