In an age where culture often seems dictated by temporary fads and superficial news, where are you supposed to get your answers? When does a child actually learn to become the man or woman he was intended to be, rather than being simply pushed through the academic mill to reach adulthood, go off to college, and hope that his grades will lead to a successful life career? These are the questions that our Utah classical school takes seriously.
Today’s students are not learning in a world where truth is clear-cut and easily recognizable. Without the proper moral foundation, how can they distinguish themselves in a world full of chaos and uncertainty?
The Problem: Education without Character
Current American schools emphasize content knowledge and current skills more than character or wisdom. The truth of these issues is often overlooked in modern society. Parents, students, and educators recognize that education in our world does not only consist of knowing content; it also involves knowing who you are and what you can contribute to society.
When we don’t teach children to be truthful, to act with honor and virtue, or to care for the world as they grow up to become adults, their lives as adults will lack purpose and direction. If students have not been taught how to reason properly and how to apply their skills to their lives, they become lost in a world where many things compete for attention. They often get confused by all of the choices in society and feel like they can never make the right one. They struggle to understand what is right and what is wrong and they can’t tell which of their actions is virtuous and which are not.
This is where our classical education in Utah can make a difference.
Our Solution: A Classical Virtue-Based Education
We at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy provide an excellent classical education to students in our community and beyond. We firmly believe that students will learn in a world where they will be able to distinguish between virtue and vice, where they will be able to know truth and where they will learn to use their skills and talents to benefit society as a whole. We teach our students that the greatest of all skills is to know their purpose. We also know that the greatest skill for them to have is to know how to use that knowledge and talent to benefit the lives of others.
We do this not only through academics, but also through an atmosphere of honor, virtue, and truth.
Our Educational Philosophy
As we follow in the classical tradition of education, we emphasize the use of the Socratic method and the reading of great books. This tradition has produced the leaders we admire most: men and women who have the courage to challenge the status quo and stand up for their beliefs in a society that may or may not support their views. It is not only through our curriculum that we teach our students to be courageous men and women; our school culture also provides an environment in which they learn and model what it means to be virtuous citizens.
Our integrated curriculum encourages the connections between history, literature, philosophy, and art. Through their work with the great books, students learn to read critically and to make connections between various disciplines. Latin is another important component of a classical education as it gives the student the tools to read and to understand classical texts, which are important sources for Western culture. Through the rigorous study of Latin, the students develop the skills of a scholar and learn to think more deeply about the world around them.
Student Environment
Our school environment is one where students are expected to know the great ideas of Western civilization. It’s also a place where students learn to question their own assumptions and to challenge their ideas. In this kind of learning environment, students are encouraged to explore what they have learned, to ask questions, to debate, to disagree, and to agree. We teach them to think for themselves and to learn from others. It’s also where students learn how to lead and how to serve.
At Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy we are proud to be able to offer our students an education that helps them prepare for a life of service. We do this not by focusing only on academics, but by providing an environment that encourages students to think deeply, act virtuously, and serve others. Our students leave us well prepared for college and for the challenges of modern life. Our goal is to graduate students who are ready to lead and serve in our society.
Our small classes and close-knit community are perfect for this kind of personalized education. Teachers at Maeser are mentors and role models who encourage students to grow as scholars and as human beings. Our teachers are committed to living Truth, Honor, and Virtue, and to passing them along to their students through their words and actions. They care deeply about their students and their families, and strive to meet each student where they are at in order to help them reach their full potential.
During Winterim, students will experience firsthand the value of service and its role in their own lives. Service and service learning are at the heart of Maeser, and we work closely with community organizations to provide service and leadership experiences for our students. Through these opportunities, students learn how to serve others and how to be leaders in their communities and in the world. These are essential skills for any citizen. At Maeser, we believe that a life of service is the most noble life a person can lead, and we strive to teach our students how to live these lives.
Shaping Students Who Shape Communities
The education that students receive at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy is more than just about them. In fact, it is the very core of who they will become as adults: citizens of our communities who value virtue and stand for truth. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy graduates go on to thrive in university and in a wide array of vocations and professions to become critical thinkers, moral leaders and life-long learners who help make our world better.
Proof of Success
Our commitment to rigor and character is working. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy has been ranked one of the top schools in the state of Utah by our exceptional academic results and outstanding college-preparatory programs. Our SAT average is 1330 and 95+% of our students graduate, going on to accept offers of admission from the nation’s best universities. This is not just about our test scores: it is a testament to what we believe about education, and what we have seen in how it actually unfolds and changes students’ lives, and the college and life that they go on to live.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a liberal arts education? A: Liberal arts education means a time-honored way of educating that aims to produce “generalists” by emphasizing core areas of study (e.g. literature, history, science and math). These areas of study encourage the students to develop critical thinking skills, intellectual virtues and moral character through studying the primary sources and the great books of western civilization.
- What is the Socratic Method of teaching? A: The Socratic Method involves an approach to learning where teachers lead discussions and ask questions rather than lecture. This is used as a method to prompt the students to think and respond with their own ideas, as well as to ask students to question a text and the author’s ideas. This type of questioning helps develop critical thinking skills.
- What does “character formation” mean? A: Maeser Academy is intentionally forming characters in Truth, Honor and Wisdom. Students are challenged and encouraged in both curriculum and classroom instruction to practice these virtues, but also in our Honor Code, community life and service.
- Does a classical education still matter for today? A: Classical education is different in that it does not train people for specific professions (for the most part). It trains students to think and write very well, analyze information and think through moral issues. The result is a student that will do well in college and the career choices they will make.
- What makes Maeser Prep different from all the other schools in Utah County? A: As a classical education charter school in Utah County, Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy sets itself apart through its rigorous, virtue-focused educational environment, its small size and its Socratic approach to education with its great books. We provide an education that is academically excellent, yet also helps our students develop strong character as they develop.
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