Classical Education

The Ecclesial Schools Initiative is committed to the Christian classical model of education. Latin, logic, and great books are familiar features of this curriculum. At a deeper level, this model is distinct in its core academic focus, instructional approach, and educational objective.

Our core academic focus is proficiency with mathematics and language arts, the essential tools of self-learning. This means competency in reading primary sources, writing clearly and critically, speaking confidently and persuasively, as well as understanding mathematical concepts and being able to perceive them at work in the world and to apply them in practice.

Our instructional approach is designed to direct learners to the things themselves. This means reading the great books rather than textbooks, using the garden as the primary science classroom, and learning to use real tools in real contexts.

Our primary educational objective is personal formation—intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual. A classical education beckons learners toward goodness, truth, and beauty, wherever it may be found, integrating faith into all areas of learning, and helping students acquire the habits of heart, body, and mind that are essential for living a flourishing human life.