Family Matters
Introducing Classical Wisdom Kids, bringing ancient wisdom to future minds...
Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel
~ Plutarch
Only the educated are free
~ Epictetus
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all
~ Aristotle
Joel Bowman, ruminating today from Buenos Aires, Argentina…
One of the things I love the most about this city, sometimes known as the “Paris of the South,” is its open and unapologetic love affair with literature and learning.
While other cities celebrate their civic pride after their own fashion, Buenos Aires has a special relationship with great literary works, both from their own, contemporary authors, and also reaching back into the annals of history, too.
Indeed, as mentioned in these pages before, the country’s most celebrated author, Jorge Luis Borges, was a dedicated classicist, a man who once remarked, “I’ve always thought of paradise as a kind of library.”
Even at the local magazine and newspaper stands, one finds evidence of a tendency toward deeper, more contemplative reading of the kind Sr. Borges would most certainly have approved. We snapped this picture from a taxi window the other day, on the way home from our daughter’s summer colonia (a holiday program in which kids study art, theater and pottery, among other fun activities.)
As you can see, along with the usual terror and crime fiction you see philosophical works (pensamientos filosophia), mythology (mitologia), literature (literatura), math, (matematica), psychology (psicologia) as well as on politics, neuroscience, etc.
For a Modern Flâneur, this is the kind of sight for sore eyes that rewards unhurried strolls around the city’s broad boulevards and through her bustling plazas. It also underscores an important part of why we choose to spend so much time here, immersed in a culture that holds such important subjects in high regard.
On the subject of education, both continued and kindled, some (perhaps even most?) of you know my wife, Anya, who is the founder and director of Classical Wisdom. Yesterday, Anya wrote to her classics community with an important announcement that directly concerns our little family… and potentially yours, too.
I’ll let my better half do the explaining. If you find the message valuable and know of someone who might be interested – a friend or colleague, uncle or auntie, grandparent or guardian of a curious young mind – please feel free to share this post with them right here.
Now, here’s Anya…
Dear Classics Reader,
As the Founder and Director of Classical Wisdom, I’ve spent the last ten years working to promote and preserve ancient history, philosophy and literature. Filled with ups and downs, it’s certainly been a labour of love…but it’s a mission I believe in.
I’m also a wife and a mother of a seven year old girl.
Like most parents, my husband and I are keenly interested in our daughter’s education. For the past couple of years, she has been attending a bi-lingual school here in the city. She also takes violin classes and enjoys art, theater and pottery in her spare time.
But if I’m honest, the thing she loves learning about most is the ancient world... the languages, the stories of the great thinkers and powerful leaders... and of course, mythology.
For years, my husband and I envisioned home schooling, but we were faced with the usual problems and protests, the standard ‘hows’ and ‘what ifs’.
Would one of us quit our work? Could we hire a tutor? What about her school friends and far away family? And was this something we could do while on the road?
Was it possible that could I run a small business dedicated to the Classics and give my daughter the education she wants... and deserves?
These and many, many more questions occupied our late night discussions as we tried to find a solution. Then, a few weeks ago, we had a kind of crazy idea...
We’d always wanted to incorporate a classics-based curriculum into our daughter’s education (after all, this is what I write about online), so it seemed about time that I finally, ‘walk the walk’.
Whether through mythology, philosophy, literature, history or math and sciences, the ancient world has so much to offer young minds. Partially because those who came before us met many of the same challenges we face today... and their hard-won lessons reach down through the ages, standing the test of time.
But how to transmit these important ideas to kids? How can we teach children the value of ancient history? Both for our own daughter, and for all the like-minded kiddos (and parents) out there?
After all, if I really care about promoting and preserving the Classics, then I need to work to instill an interest in the next generation...
And thus, Classical Wisdom Kids was born.
I won’t do this alone. Joining me on the project will be my dear husband Joel and my daughter Frida (who is eager to contribute, to “give a kid’s perspective,” from logo design to articles to kid approved activities...she is very excited).
This will be a family project.
But, we’ll keep it simple... once a week we’ll discuss an idea or concept, along with a story, from the ancient world, and we’ll rotate through the different disciplines. For example:
One week we’ll discuss the Socratic Method and tell the story of Socrates... or maybe the origins of Stoicism and the modest Phoenician Zeno.
The next week we’ll talk about Monsters and Minotaurs, Heracles’ twelve labors or re-enact the Titanomachy.
When we get to history, we’ll go over daily life in Athens or Alexander the Great’s empire (including his horse) or Cleopatra’s naval prowess (along with her cat).
We’ll discuss theater and poetry and how ancient music sounded.
We’ll also go into the history of Maths and Science, covering Euclid’s propositions and Archimedes’ death ray (of course).
These will be free to all, so please enjoy them with your own children... or invite nieces, nephews, grandchildren and any bright, young, inquiring minds along for the journey!
And we’ll develop fun activities along the way, games for kids to undertake by themselves and to play with the whole family (tested, of course, by our own little team).
Whether it’s building the Minotaur’s maze or cooking an ancient recipe, we understand that children learn best through play... and fortunately the ancient world is filled with excellent inspiration for all sorts of fantastic adventures.
We also know (all too well) that kids need different kinds of activities... that suit their temperament, personality or just their mood that day. As such, we’ll provide calmer, more individual projects, as well as the energetic (read: the “dirty hands”) kind for each lesson.
Think of it as vita activa and vita contemplativa for your young one.
During my time heading up Classical Wisdom, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and interview literally hundreds of professors from around the world. I feel extremely fortunate and grateful to have access to these wonderful and generous minds... and I want to be able to share these opportunities with the children you know and love, too.
We’ll visit and consult with world renowned experts in their fields, learning from them along the way and sharing their lessons with our new Classical Kids classmates...
Importantly, I’d like to keep the cost of this to an absolute minimum, so as many children can enjoy the benefits and insights of the ancient world as possible. The best way I can do that is to reach as large an audience as possible...
So we’re going to start out with an introductory price of just $5/month.
For about the price of one café latte a month, you’ll receive ALL our weekly lesson plans and activities, plus videos from ancient sites, interviews with guides and experts we’ll meet along the way, PLUS printable materials with pictures and activities to help nurture a lifelong love of wisdom and learning in your child.
Moreover, if $5 is still too much, just send us an email and we’ll personally extend a complimentary trial subscription, to help get you started.
Put simply, I believe money should NEVER be an impediment to a child’s learning, no matter what their situation is. For that reason, if you can’t afford it, just let us know, no problem.
And if you have a bit extra, that’s great too! We’ve set up a “Founder’s Membership” option for those of you who would like to give a little more...as well as the option to gift or donate a membership, so that you can sponsor another kid’s journey. Every bit helps.
As this project grows, we will develop outreach programs and bring in more experts and resources to help promote the classics... not just for modern minds, but for future ones too.
But don’t worry. Even as we expand our archives and grow our classical network, you’ll stay at the special, introductory offer price...
In the meantime, feel free to subscribe as either a free or paid member to this newest endeavor, Classical Wisdom Kids.
We are thrilled you can join us for the journey.
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Kids
P.S. If you know someone specific who would appreciate our emails and activities, feel free to gift them a subscription here.
Thank you for reading and considering our exciting new project. This is going to be a whole lot of fun. We hope you and your loved ones can join us on the journey. As always, feel free to share our work with those in your own network. Cheers!
At what (approximate) age would a child start to benefit from this exciting experience?