Funding will support FAPSA’s Philosothon Project.

The Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Associations (FAPSA) is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a substantial grant from the Templeton Religion Trust to fund a philosophy in schools project over the next three years. The money will fund an exciting new initiative called The Philosothon Project.

The Philosothon Project was conceived by Mr Matthew Wills. A Philosothon is a competition that sees students engaging in a Community of Philosophical Inquiry, seeking to investigate a complex ethical or philosophical problem in a collaborative manner. Unlike debates, the views of students are not pitted one against the other, and students may change their mind or refine their thinking on issues as the dialogue unfolds. In this way, Philosothons promote critical and creative thinking as well as collaboration skills.

The funded project has been awarded $281,656.00 AUD to further develop Philosothons across Australasia. It will grow existing Philosothons and support the establishment of new ones, particularly in remote schools and at schools catering to students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The success of the grant application has been “the culmination of a lot of hard work, patience and persistence by a lot of people”, said Mr Wills.

For details about the grant, please visit the FAPSA website.

For more information about Philosothons, please visit the project’s website.