Educating the Whole Child
Nurturing the body, mind, and spirit in a classical Christian tradition.
Education Philosophies
At Geneva, our educational philosophy is deeply rooted in the timeless principles of classical education, harmoniously woven with the enduring truths of Christian teachings. We believe in nurturing the body, the mind, and soul, ensuring our students not only acquire profound knowledge but also develop virtuous character.
1. It's Theological
Education is completely theological. It is the passing on of a way of life from one generation to another. It can never be neutral or fragmented. It is integrated and comprehensive, with God at the center. All education has bias, and the biases at Geneva Academy are toward Scripture, truth, and moral discernment as reflected in the history of Western Civilization, where Christianity began, grew, and flourished.
2. Parents are the Primary educators
Classical Christian Education starts with the parents who are the primary educators. Classical Christian teachers serve in loco parentis to reinforce, compliment, and enhance what children learn at home and church. At the same time, Geneva Academy teaches a carefully thought-out and integrated curriculum to provide a solid foundation in understanding Scripture, seeking truth, and building proficiency in the tools of learning. We teach our curriculum and primary doctrine confidently.
3. a Christian Worldview
Classical Christian Education cultivates a Christian worldview in students. Resting on the certainty of Scripture, we build a system of beliefs intertwined with an appreciation of the transcendental elements of truth, beauty, and goodness. Such a worldview enables students to think rightly, i.e. Scripturally, about the world around them and to serve our King in it.
4. Counter to Postmodern education
Classical Christian education is counter to the postmodern view of education. Postmodern education reflects and serves a culture of media, relativism, pragmatism, materialism, and nihilism. Popular culture creates a distortion of who we are to be and how we attain that sense of “being.” The ways, means, and ends of postmodern culture are at odds with Biblical wisdom. Sadly, it teaches a selfish, internal orientation, rather than a joyful, contented, and Christ-centered orientation. Classical education is not entertainment, but thoughtful discourse, logically, and persuasively communicated under the authority of Scripture. Our bias is toward well-ordered oral language and the written word.
5. Creating Character
Classical Christian education is about cultivating character in students, enabling graduates to make proper moral decisions, and thoughtful, right responses in a sinful, fallen world. It sharpens their moral instincts and God-given abilities, and builds confidence in their leadership skills while inspiring a desire to serve selflessly. We desire for our students to be servant leaders.
6. A love to learn
Classical Christian education should build a lifelong love of learning. By developing, repeating, and refining the understanding and application of the tools of learning, it trains the mind to reason carefully, to be critical yet gracious, to persuasively argue but not bicker, to be morally discerning but not judgmental. It is not about a single job or a narrow skill set; it is about how to live life well, and enjoy life eternal.
7. classical
Classical Christian education (CCE) builds understanding and wisdom in students through the examination of the great events and great ideas of Western/Mediterranean culture, the culture in which Christianity began, grew, and flourished. CCE should be thoughtful and eloquent; it should examine prevailing schools of thought; it should search for truth and beauty; it should sound with a profound appreciation for God’s sovereign control over all of history. CCE provides the foundation from which students can, with confidence and grace, explore and critique other cultures, philosophies, religions, and ideas.
8. Navigating Modernity
Classical Christian education is unafraid of modernity. We teach logic, science, and math as languages to understand God’s creation. Technology is a tool, not a destination. Technology, to be used properly, requires wisdom, creativity, problem solving, and ethical judgments. Technology changes and is superseded by new technology, but the critical thinking skills to understand a problem and effectively leverage the newest innovations come from developing confidence in the tools of learning and in making right decisions to God’s glory.
