Our Story
Our Story
Our first classrooms were held in our garages. We were dedicated to providing a quality education to our children, even if it meant starting our own school to do so. After researching numerous educational models, classical education rose up as the model that would preserve the love of learning in our children and grow them up to be great thinkers with strong character. The only problem was, there weren’t any classical schools in our area. And so, we forged ahead, and the San Luis Obispo Classical Academy was founded back in 2005. Fifteen years later, we are taking all the experience our staff has gained, capturing the wisdom and wonder that truly makes our program special, and repackaging it for teachers and parents––wherever you are––in easy-to-follow, easy-to-fall-in-love-with, rich, beautiful, and inspiring collections. We encourage you to pursue the good, the true, and the beautiful with your children and we will show you how to do this. We will remind you that life passes quickly, so we want to slow down and learn alongside our children, to explore the world around and within us, and help you create a very manageable, wonderful and imperfect learning environment.
We believe in...
Born Learners
Every child is born a learner and can enjoy learning, and we must nurture that love of learning to keep it aflame
Engagement
Learning should be active and engage our senses and our hearts
Vulnerability
Being open and vulnerable is courageous
Story
Powerful stories make us more compassionate and can change the world
Play
Play and time outside are important
Small Steps
A little each day goes a long way––sometimes one shining moment of connection in the chaos can be enough
Relationship
Healthy relationships take work, but it’s worth it
Challenge
When we wrestle with something challenging, we grow
Beauty
Beauty is inspiring when balanced with what’s real, messy, and imperfect
Mistakes
Mistakes are opportunities to learn
What is Classical Education?
What is Classical Education?
Classical education is a method and philosophy that trained many of the greatest minds in western history for over two millennia: Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Jefferson, Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein to name a few! Although now a foreign concept to many, it has recently begun to take hold in our nation again as a compelling alternative for those seeking a rich education that inspires a love for learning.
Classical education reawakens the individual who embraces it as their method and philosophy of learning. We love to learn because we have tasted what excellent education can be––experiencing rich conversations that are rare in our current culture––sparked by timeless stories, eye-opening history, and thoughtfully designed curriculum and learning opportunities.
The Essence of a Truly Classical Education is Multi-Faceted
The Essence of a Truly Classical Education is Multi-Faceted
Its tenets are the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric), great books, history & literature, poetry & recitation, and hands-on math & science.
The stages of the trivium can be viewed as connected to the developmental levels through which all children progress. A well-developed mind is able to utilize these learning strategies to approach any subject, skill, or new idea with confidence that mastery is attainable through the wise application of the trivium.
First, a student learns the grammar, or fundamentals, of the concept or skill being learned.
After mastering the grammar, the student is able to fit the concepts together logically in the logic stage.
Lastly, the student is able to move from the logical ordering of the subject to the beautiful and winsome expression of the related ideas in the rhetoric stage.
Classical education is probably most widely recognized for its commitment to the disciplines of history and literature , promoting the study of those written works that have stood the test of time. The reading and discussion of great books is a hallmark of the Wisdom Wonder Project, considering whole books, not just quotes and excerpts. Poetry and recitation are key parts of language development for children. Their ability to recite in front of groups hones their communication skills, develops confidence, and gives them a strong foundation in language and composition.
In the same way that other subjects are approached through the use of the trivium, math and science are taught in a logical and systematic way to build towards mastery of mathematical and scientific language and concepts. Children are challenged beyond simply utilizing algorithms to solve problems; rather, they are taught to think mathematically and scientifically .
And while we enjoy this method of education, we have added our own, twist. Our focus on family involvement and play enlivens our passionate pursuit of learning, and our non-sectarian approach makes for an inclusive environment for students of all backgrounds and beliefs to learn together.
Join us in the Great Conversation ––the dialogue of thinkers and writers across the ages––as we utilize this classical model to inspire children in our modern world toward the power, magic, and mystery of learning.