We asked some Classical Conversations participants, “What do you love about Classical Conversations?” Here are some of their responses…

“I love the Accountability, Community, Freedom within a Structure, the TIMELINE, integrating it all together!”
Matt and Anne

“It is hard to choose what I love best because there is so much to love... Christ-centered, integration of subjects, accountability and I absolutely love my community!”
Lora

“I love the Christ-centered conversation for young people and their families and learning to "see" Him in all things and learning to see myself rightly.”
Heather

“I love thinking big thoughts with a community that has become blessed friends and leading my own children (and their friends) to embrace "hard things" while mastering the skills of learning.”
Lisa

“I do love the accountability, but I think for me it is the simplicity of the classical method in action. CC really took classical education off the "top shelf" and made it doable. I love that when the time comes for my little's to join us for school I will be teaching the same thing to everyone just at different levels.”
Kara

“I love the conviction to know God and make HIM known!”
Natalia

“I love (1) the Challenge program. After reading The Well-Trained Mind, everything seemed doable until I got my sons up to high-school. Then I felt at a loss for what to do for accountability and maintaining academic integrity. (2) I love the art lessons and science experiments...before CC, these ALWAYS fell off of my school priority lists. Now, I can say at the end of each year that my kids did 24 science projects and 24 fine art lessons! (3) I love presentations at ALL levels: my introverted boys don't HESITATE to get up in front of crowds thanks to the 72+ presentations they've had to give...how wonderful is that! Especially as they come to know the Lord and are called on to make Him known! 🙂 (4) Two words: Time. Line. (5) One S-Vt-DO with a simple adverb, multiple word adjectival modifier, and a strong verb: They grasp an intensive knowledge of their mother tongue. Every strand in Challenge is open to them in such a beautiful way after their tours through Essentials. I feel our love of learning in our house had instilled a desire for them to become life-long learners, but Essentials has given them the SKILLS to be life-long learners!”
Janie

“I love the community, like-minded families, Christ-centeredness, teaching our children how to think for themselves when the world wants them to think the way it does.”
Kimberly

“CC enables me to be an exceptional home educator. Before CC, I was just an average one.”
Anne

“Without CC it is extremely difficult to compile information for the Grammar stage. I tried last year and it just never got done. CC makes it possible and efficient to truly educate your children classically. And they do it simply; anyone can follow their curriculum.”
Silvana

“I now have a backbone from which to work from. My kids have learned more this year than last. They love the songs and are very motivated to learn. My challenge student has learned how to write using the Lost Tools of Learning and lots of encouragement from me! (I said this week that this point alone was worth any amount of money!) With five kids, I can add to what CC has already provided and I do not have to do a ton of planning. I am SO thankful for this school year. I have met some wonderful families that I would have never known otherwise. Could go on and on!! WOO HOO!”
Linda

“I love when CC tutors love my children! Especially in the Challenge years: spending a whole day together and covering all the subjects enables a tutor to really get to know the student and see their strengths and weaknesses in different areas, so it gives me someone I can talk to who really understands them. I also love the families that commit to doing this all the way through to graduation together...we know we'll be there for each other, no matter what, and when the students put on caps and gowns we're going to just stand in a circle and have a good cry. (It won't be the first time we've done that, either, but this will be a proud and happy cry.)”
Courtney

“I like having a core of knowledge we are working on as a group. The sense that we are all learning this (despite age/maths or reading skills) is very motivating and gives my kids a sense of belonging. It normalises homeschooling and gives us a community.”
Louise

“Where do I begin?! The classical method, the integration of subjects, friends (!), accountability/motivation, the RESULTS!”
Melissa

“I love having a single master teacher, rather than multiple specialists.”
Matt

“I love so much about CC but I really love that it is a 12 year plan! Before CC, I would get so discouraged when we get to the end of the year and my kiddos couldn't remember most of the stuff we had worked on throughout the year. I was teaching them how I had been taught . . . to learn it for a test. When I found CC it was like the light turned on! I just love that we are building upon a "Foundation"! I am really seeing it this year with my oldest in Essentials. All the English we have been memorising is being put to use. She isn't struggling anymore to remember what the verb, nouns, pronouns, and prepositions are. She knows them from her CC Foundation Memory Work. I can't believe the sentences she can now label and diagram. I'm excited about what I am teaching my kids and they are succeeding! I LOVE CC!”
Carrie

Testimonies from Challenge Students...

"Challenge III helped me see how Shakespeare, poetry, history, philosophy, maths, and chemistry all contribute to something bigger. They showed me something about the human condition and the way people naturally think."
Andrew

"For me, Challenge gives an opportunity to learn new things side by side with others my age. I also get to compete and discuss in Challenge each week which I can’t do at home by myself."
Abby Causey 

"Challenge A has helped me challenge myself personally. I've had a great time learning and making new friends. Challenge A has been a great experience and I'm excited for next year with a new challenge."
Izanna Forsythe Challenge A

"It's a challenge! I liked logic/maths best. All life has logic/maths. It's logical to ask Jesus in your life. In flying I need to know my coordinates, handling my finances-- investments, in war--strategies, as a race car driver--physics, angles and degrees, in the Bible--Matt.18:10-12, in government--taxes, in lost tools of writing--number of proofs in the outline to support my issue. All these just to name a few reasons I like maths best!"
Joshua Hole

"Challenge means something that is difficult but with God’s help it's possible! Challenge is like climbing to the top of the mountain. It is hard but possible."
Faith Estrella

"Challenge A is Scientific, Rhetorical, Mathematical, Geographical, Biological, Latin-ical, and Expositional. Challenge A gave me the chance to gather more information from resources and different books, and learn more about the animals I am interested in. If I hadn’t been in Challenge A I would not have done all the research that I did.

"My confidence level for maths went up as the year progressed… Maths got easier as my confidence grew… The way the questions are asked in the maths seminar helped me to learn maths laws and terms; that made it easier to figure out what the question was and how to find the answer."
Albert Swalander

"Challenge A is a place where I get to learn things that most people my age don't know. I get to laugh at mistakes I've made that most people my age don't ever get to make. I get to experience amazing tutors, great friendships, and get to have lots of fun while learning about God's great plan for me."
Brianna Knight

"Challenge is a fun yet difficult course for me. I enjoy the smaller classes and the convenient subjects.”
Ben (CHB)

"To me, CC means rigorous, Christ-centered learning, with less distinction between subjects because of integration. It means deep thinking and good friendships, both with other students and with the tutors. CC is homeschooling taken to the next level with organisation and, yes, even socialisation. It's a great environment to learn critical thinking, time management, and experimental procedures. So, overall, CC is pretty awesome."
Heather (CH2)

"Challenge is a community, which offers an intense academic program. Doing school with friends is one of the best parts. We get to learn through the program, but you get to learn with friends. I've been with my community for seven years and I'm looking forward to graduating with good friends I've grown up with through Classical Conversations."
Jared (CH2)

"I just finished Challenge 1 this year, and I have gained much more than would be expected. In Challenge, I have learned to boldly proclaim and defend truth. You see, Challenge isn't only about learning facts and shovelling knowledge into your head, but rather, a process of challenging a student to make their beliefs their own, to turn knowledge into wisdom. This year, my teacher challenged me never to stop learning, to surpass, and to succeed. Challenge is an adventure; an adventure in pursuit of knowledge, and wisdom; one that doesn't end when you reach Challenge 4, but merely begins."
Joy