With all the information and answers readily available nowadays, why is it important to still ask students hard questions, push them to dig deeper into difficult issues, and challenge them to have convictions and reasons for what they believe? In many schools today, students are simply told answers, but often lack deep understanding and critical thinking skills that they can later use to articulate their own opinions and beliefs.
Go Beyond Summaries
At Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, a leading classical charter school Utah families can trust, we encourage our students to read the Great Books and other primary sources first-hand. As Maeser himself once said, education is supposed to “awaken the power within to do good.” We want our students to learn the truth.
As such, our classical liberal arts education program encourages conversation with the Great Men of Western Civilization. Our classes aren’t about reading summaries; we want students to engage with Plato, read Shakespeare, study Euclid, and wrestle through the American Federalist Papers. Students in these seminars are studying history, English, Philosophy, Science, and more in a rich context that will help them learn the truth about these topics. Our integrated curriculum teaches them to seek the truth themselves, and it gives them a deeper understanding than is found by listening to someone explain it to them, and allows them to develop the skills they need to be successful in college and beyond and to be virtuous citizens who are able to clearly articulate their own thoughts and opinions.
An Experience for our Students
Our students get to experience a different kind of education where they are challenged and inspired in ways that will prepare them for college. The small classes encourage discussion with the Great Books, and they get to have their own conversations and ask their own questions, just like in a college class. This prepares them well for when they go to college.
Our teachers are there as experts in their field and they lead the discussions, but they challenge our students to do the hard work of developing their own understanding and to defend what they believe. This is the difference between our college prep school in Utah County and most other schools in Utah; every student is known and challenged. Students learn from their teachers as they learn from their classmates. These classes teach our students the habits necessary to succeed in a college classroom, and the discipline to live up to our Honor Code. These are the students we want to graduate, students who have been challenged to seek the truth, and who have developed convictions of their own, and who are capable of articulating their own opinions with a depth and reasoning that goes beyond the usual arguments and opinions found in our modern society.
Community of Scholars
As students read the Great Books together they get to understand and appreciate each other in new ways. By studying the same books, and asking hard questions together, they are learning to respect other opinions, and they develop their own convictions about issues like justice, beauty, truth, honor, etc. This encourages a respectful, and loving community where they learn how to respectfully debate each other on these issues.
As a result, our Honor Code is strengthened because our students understand why these things are important, and they develop a respect for truth and honor and virtue that extends well beyond their school years. It’s proof that our virtue based education Utah model where academics and character are intertwined, doesn’t just create students, it forms leaders. Outstanding results that are a product of deep learning
Academic achievement that’s extraordinary is a direct result of the intellectual and character discipline that grows when students learn from the Great Books directly. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy was named the #1 charter high school Utah County by U.S. News & World Report. Our students average a 1330 SAT score. We have a graduation rate that’s over 95% and our students who are accepted to top colleges and universities are ready, beyond their degrees, for academic, professional and social success. They go on to lead with honor and wisdom, putting into practice the very values they learn in the Great Books. Learn how Karl G. Maeser Prep opens students’ minds and develops character with the Great Books and primary sources Learn more about enrollment Learn the Maeser difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Great Books and why are they so important to the curriculum at Maeser? The “Great Books” are the classics of Western civilization: a vast canon of literature, philosophy, history, and science texts that have shaped the way that people for centuries have thought about humanity. We focus on these books because it gives students direct exposure to the most meaningful thinking and conversation of all time, and allows them to become deeply engaged in the process of critical thinking and discussion about morality, history, and the human experience.
What is the benefit of students studying and reading from primary texts for their success in college and life? Primary source analysis cultivates critical analysis, reading and interpretation, persuasive writing and oral communication skills at the heart of what students need for college success and beyond: the ability to read closely, analyze evidence, construct arguments, and communicate those arguments to a larger audience. It’s not just about learning how to write a paper, or knowing a set of facts or theories. It’s about learning how to do the work of being a thinking human: how to ask questions and find answers.
Will this classical education be hard for students to handle? Won’t my child struggle in this environment? The classical approach, when done right and with care and expertise, will encourage every student to become a passionate learner. While it is hard, our small class sizes and dedicated faculty and staff, coupled with the Socratic method will enable students to find their own path in these texts. Our goal is to gently and firmly lead every student into these waters and to grow in a challenging but supportive environment for students of all backgrounds.
If the focus of our curriculum is the study of history and ancient books, how is that going to help my child be ready for the modern world? In addition to the intellectual discipline that comes from studying these great works, we believe that all students have an advantage when they have a deep understanding of human history and the human experience and that these works will teach them what is needed to engage thoughtfully and critically with the modern day: understanding the root causes of the issues of our world, learning how to think through questions that have no easy answers, learning to seek truth with humility, integrity, and respect, and the desire to be the person in our time who makes the world a better place, in whatever way that may be.
Does virtue education affect the way students study and learn from these books? It’s important that they do. Our entire curriculum focuses on virtue, and that must be the focus when we are studying the texts we study. That means reading with humility, being honest in seeking truth, debating respectfully with a spirit of good will toward one another, and growing through the exercise of learning and wisdom. The books themselves are an ideal place to ask deep questions about the virtue of living well.