The Thomas Jefferson Education
January 26, 2010
"The boys of the rising generation are to be the men of the next, and the sole guardians of the principles we deliver over to them." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Knox, 1810.

The parents and tutors at Christiana Homeschool Academy take seriously the responsibility to educate our children well. What we impart to them in these short years is what they carry into the next generation. The CHA family has been considering various educational models and theories and how to incorporate these principles into the education we provide our children. The Thomas Jefferson Education, by Dr. Oliver Van DeMille is one of the tools used to shape the education at Christiana.

DeMille shares three goals in this model of education. The first is to “train” thinkers, entrepreneurs and statesmen. The second is to perpetuate freedom. The third goal in this model is to teach students how to think. The Jefferson Education purposes to use the great classics along with active mentoring, offers depth and breadth in the education, and demands quality work and a real world education. One of the keys to the effective execution of this model of education is using “classics,” which provide glaring insight into human nature. Great books, just like great art and great musical compositions, endure over time and are able to speak to and challenge countless generations. These great books teach us about human nature and force us to think while connecting us to those who share the story.

Another key component to the Jefferson Education is the expectation that good mentors will partner in the education process. Those mentors should be individuals of high moral character, who are advanced in their area of expertise, but will still use the classics to teach. This mentor will set the example of a high work ethic and will expect quality work from the student. Mentors can be parents, teachers, coaches, art and music educators. These are the individuals who are imparting to the next generation. We should all ask what it is that we are imparting to the men (and women) of the rising generation.