Classical Conversations International had a wonderful year of growth and firsts.
About the Classical Conversations International Team
My name is Keith Denton, VP of International Business for Classical Conversations, and I would like to share with you what CC International is doing around the world.
The CC International team consists of myself; Jennifer Martin, Sales Manager; Shelly Stockton, Academic Liaison; and Marlene Bos, Project Manager/Administration. The entire Classical Conversations home office supports us, and we are truly blessed to have them helping us grow.
We thoroughly enjoy serving the international CC community and love helping our leadership and Christian Families in fifty-nine countries and on every continent (except Antarctica, of course!).
The CC International Team also supports many CC Communities with United States military families who are serving overseas.
A Brief Overview of CC International
Classical Conversations began investing in translating its core curriculum into additional languages in 2018. We lead the market in providing classical Christian homeschool curricula in Russia (Russian) and Brazil (Portuguese.) Many families are joining CC communities in countries across Central and South America with our Spanish translation of our curriculum. In CC Connected, we currently translate assets for business and parent support.
To grow our communities worldwide, we support many strong country leaders whom we call Country Coordinators, who manage all the activities in their country. We also continue to look for Christian homeschool leaders in additional countries worldwide.
Our Country Coordinators set up their own country bookstores outside the United States to support countries with CC resources.
There are also 22 Academic Advisors worldwide supporting our Team Leaders and Directors with translation interpretations and curriculum questions to maintain the quality and integrity of the curriculum.
CC International in 2023
Because CC International supports CC Communities worldwide, we manage two different Academic Calendars with our curriculum.
The United States is in the world’s Northern Hemisphere (above the equator) and operates in an academic year that is usually August to May, bridging two calendar years.
The Southern Hemisphere academic year, which countries like Brazil, Australia, and South Africa use, usually meets from February to November in the same calendar year.
Growth across the Globe
CC International follows the same cycle-specific curriculum and has surpassed over 11,000 seats for student enrollments and 1750 programs this year.
The number of Foundations programs increased by 387 alone, with Brazil leading the way in percentage of growth.
CC Connected Launches
The new CC Connected was launched for community management and information in international countries.
CC Connected has been well received internationally, and many countries that do not have the ability to receive print materials have been able to receive digital files through CC Connected.
The Learning Forum Draws Multitudes
CC International participated in the Learning Forum in Orlando in October this year and hosted its first Learning Forum in Asia in November. Leaders represented nine countries and four continents.
The commitment level for helping parents and learning their leadership role with Classical Conversations is amazing. Three attendees had never been away from their families before and made the trip to the CC Learning Forum to learn and share together.
The feedback from the event affirmed that we achieved our goals and became a closer CC International Team with our Asia region. International leaders from Canada, Chile, and the United Kingdom participated in the Orlando Forum.
The Global Representative Initiative Kicks Off
Another first this year, we began our Global Representative Initiative, in which we are able to support mission-based persons going abroad. We support parents supporting many mission initiatives away from the United States.
Please email international@classicalconversations.com to learn more about this opportunity.
A New Community Takes Root in Ethiopia
Our Africa region had its very first practicum for its first Ethiopian community this year. The family and community commitment is outstanding.
Here is a story of the mom who led worship, Simone Billson, Country Coordinator, Africa:
The momma leading worship in Ethiopia began her day traveling by horse and cart to a hired motorbike, then walked for a while, where she met another hired taxi to get her to the practicum 1.5 hours away. She arrived . . . on time . . . with joy in her heart . . . and led worship for the practicum! What a testimony to how far some travel, in adventurous ways, to attend these encouraging events!
New Training with Classical Tools
Academically, we had two groups of international leaders successfully go through our International Classical Tools Training led by Shelly Stockton and Jody Battley, UK Academic Advisor, where we dug deeper into developing the skills of using the classical tools of learning.
We are also now referring to the International Classical Cohort or ICC, which is only available in International Regions.
Here is one of the testimonials from attending the ICTT sessions:
This was going to be my exodus year. 2023 was going to be the end of my short journey of 6 years directing the Challenge program in Singapore. But somehow, when ICTT came up, I said yes without a second thought and just rolled along with all the meeting times. And like the ice cube in the palm that Janine spoke about—God was changing my mind.
He was changing my mind about my role in Classical Conversations, changing my mind about all the toxic conversations and feedback that I have received about CC in Singapore, and opened my mind to behold truly the gift that CC has been to me and my family.
And something clicked in me. It took three semesters of reading, discussing, and listening . . . and more listening. I could not get away from the truth that GOD had blessed us. And if God had blessed us, then I want to be used by Him to bless others, too. They do not know that they need His Gift yet . . . and so my rhetoric must get to them . . . .that CC is a gift from God to families and can be a gift to them too.
I do not know which part exactly it was. How do you know which part of the ice cube started melting first? But there was praise to God, testimony of God at work . . . and so my heart was changed.
I loved the choice of books and the accessibility and practice of classical tools, and I hope to bring this to more families for God’s Glory. And so—thank you.
First Graduates in Canada, Brazil, and the UK
To close out our lists of firsts for 2023, CC International had our first Challenge graduates in Canada, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
What a difference our CC Graduates will make in this world!
Our Very Own Podcast
One of the wonderful marketing items we have been producing for a little over a year is the Global Homeschool Minute podcast.
The Global Homeschool Minute Podcast is a wonderful place to go and listen to some interesting interviews with Global Homeschool leaders. Some of these leaders work with Classical Conversations, and other guests make a difference by advocating for home education in many countries. Every time I host one of these podcasts, I hear many impact stories that these leaders are having worldwide.
I encourage you to take a listen.
CC International in 2024 and Beyond
For 2024, we have a lot of events planned in each country where we have CC Communities. They host Parent Practicums, Information meetings, and open houses.
We will have our first Spanish-speaking Learning Forum in Panama City, Panama, in February 2024 for our Spanish-speaking country leadership.
Classical Conversations supports many events around the world to promote global home education. Classical Conversations Inc. supported events in Africa and Croatia for regional Global Home Education Exchange events. I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the one in Nairobi, Kenya. We also had representation at the Croatia GHEX event.
In 2024, a Global Home Education Conference will be sponsored by GHEX in Manchester, England. Over 1000 people are expected to attend. There will be many interesting breakout sessions and panels where homeschool leaders from around the world share and comment on different homeschool movements and research track sessions.
Anyone from around the world is welcome to attend, and you can find the event information on the GHEX website.
Thanks from CC International
CC International is truly thankful for the support Robert and Leigh Bortins give us and the many prayers and homeschool leaders that have gone before us. Thank you for reading this blog, and we do appreciate all your support and any new opportunities in countries you wish to pass our way. We will do our best to help them start a CC Community.
Visit the CC International website.
Grace and peace to you all.
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