Working to Renew the Tradition of Classical Education

For the past four years, Robert Jackson has led the Great Hearts Institute (GHI), formerly known as the Institute for Classical Education. The Institute works to renew the tradition of classical education by directly supporting educators, school leaders, and families in collaboration with nationally recognized experts.

Specifically, the Great Hearts Institute hosts experts and scholars who address the content and teaching methods of classical education. Through a variety of programs, publications, and research, GHI helps to clarify and deepen our understanding of the classical model. Great Hearts Institute’s flagship event is the National Symposium for Classical Education, an annual forum where Great Hearts teachers and school leaders join classical educators from around the country to experience the finest research and training available.

Prior to joining Great Hearts nine years ago, Dr. Jackson served as a professor of English and education at The King’s College in New York, training future teachers in the great books and the liberal arts. Having thoroughly loved the college classroom, Jackson came to realize that preparing K-12 teachers was the most important professional contribution of his life.

Jackson and his wife were also committed to providing their five children with a classical education. So, when invited to join the Great Hearts team, Jackson rejoiced in the opportunity to unite his professional and personal passions: “It was a fortuitous moment, when I was able to bring my research and scholarship to bear on the most important aspect of life: my family.” As Jackson recounts, “Suddenly, the things that we had been studying in our homeschool and the subjects I had been teaching undergraduates were coming together in a beautiful blend of theory and practice, ideas and actions.”

In addition to the incredible support of Great Hearts Academies, Jackson attributes the success of the Great Hearts Institute to the incredible efforts of his team, who include Esha Kubavat, Office Assistant and a Great Hearts alumna, Ann Ny Matsuda who serves as the Operations Manager and is the mother of a Great Hearts alumna, and Kent Anhari, GHI’s Publications and Marketing Coordinator and a former classics major. Like Jackson, the entire team is committed to promoting the classical model that has personally enriched their lives.

In 2023, the National Symposium for Classical Education will be held in Phoenix, February 22-24, and will focus on “The Tradition Today,” an exploration of classical education in a modern society and its relevance in a world preoccupied with the growing influence of social media and the race for the next technological advancement. Hosting professionals, professors, artists, and thought leaders, the Great Hearts Institute will provide Great Hearts Academies and scores of other classical schools with a robust 3-day program designed to nurture the continued growth of classical education in America.

The work of the Great Hearts Institute also includes VIRTUE, a free quarterly magazine with dispatches from the cutting edge of the classical renaissance; exceptional scholarly articles and talks from Advisors, Fellows, and Symposium presenters; and a blog of book reviews, teacher interviews, scholarly insights, and more—all of which can be found on the website, www.GreatHearts.Institute.

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.