When the world seems to change so often, what lasts? Many parents and educators dream that, instead of just being smart, our children will have strong characters, with knowledge and wisdom so that they are able to live good lives. In today’s world we often focus on results, and forget how to shape character in students, how to help them learn to live a life that is good and right.
More Than Academics: The Maeser Commitment to Enduring Virtues
At Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, a classical charter school Utah loves, we believe education is about the person. In addition to teaching the academic subjects, we focus on the timeless truths of Truth, Honor and Virtue. We believe Karl G. Maeser was on to something when he wrote that education “awakens the power within to do good”. In this way, we offer a corrective to the modern tendency to fragment knowledge into separate subjects. At Maeser, we integrate the pursuit of excellence with the pursuit of virtue in order to teach both the mind and the heart. It is this virtue based education Utah that makes our school unique.
The Maeser Difference: Where Character is Cultivated Daily
Our classical liberal arts education is designed to be a place where character can grow. Through interaction with the Great Books and primary sources in Socratic seminars, students learn to grapple with ethical questions and express themselves with clarity. They practice listening and they grow in such intellectual virtues as humility, resilience, and courage. Our Honor Code is not simply a set of rules; it represents our commitment to living a life of integrity, respect, and responsibility.
In our small, close-knit Utah County charter high school, every student is known to our faculty, giving every person a sense of belonging and responsibility to each other. Our teachers are more than instructors; they are leaders and mentors who lead by example, guiding students toward greater self-discipline, service, and leadership.
This holistic education, focusing on the character formation of every student is why our school has been named by U.S. News & World Report the #1 high school in the state. And it is why our students leave Maeser with an average SAT score of 1330 and a graduation rate of more than 95% to attend the most competitive institutions. They are young men and women, virtuous citizens and learners who, once on their way to the university, will be able to excel in life with wisdom and honor because they understand the pursuit of knowledge.
FAQ
What do Truth, Honor and Virtue really mean at Maeser Academy? Truth, Honor, and Virtue are the key guiding principles at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy. We believe truth can be pursued through the rigorous practice of critical thinking and academic inquiry. Honor can be maintained by abiding in our Honor Code and the values of respect, integrity, and honesty we promote in our school. Virtue can be cultivated by our character education programs, Socratic dialogues, and opportunities for students to learn responsibility in the realms of service and leadership.
How is character education and character development integrated into the curriculum? Character education at Maeser is not an extracurricular activity or separate class but is woven into the whole classical liberal arts curriculum. When students read Great Books and explore primary sources, they are learning about human nature, virtue, and ethics. They learn intellectual virtue through Socratic seminars, and they learn virtues like respect and responsibility through the Honor Code. The smaller school and close community of students at our charter high school in Utah County provide countless opportunities to learn virtue in action and character formation in practice.
Is classical education useful or relevant at all? Yes. In fact, I would argue that it is more useful than ever before. We live in a culture that is fragmented and distracted, and we need leaders with a clear mind and an excellent ability to think critically. We also need people with strong communication skills and a clear sense of right and wrong. A classical liberal arts education gives us these skills. It gives us the ability to think, reason, analyze, and to speak and write with clarity, as well as the foundation of virtue from which we can lead and serve in our community, workplace, and home.
How does Maeser prepare students to be ready for college and their future? As one of the best colleges prep schools in Utah County, we have high standards for our academic work as well as our personal and community work. Through exposure to primary source documents and the Socratic method of dialogue, our students develop exceptional analytical and communication skills for college. They graduate as young adults who have learned to work hard, think independently, and to be disciplined. They have also learned to live with a sense of honor, of right and wrong, of virtue, and the value of being a person of service.
Enroll to learn more about the character and academic foundation for our high school at Maeser.