“The classes Premise has hosted since May of this year—about illness and pain, feminist power and the pandemic—have attracted students from across the country, some paying the $35 course fee, others signing up with a free trial code.

Finn sees civic value in inviting adults who may disagree into constructive conversation around new ideas. “We make our world by how we act and what we think and what we talk about,” she says. “The Premise class is a mini world-making.”

The Office Hours series recruits experts from within the field of education and beyond to share their specific knowledge and perspective on a topic or a series of topics. This week, we spoke with Mary Finn, the founder of Premise.