Mission Statement

The mission of Virtues Academy is to help parents raise up godly young men and women by providing an education that is Christ-centered, classical, rigorous, and independent.

Scriptures such as Deuteronomy 6:5–7, Proverbs 22:6, and Ephesians 6:4 teach that parents are responsible for the training and instruction of their children. Virtues Academy seeks to assist with this responsibility, not assume it. For this reason, we partner closely with parents and actively involve them in their children’s education. The education we provide is:

• Christ-centered. Virtues Academy desires to train up students who love the Lord Jesus and exemplify his character in all their endeavors. To that end, the Christian worldview isn’t confined to a Bible class—it’s the lens through which we view the entire curriculum. Whether students are diagramming sentences, exploring scientific theories, or practicing Latin, we believe nothing can be truly understood apart from the most foundational truth that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Additionally, we help students develop firm convictions and tackle the difficult questions of faith through age-appropriate courses in theology and apologetics.
  
  All Virtues Academy board members and staff are committed Christians who belong to healthy local churches that uphold historic Christian doctrine. In both word and deed, they strive to set a godly example for the students whom they serve, passing down more than just knowledge, but a Christian paideia—an enculturation of godly values, morals, worldview, and affections.
  
  

• Classical. Virtues Academy takes a classical approach to education that seeks to cultivate wisdom and virtue in our students. Theological virtues of faith, hope, and love help students to follow and obey God. Cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude help students to lead well. Intellectual virtues help students to think well. Rhetorical virtues help students to write and speak with eloquence and persuasion. Moral virtues help students to love what is good, what is true, and what is beautiful. We believe that any student who possesses these virtues will be thoroughly equipped for any good work he or she wishes to pursue in life.
  
  We seek to accomplish this cultivation of the whole student through a robust curriculum that emphasizes the foundation of Western civilization. This curriculum is centered around the seven liberal arts and the four sciences. The seven liberal arts include the three arts of language, called the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric), and the four arts of numbers, called the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). The four sciences include the natural sciences, the human sciences, the philosophical sciences, and the theological sciences. We agree with the observation of Dorothy Sayers and others that the trivium aligns well with children’s natural capacities at different levels of development. Elementary-aged children are especially adept at acquiring factual knowledge (grammar), junior high-aged children gain understanding through critical reasoning (logic), and high school-aged children develop wisdom as they learn to communicate persuasively (rhetoric). At Virtues Academy, instruction is organized with this pedagogical framework in mind.
  
  

• Rigorous. Virtues Academy believes that when high expectations are set, students will rise to meet them. For that reason, we create a rigorous academic culture that allows every student to realize his or her potential as a scholar. Our teachers intentionally challenge their students, because encountering and overcoming difficulty in one’s studies is a vital part of a student’s maturity. Instead of relaxing standards to maintain the appearance of success, we provide both the support and the autonomy students need to excel academically at every level.
  
  A student’s formal education is the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Therefore, through academic rigor, we promote a spirit of inquiry that will serve students for the years to come. As our students interact with God’s vast and beautiful world, qualities such as curiosity, creativity, and humility are prized above merely having the right answers.
  
  

• Independent. Virtues Academy is a non-chartered, non-public school that receives no state or federal funding. Instead, our school is funded through tuition and private donations. This independence enables us to resist unwanted influence and govern our school according to the principles of God’s word.
  
  Our desire is that money would not be an insurmountable obstacle for families who want to provide a Christ-centered education for their children. For this reason, we aim to keep tuition as affordable as possible without compromising the educational experience. Through partnerships with local churches and other charitable organizations, we provide scholarship opportunities for students who would otherwise be unable to enroll.