When we think of the influential Oxford professor, CS Lewis, writer of such classical literature as the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, we think of the mature and articulate scholar. But what would he have been like as a boy and as a teenager trying to find himself? Who influenced him? What educational experiences shaped his thinking? Or even – what did he like to eat? My guest Dr Hal Poe is one of the world’s leading experts on Lewis, who brings to light this season in Lewis’ life with discoveries that will impact our homes and schools today.

CCE schools are the best educational environment for raising boys to men. It isn’t uncommon to hear a parent, maybe even an educator, asserting that classical Christian education is ideal for those grammar school days, but really boys are not so cut out for our seemingly sedate classrooms. Keith McCurdy is back to help us understand the unique way God has wired boys and how we can optimize their natural tendencies in the classroom and at home. For sure, the world needs more confident, courageous, self-sacrificing, and humble men. Classical Christian education, in partnership with home and church, is the way to raise up this next generation.

Each year thousands of students graduate from classical Christian schools and head off into college and the work world. How well do they do academically, socially, and spiritually? What cultural challenges are facing them that are new and different? Hearing their perspectives and experiences as they take their K-12 education through the challenges of higher education and careers, family and life is inspiring and invaluable. In this episode, our panel of alumni offer wisdom and advice to students, especially those who are entering the middle school years, wanting to understand more about classical Christian education. Our panel then shares a word of encouragement and recommendations to parents as well as to school heads and administrators.

We hear the word “science” a lot these days. We are told to “trust the science,” as the modern world increasingly elevates science to an almost religious status. Yet for so many students, science class is anything but fascinating, often reduced to the base level of memorized periodic tables and static experiments. Classical Christian schools have a unique opportunity to help rightly order science as a tool for discovery and inquiry, as it was historically understood by educators and leaders for centuries. Science done well, inevitably exposes the intricate world around us, reflecting the divine, and motivating a person, who is willing to look, to see the fingerprints of God in the created world. How can our schools and parents leverage science as this extraordinary tool to awaken wonder and discovery in a world that is seeking answers?

There are a number of key ingredients that make classical Christian education work, most importantly, the role parents play in their child’s education during the hours at home. One of the growing forms of classical Christian schools is the hybrid or collaborative schools model, a form of schooling that instructs children at school a few days of the week and partners with parents to continue the prescribed teaching at home on the other days. If you aren’t familiar with this model, you will be intrigued, as there are many new and growing collaborative schools and quite a number of 5-day-a-week schools now adding a hybrid option. My guest panel today not only provides some first-hand history and overview of hybrid schools, but they share best practices in managing home life that ensure continuity between home and school, in all kinds of settings.

K-12 education isn’t the end of most students’ educational journey. College, or 13th grade as I like to call, it looms in the distance. Most of our CCE graduates head off to a wide range of college experiences from distinctly classical Christian colleges to state run universities and everything in between. My guest today looked around at the current range of options and was determined to do something different: something classical and yet entrepreneurial. Not only will you want to hear about his new Hildegard College but his analysis of the current college landscape is helpful to any of us in the K-12 space regardless if we are inquiring educators or parents with students trying to make the big college decision. Stay tuned for this episode of BaseCamp Live.