Listen to this articleClassical Conversations calls its middle and high school program “Challenge” for a good reason.
As a recent graduate, I can attest that each level of the Challenge program poses many difficulties to its students. For those readers who may not be familiar with the program’s structure and purpose, allow me to explain: it stretches from seventh grade through the senior year of high school and is centered around the belief that the purpose of education is to instill in students wisdom and virtue through the study of truth, beauty, and goodness.
With such a lofty aim, it is no surprise that the Challenge program proves itself to be, indeed, very challenging.
Through my classical education, I was challenged to consider and communicate ideas well, accomplish difficult tasks, and, most importantly, to know God and make Him known.
I Was Challenged to Consider and Communicate Ideas Well
I have learned many valuable skills because of my classical education.
Most notably, I cultivated the invaluable skill of considering and communicating ideas well. Classical Conversations introduced me to an array of ideas, from the political views of Brutus in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to the Superman of Nietzsche’s Thus Spake Zarathustra. And once I was introduced to these ideas, I was trained to determine whether they were aligned with the Word of God.
I was taught to communicate these ideas through writing essays and especially by engaging in formal debates. Debates improved and refined my communication skills because they forced me to prepare myself for cross-examinations and counterarguments.
The skill of considering and communicating ideas well has proven to be invaluable in my own life as I seek to converse with others on meaningful topics. If I had not spent my high school education as a Challenge student, I am convinced that I would be unprepared to face the world’s fallacious philosophies and to communicate truth to those who need to hear it.
Read: “The Purpose of Challenge I Debates”
I Was Challenged to Accomplish Difficult Tasks
Whether I was assigned with Mock Trial, a debate, or Latin (a constant thorn in my side), Classical Conversations forced me to exercise perseverance and diligence in order to complete these tasks.
Read: “I Survived Mock Trial”
This was especially true as I composed my Senior Thesis. This assignment combined all the skills I had accumulated through my high school education into one monumental assignment.
I spent many hours and shed many tears over this assignment as it proved itself to be the greatest challenge of my education.
However, the struggle is only half of the story.
Through this project, I was able to experience significant improvement in practical skills such as writing, editing, and oration. I also matured as a person and grew in diligence, patience, and perseverance. In the end, this project truly was the “capstone of my education,” as my Challenge Director claimed it would be.
Without challenges, we cannot improve as individuals. And because of Challenge, I am prepared to face difficult tasks in the future.
Read: “Why the Senior Thesis?”
I Was Challenged to Know God and to Make Him Known
Upon my first day as a Challenge A student, I instantly recognized what (or should I say who?) Classical Conversations intended to be at the center of my education—God. I was trained from day one to see the Lord in all aspects of learning:
When I studied my science textbooks, I was taught to see God’s creativity and intentionality in His creation.
When I explored history, I was encouraged to emphasize His sovereignty over all events.
When I read literature, I was trained to recognize the influence of God’s divine story in all storytelling.
Education—or should I say wisdom—apart from God is futile, but wisdom resting in God is more precious than silver (Proverbs 3:13–18).
When writing papers or giving speeches, I was always challenged by the question: how could I use this assignment to make God known? Toward the end of my high school education, I realized the weight of this question. If I was not using what little platform I was given to lead others to Christ, what was the point?
With this renewed purpose in learning, I am now able to share with others what I have learned about Christ so that they, too, can know God and make Him known.
The Challenge Program Equipped Me to Face the World
I grew significantly during my time as a CC student. I was challenged to consider and communicate ideas well, to accomplish difficult tasks, and ultimately, to know God and make Him known.
Whether you are a parent considering homeschooling for the first time, or you are a current homeschool parent contemplating Classical Conversations, I would leave you with this: I am convinced that CC is the best educational choice you can make for your student.
Yes, it is a hard and long road. The challenges that the Challenge program presents to its students may, at times, seem too difficult to bear.
But if you choose to persevere through them, by the grace of God, your student will leave high school equipped to face the world. They will know truth and have the skills to communicate it to others, the ability to accomplish difficult tasks, and the zeal to know God and make Him known.
And that is what education is really all about.
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