Hampshire College is hosting a summer workshop this week that promises to teach activists about “radical economics” and ways to move beyond capitalism.
The Center for Popular Economics Summer Institute will run from Wednesday, June 24, through Sunday, June 28, at Hampshire College in Amherst.
The event’s theme is “Economics for the People: Challenging Capitalism in Troubled Times and Building Collective Futures.”
The group says the summer institute will help activists answer what it calls “conservative myths at the heart of mainstream economics.”
“The curriculum will cover the basics of radical economics, providing a material analysis of capitalism, racism and patriarchy,” the event website says. “We will also discuss the logic behind progressive reforms and post-capitalist experiments. And we will educate each other about the history of social movements and debate different strategies of resisting and moving beyond capitalism.”
The workshop is aimed at activists, organizers, and others who want to learn more about left-wing economics.
The event page says it may be a fit for someone who is “an activist looking to deepen your understanding of radical economic theory” or someone who wants to learn more about “our economic system and why it is failing us.”
A schedule posted by the group shows the event begins Wednesday night with check-in and a welcome reception. The classes run from 9 a.m. to about 5 p.m. on most days, with evening programs at about 6 p.m.
The schedule lists several left-wing themes.
Thursday’s theme asks “What is the economy?” and includes “Exploitation” and “Modes of Production.”
Friday’s theme includes “Capitalism,” “Capitalism and Slavery” and “Antebellum Black radical history.”
Saturday’s theme includes “Macroeconomics,” “the first and second Internationale” and “Comparative economic systems.”
Sunday’s theme includes “History of decolonial struggles” and “Dual Power.”
The group says the event uses a classroom model that breaks down the divide between teacher and student. The classes have about 15 to 20 people, according to the event site.
The event costs $470 for people who stay overnight on campus, $220 for those who do not, and $75 as the minimum. The cost includes breakfast, lunch, free parking, and, for those who pay for it, dorm housing.
The Center for Popular Economics describes itself as a nonprofit group based in Amherst. It says it wants to put “useful economic tools in the hands of people fighting for social and economic justice.”
The group says it teaches people about jobs, public education, taxes, spending, climate change, and other issues. It also says it supports policies that reduce poverty, race and gender inequality, unemployment, and environmental harm.
Hampshire College’s own economics page points students toward the Center for Popular Economics as a resource. The school says its economics students study economics “in a historical and social context” and challenge “the narrowness of mainstream approaches.”
The workshop comes at a time when Hampshire College is preparing to close.
The college announced earlier this year that its board had voted to close Hampshire after the fall 2026 semester. The school cited financial pressure, debt, declining enrollment, and the need to meet regulatory standards.
“The College no longer has the resources to sustain full operations and meet our regulatory responsibilities,” Hampshire president Jenn Chrisler and board leaders said in a message posted on the school’s website.