Our Vision
Classical Seminar Classes to Supplement Home Education
At the ICD, we believe in the transformational power of the classics. By engaging discursively with history's greatest minds, classicists are following the intellectual brush strokes that underlie the sciences which have made it possible to eradicate smallpox, travel to the moon and write the American constitution.
“By reading and discussing, by asking questions and listening in humility, we make progress together in understanding.”
- Augustine of Hippo, 4th-5th Century Church Father
The Institute for Classical Dialogue exists to fill gaps in the modern education system. The homeschooling model is a much needed response to the painful realities of the American comprehensive school. Rote learning and endless standardised testing have become an entrenched norm.
Students are missing out on the formative experience of reading the Great Books. The classics, which gain their name by continuing to be impactful and relevant throughout world-altering technological and cultural transitions, are being replaced by an educational model designed to create workers, not free thinking individuals equipped for an unpredictable world.
“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life.”
-Plato
The ICD supports families who chose the homeschooling route by pairing independently minded students with passionate scholars. We fill the need for discussion based classical education. Through socratic style classes, students learn critical communication skills and have the opportunity to voice their questions and be responded to. Our students learn to listen deeply, to deliver their ideas effectively, and support one another’s learning.
Our Method
Discussion-Based Seminar Classroom Without Tests
At the ICD, everything starts with a great book. We carefully read a foundation text, then we convene. Like scholars have done for thousands of years, we develop a keen understanding of the material through an open-ended discussion.
At the beginning of the class, a teacher will offer an ‘opening question.’ This method has been quietly guiding discussions at St. John’s College for nearly a century. An opening question is a sincere line of inquiry that an experienced scholar is confident will generate a critical and focused discussion of the text. The opening question isn’t a rigid constraint - it is an invitation to join the scholar in learning from the author.
Our scholars are not authorities - the great books are. Through rigorous training in a discursive atmosphere, our scholars have learned how to bring a great book into focus. The scholar will guide students in their own investigations, steering the conversation towards the exegesis of the text, and gently encouraging students to focus on the work at hand, through productive discussion and the posing of sincere questions.
Depending on the age of the student, the scholar will play a more or less hands on role. The ICD aims to promote student leadership, and give students the opportunity to teach one another wherever possible.
Learn With Us
Discussion Classes
The ICD's flagship is our classics based discussion classes. Skip textbooks, worksheets and endless testing. Be guided by an expert scholar, gain the tools to read the best works ever written, and learn key discussion and critical thinking skills. Join us in our study of the Greeks, Christianity, the history of math and science, and much more!
Private Subject Tutoring
Go in depth with one of our tutors in a subject of your choice. We offer SAT support, and subject tutoring for standard high-school tracks. Or, work with our expert scholars on a passion project, whether it be translating a Platonic dialogue, studying the Bible later in life, or writing an essay.
Homeschooling Program Design
If you would prefer an independent study track, the ICD is ready to assist you in designing a comprehensive curriculum to address your child's particular needs and gifts.
Our Programs
Charity: Scripture, Sermons and Letters
Spiritual Formation
Reading and discussing scripture and the works of great teachers like St. Basil, John Wesley and C.S Lewis, we will deep-dive into the foundations of the Christian life, and one of the central virtues: charity.
The Greeks: Dialogues, Tragedies and Logic
The Philosopher's Backbone
Join us in our study of the great Philosophers, playwrights and mathematicians of the Greek Golden Age. This course opens up a 2000 year old conversation about virtue, reason, and the happy life.