On this episode of BaseCamp Live, we hear a first-hand perspective from the high school classroom. The capstone project for every CCE student is their senior thesis. Senior Christina Burkhalter joins me to share the thesis she wrote, presented, and defended, titled: The Art of Classical Education as an Effort to Restore the Joy of Learning. She presents some of her thoughtful research and reflects on her first hand experiences of her own K-12 school journey. Her enthusiasm is contagious and a reminder to all of us parents and educators why this effort to raise up the next generation in classical Christian schools is so critical and fruitful. 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.

I’ve said before that students in K-12 Classical Christian schools are often the most neglected population in our schools. What do I mean by that? School leaders put a lot of energy into educating parents, grandparents, donors, even alumni, but our own students often miss out on the vision casting and opportunities for buy-in to the model and the amazing education they are receiving every day. And parents with children who start out in Kindergarten usually don’t spend a lot of time over the subsequent years explaining why they are in a CCE school. So how do we better onboard older students who join a CCE education in the middle or high school years?  Along the way, our students dutifully put on their uniforms and follow what is expected, but what if we took the time to give them a beautiful vision for their education and help them to “own it,” even love it. Josh Gibbs is back to talk about his newest publication that he directed specifically to prospective and current students to help them understand and lean in on the gift of a Classical Christian education. 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.

Today we tackle a challenging topic - one not easy but one that has reached an epidemic level among all communities around the world, and even more so since Covid. Greg Love, founder of Ministry Safe, an organization that has partnered with many of our schools and churches already, joins us today. He walks us through the sobering reality of child sexual abuse. And just when we may be thinking: I don’t think I can handle any more bad news, he offers us encouragement for practical ways to approach this topic wisely. What is the balance between becoming overly fearful and falling into the ditch of casual indifference, assuming our children are immune? If you are leading a family or a school, really any organization with children, please join us for this important episode of BasecampLive. Resource Links:Ministry SafeArticle 11 - False Alligations (3.27.21)Article 11 - False Alligations (April 2021) 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.

Is it godly to be anti-tech? Recent studies indicate the average American teen is spending 7-9 hours a day in front of a screen. Even if our students are not consumed by media 7-9 hours a day, technology for us as adults and our children is an inevitable part of life. Too often our way of mitigating this influence is simply to implement an ever-increasing number and kind of filters and controls. While that is important, my guest today, Tony Reinke, provides a thoughtful and thorough examination of our relationship with technology and the underlying theology we should use to choose how to live the Christian life well in our digital age. Tony’s observations are both realistic and hopeful as he makes practical recommendations for how we live in the world of technology but keep from being of it! Join Davies Owens for the latest episode of BaseCamp Live.---Tony Reinke is a journalist, teacher, and host of the Ask Pastor John podcast for Desiring God. He is the author of Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books and Competing Spectacles and 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You.  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.

Classical Christian folks celebrate high-level thinking, and rightly so, but as humans, we are ultimately driven by our hearts and imaginations. Reading great literature isn’t just for mental push-ups, it is to engage living stories with powerful influential narratives that shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. If we are ever going to compete with the world of screens, it is through great literature. And it is ultimately through the renewal of our stories and our imaginations that we gain the perspectives and encouragement we need to be more like Christ. Join Davies Owens for an engaging conversation with Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson as she shares from her new book, The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a parent, a person striving to reignite your faith and spiritual disciplines, or all of the above, you don’t want to miss this episode. 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.

There is no doubt that a Classical Christian Education is transformative in the life of a young person. But what makes this form of education really work? Yes, it comes from reading Great Books containing some of the most significant thought leaders in western civilization, and yes, following the Trivium is important. Most certainly, having students in a daily environment where moral and virtue formation take place is essential, but besides all of that, what are the actual teaching methods our schools can and should use, which by the way, completely differ from what is done in a typical modern school? In this episode, Jason Barney, illuminates teachers and parents on an ancient method called narration, which has been used for centuries in classrooms as well as around kitchen tables to build habits of awareness and prepare the next generation to think deeply. This ancient method of learning can even be helpful to us modern, on-the-go busy adults.Key Links and Resources:A Classical Guide to NarrationThe Joy of LearningEducational Renaissance 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.

Today's news headlines are more troublesome than ever. Stress levels are higher, people are more contentious than ever, yet our hope and confidence in Christ gives us the grace to love ourselves and our neighbors well. Russ Gregg has served faithfully for two decades at Hope Academy in the heart of the inner city of Minneapolis. He believes our classical Christian schools have a unique opportunity to display the grace and mercy of God, as evidenced by the beauty of living cultural harmony despite our surroundings. In this episode, Russ Gregg shares ten guiding principles he developed to lead his teachers and parents through the recent challenging days that had a transformative impact on his school community and the surrounding neighborhoods. 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.

Too many people today assume the primary goal of education is to get enough knowledge and training to get to a good college and get a job. Yet classical Christian educators and parents know those goals are too low; college and careers are a given. We are aiming for far more. But what exactly is our ultimate goal? Plato said knowledge without virtue is useless. So yes to wisdom and virtue, but can we err in the other direction with lofty philosophical skills but weak in real-world practical knowledge? David Diener helps us understand the real end game of CCE, its ultimate telos! 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.

Four years ago I launched this podcast out of what began several years before as a Tuesday night parent education night at our school. And now this is episode 200!What have we learned through the 8,000-plus minutes of discussions?  Stay tuned as Keith McCurdy and I take a look back to celebrate God’s faithfulness through our many topics, discoveries, and amazing conversations. We will recap highlights and observations from those many episodes on how to raise up the next generation through the critical work being done in classical Christian schools in partnership with families and churches… and survey changes over the last four years in our schools and in our culture. 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 therapeutic age where feelings and emotions dominate reason and confidence in truth.  Almost anywhere you turn these days, researchers are telling us how folks are more anxious and consumed in fear than at any other point in recent history. Fears inhibit our students’ ability to learn and impact their physical, social, and spiritual health. And parents and teachers, well all of us, are vulnerable to fear and anxiety these days. But there is good news! On this episode, we welcome back Ben Bost to share practical wisdom on overcoming fear in both our personal lives and school communities. 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.