BaseCamp Live

Sara Osborne, Assistant Professor of English and author of 'Reading for the Long Run,' shares her insights on helping children tackle challenging texts. She discusses why classics can be daunting and how this struggle fosters growth. Sara emphasizes honest assessments through journaling and forming supportive networks to identify skill gaps versus emotional hurdles. Her start-small strategy includes using rich, short texts and paired audio to build reading stamina. She also highlights the importance of nurturing a lifelong love of reading and the character-building aspects of persevering through tough materials.

Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes and a digital safety advocate, shares insights on how technology impacts family dynamics. He discusses the allure of AI companions for teens and the potential dangers they pose to real connections. Chris breaks down three family approaches to technology and introduces his HALT framework to help manage tech habits. He emphasizes the importance of community involvement and being intentional in guiding youth through the digital landscape, all while fostering authentic human relationships.

Can classical schools really prepare students for STEM careers? Many parents wonder if a humanities-rich education leaves room for science and technology. Our guest, Diane Gray, scientist, musician, contractor, tutor, and mother of seven, says yes. After 12 years in biotech R&D, Diane completed a master’s in Classical Studies to explore how classical Christian education and STEM can thrive together.In this conversation with host Davies Owens, Diane shares her research comparing STEM and classical models, revealing that the two are not in competition, but complementary.🎧 Tune in to discover:Why the fear that classical schools shortchange STEM is understandable, but misplacedHow classical education forms curious, adaptable thinkers who excel in science and technologyWhy ethics, history, and philosophy are essential companions to innovation, especially in the age of AIHow classical tools of learning (language, logic, rhetoric) strengthen problem-solving, communication, and creativity in STEM fieldsDiane reminds us that the goal isn’t just to make scientists but whole humans who pursue truth and wisdom through their work.🎧 Join us for this encouraging episode and see why classical formation might just be the best preparation for the modern lab.Resources Mentioned:Science Education in the Modern World - Diane’s full dissertationSpecial Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationThe Champion GroupZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.

Davies Owens welcomes Ken Rhinehart, a commercial real-estate veteran and founder of VPA Classical, to demystify how classical schools can find, fund, and secure facilities that actually serve the mission.🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:Why facilities shape formation. Leases, landlords, and leaking roofs quietly undermine learning—and enrollment confidence.Buy vs. lease—what’s wiser right now. Capital costs, lender track records, conditional-use permits, and the hidden time drain on administrators.Mission-aligned investors. How long-term, praying partners can acquire and rehab properties, then lease back to schools—sometimes with lease-to-own pathways.Church properties: promise & pitfalls. Beautiful sanctuaries can work—if governance, improvements, and expectations are clear.What not to do. Don’t hand this to the office admin or your residential-agent brother-in-law—commercial leasing is a different language.A generous freebie. Ken offers a no-cost lease review so schools actually know what’s in their agreements.If this episode sparks ideas, forward it to your head of school, board chair, or facilities lead. Rate and follow BaseCamp Live so other schools can find it, and tell us the #1 facilities question you want answered next. Resources Mentioned:RSVP Now for ADVANCE RetreatSpecial Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationThe Champion GroupZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.

We live in a culture of soundbites, but Christian parents and educators are called to form young people who listen well, think deeply, and speak with humility and grace. Host Davies Owens sits down with Dr. Justin Smith, Head of School at Little Rock Christian Academy and Herzog Foundation coach, to unpack the Harkness Method (a modern form of Socratic dialogue) and why it may be one of the most vital forms of discipleship in our time.In this conversation:Harkness vs. Socratic: what’s the same, what’s different, and how each keeps the text at the center rather than opinion.Truth matters: how Christ-centered schools avoid “bad talk radio” and anchor discussion in authorial intent, Scripture, and absolute truth.Formation over performance: why silence, restraint, and student discovery create stickier learning than efficient lectures.K–12 on-ramps: how Justin’s team trains 7th–12th graders in names, manners, eye contact, question stems, and textual evidence.Home practices: simple dinner-table question bowls, “roses & thorns,” and “heaven & earth” prompts that cultivate a household of inquiry.🎧 Join Davies Owens and Jacob Hess as they unpack how to fill our homes and classrooms with better stories that train hearts to love what God loves.Special Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationSchedule an introduction with Champion GroupZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.

In this Best of BaseCamp Live flashback, host Davies Owens sits down with pastor, musician, and author Jacob Hess to explore how story, liturgy, and imagination shape the hearts of our children - and why the stories we tell matter now more than ever. 🎧In this episode:Life is liturgy: how small, repeatable rituals - at dinner, in class, or before bed—tell the Gospel story.Formation over information: why habits shape what we love (Charlotte Mason; James K. A. Smith).Worship in every moment: practical ways to make the ordinary sacred using tools like Every Moment Holy.Why fiction matters: Jacob’s The Bright Abyss (think Star Wars meets Tolkien) as a case study in shaping imagination.A takeaway for this week: identify one small ritual that tells a better story—and practice it faithfully.🎧 Join Davies Owens and Jacob Hess as they unpack how to fill our homes and classrooms with better stories that train hearts to love what God loves.Resources Mentioned:The Bright AbyssRSVP Now for ADVANCE RetreatSpecial Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationThe Champion GroupZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.

What does it mean to be a woman today? Our culture has turned this into a debate, but for many young women—especially in Christian homes and schools—the real struggle comes in sorting through competing voices, conflicting priorities, and a lack of clear role models.In this episode of BaseCamp Live, Davies sits down with his daughter, Hannah Owens, founder of The Swish Magazine. Drawing from her own classical Christian upbringing, Hannah shares how she came face-to-face with the confusion around womanhood in her Gen Z college years and why she’s now committed to recovering a vision of classical femininity—the preservation and reflection of truth, goodness, and beauty in womanhood.Together they discuss:Why Gen Z women often prioritize career over marriage and family—and what that reveals about cultural messaging.The gap between “pioneer bonnets” and modern feminism—and why girls need something more rooted and hopeful in between.How role models, from Princess Catherine to contemporary Christian entrepreneurs, can embody duty, beauty, and service.Practical ways parents and schools can guide daughters toward confident, Christ-centered womanhood.From family photo walls to auditing media habits, Hannah offers tangible steps to help reframe femininity not as performance, but as calling. This is a conversation for parents, educators, and young women alike who long to celebrate the true, good, and beautiful in a culture that has lost its way.Special Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationThe Champion GroupZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.

What role do the arts really play in a classical Christian education? For many of us, “art class” growing up felt like a filler - something fun, but hardly central to learning. Music, theater, and visual art were often seen as side activities, not essential to shaping minds and hearts. But as guest Jarrod Richey reminds us, that view couldn’t be further from the historic Christian tradition.Jarrod - music teacher at Geneva Academy, author of Bach to the Future and editor of Raise the Song - makes the case that the creative arts are not extras but vital ways we reflect our Creator and form our children’s affections. He explains why hymn-singing, music literacy, and participatory art are as essential to discipleship as books and doctrine, helping students love what is true, good, and beautiful in tangible ways.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why the church historically led the way in the arts—and why we need to reclaim that vision todayHow hymns carry theology, unity, and gratitude across generationsWhy music literacy is a core skill, not an optional enrichmentPractical ways families and schools can weave rich music and art into daily lifeThe arts aren’t just about self-expression - they are about imaging God and passing on the faith. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation about recovering beauty in education, worship, and the home.Resources Mentioned:Raise the SongBach to the FutureSpecial Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationThe Champion GroupZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.

One of the biggest decisions parents make is where their children go to school. With classrooms shaping faith, wisdom, and character, the stakes couldn’t be higher.In this episode of BaseCamp Live with Davies Owens, President of the Stanley M. Herzog Foundation Darrell Jones, shares how one man’s vision has grown into a nationwide movement for Christ-centered education. From his years as a pastor to leading one of the most influential organizations in the space, Darrell offers a front-row look at what’s changing in public education, why families and pastors are seeking new options, and how the Herzog Foundation is stepping in with practical support.Discover:Why the “yellow bus” may look the same but is headed to a very different destination than a generation agoHow the Herzog Foundation Institute is equipping schools with free training and resourcesThe role of parents, pastors, and schools in raising up salt-and-light disciplesWhy the rapid growth of Christian education is more than a trend - it’s a movement🎧 Join us as we explore how the Herzog Foundation is helping families and schools build the next generation with wisdom and faith. Resources Mentioned:Schedule an introduction with Champion Group Special Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationThe Champion GroupZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.

What does it take to raise boys into men in today’s culture? Fr. Mark Perkins, chaplain and assistant headmaster at St. Dunstan’s Academy, joins Davies Owens to discuss the urgent challenges facing boys and the bold vision behind launching a farm, trades, and classics boys’ boarding school in the Anglican tradition. Drawing on personal experience as a teacher, minister, and father, Fr. Mark highlights why so many boys are disengaging from schools, church, and even family life - and what we can do about it. From the importance of rites of passage, to the value of single-sex education, to the power of farming and trades as apprenticeships into manhood, this conversation offers parents and school leaders practical insights for re-embodying learning and lengthening the runway into adulthood. You’ll also hear about The Joshua Program, a new vocational discernment gap-year track for young men ages 17–20.🎧 Tune in to discover:Why boys today struggle with school, work, and even forming familiesHow rites of passage and mentorship shape healthy masculinityThe four pillars of St. Dunstan’s Academy: Christian formation, classical academics, farming life, and tradesPractical steps for parents and schools to cultivate responsibility, resilience, and communityResources Mentioned:https://mereorthodoxy.com/common-arts-that-matterSpecial Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:The Herzog FoundationZipCastWilson Hill AcademyLife Architects Coaching Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on classical Christian education, and join us next time on BaseCamp Live! Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and reach out to us at info@basecamplive.comDon't forget to visit basecamplive.com for more info and past episodes.