To empower the youth with a sense of personal mission
and enable them to move forward with that mission by:
(1) Encouraging faith in God as their ultimate mentor
and source of truth through the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ
(2) Helping them find value in their own unique mission and introduce the
to various communication styles so that they may communicate that mission to the world
(3) Helping them come face-to-face with greatness as they study the world,
history, people, and science to prepare them to become future leaders* in society.
(4) Creating an environment of respect, decency, trust, and confidence
(5) Teaching service-oriented leadership
*Leader: someone qualified to lead others in the home, community or world
What makes our group unique?
Basic foundational principles:
1. We believe in principle-centered learning. As students learn something new, they learn to find true principles that are pertinent to their lives both now and in the future. [1] [2]
"The purpose of education is not the assimilation of facts or the retention of information, but the habituation of the mind and body to will and act in accordance with what one knows." -David B. Hicks, Norms and Nobility
2. We teach from four schools of thought to develop the ability in each student to see God's truths in a holistic way. [1][3][4][5]
3. We teach through a Christian history perspective - the students are able to see “His Story” in the world they study. [2]
4. We use original sources or classics to teach the students how to think, not just what to know. [6]
5. We believe in the student agency approach. The student chooses from a variety of "inspirements" that incorporate a variety of learning styles in which to learn and understand the subject. The student also chooses the depth of their study: apprentice, journeyman or master. [3] [7] [8]
6. We believe in intrinsic rewards in education. However we also allow for natural rewards as the student chooses a deeper level of study, they may be rewarded with more class time and opportunities for learning if the system does not distract from the intrinsic rewards of education [3]
7. We believe the spirit is the most important teacher in the classroom. As the students come prepared to class each week, they open their hearts to truth. They are encouraged to write their impressions and act on the truth that they learn. [2] [3][9] [10]
8. We encourage mentoring through example as mentors apply truths they are studying to their lives and invite the youth to “come and see.” [2] [3] [8]
9. We encourage the youth to lead as they accept responsibility for running the group in leadership positions. [11]
10. We invite students to apply what they learn from the principles discussed or read. Students are asked to study, act, and become (Know, Understand, Intelligence) in their assignments. [9]
Resources for further study of our foundational principles:
[1] Norms and Nobility by David B. Hicks
[2] Foundation for American Christian Education: The Principle Approach
[3] Teach the Children by Neil J. Flinders
[4] Doctrine and Covenants section 88
[5] The Gateway to the Great Books Introduction
[6] The Great Conversation by Hutchins
[7] Multiple Intelligences by Gardner
[8] A Thomas Jefferson Education by DeMille
[9] Increase in Learning by Bednar
[10] BYU Idaho learning model
[11] Boy Scouts of America
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