Purpose of our classical educational program

• To kindle a renaissance in the fields of knowledge by harmonizing classical Eastern and Western canons and elevating the standard of education.
• To educate through rich content, character development, and superb technique.
• To take part in the Great Conversation: the ongoing process, from antiquity to today, of writers and thinkers referencing, building on, and refining the work of those who came before.

Philosophy of Classical Education

Northern Academy incorporates elements of classical education in order to bring humanity to the forefront of our school culture. “Classical,” in the sense of education, refers to using ideas that have withstood the weight of time and endured with excellence and virtue. Derived from the Latin adjective classicus, meaning “of the highest order,” “classical” refers to the insights gained over thousands of years of successes and failures, and putting them to use today. “Classic” derived from another term, the Latin noun classis, means “a fleet of ships”—at that time, humankind’s highest form of naval power. Combining these, Northern Academy’s Classical Education means “a fleet of ships used to cultivate a complete person to the highest degree.”

In essence, we draw our model of Classical Education from Confucius’ “Great Learning” and the Trivium and Quadrivium as outlined by Plato and Aristotle. We embrace character education, not as a means to change the world in the form of social activism, but to embody virtue, excellence, and tranquility as a way of life. As such, we aim for genuine learning—where cognitive skills and academic success are side-effects of rich content and superb technique.

The purpose of education is an enlightened mind. Using the Northern Academy Classical Model, every well-planned course offers the opportunity for students to continue their academic journey from knowledge to wisdom.