Cultivate: A Veritas Academy Podcast

Eleanor's Story: From The Darkness of Nazi Germany to Living in Christ's Light

"If you let me get through this war, I am going to find you when I'm grown up. And I am going to love you, and I am going to tell everybody about how terrific you are. You just wait." Those are the words of a 10-year-old Eleanor, huddled in a basement during one of the many bomb raids she survived in Nazi Germany, to her "invisible, wonderful friend" - before she knew his true name and nature as her God and Savior. Now at 91, Eleanor Isaacson's life has truly been a testament to how "terrific" God is. She made good on her promise, and has blessed many people and groups around the world with her testimony, which she has shared with Veritas students who study WWII on multiple occasions. This is our season finale episode, and you don't want to miss the chance to hear Eleanor's incredible, at times heartrending, but ultimately inspiring story of faith, resilience, forgiveness, and hope. This season of Cultivate has been sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisors [https://www.hersheyfinancialadvisers.com/], a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd. in Lancaster, leading people to make better financial decisions, and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Book Recommendations from Veritas Seniors

Summer's right around the corner, so for those of you who are already compiling your summer reading list for those beach or mountain vacations, we've got some great recommendations for you! In case you haven't noticed, we read a lot here at Veritas. And we don't read just any old drivel. Our students and teachers dive headfirst into the Great Books of the Western world. So, this group of seniors has an eclectic, thought-provoking (maybe even life-changing? Is that too much?) list of favorite books, presented in a fun discussion around the table with our host and Head of School Mr. Fischer. Listen in for some titles that will challenge and inspire you - mostly from our collection of Omnibus books these students have read in their Veritas 7th-12th grade journey. The Great Books curriculum is part of what makes a classical Christian education so special. By developing a student's taste and appreciation for deeper words and works - and by training the muscles of their minds to read and interpret difficult texts - we're in a way preparing them for a richer, fuller life - just the type of abundant life that Christ has called them to. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers [https://www.hersheyfinancialadvisers.com/], a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd. in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Education and The Pursuit of Meaning: Pointing Students to Glory

Our guest in this episode is Andrew Kern, author and founder and CEO of the CiRCE Institute [https://circeinstitute.org/] , who is a national leader in the classical Christian education movement. He and Ty Fischer talk about how a true education can and should point students to the glory of God, and, in so doing, provide an answer to our culture's "meaning crisis." Their dynamic conversation touches on scripture, on God's design for his creation and for us as his children, on education and discipleship, on culture, and so much more! This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers [https://www.hersheyfinancialadvisers.com/], a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Boulevard in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions, and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Why The Great Books Are The Best Gateway to History

Why read a bunch of facts about something in a textbook when you can get a first-hand account of what happened from someone who was there in the room where it happened? That's pretty much the concept of using the Great Books as the textbooks of choice in classical Christian education. At Veritas, a distinctive feature of secondary education is the Omnibus program, a comprehensive curriculum that combines literature, history, theology, civics, and philosophy. And, for the most part, students don't use textbooks for these classes. Rather, their textbooks are the "original sources;" that is, influential works written by authors and leaders of the time period. Our teachers and students have experienced first hand why this is the best way to appreciate and understand history...and why that appreciation and understanding is so crucial to a person's formation of faith and ideas. In this entertaining and eye-opening episode, three of our Omnibus teachers - Graham Dennis, Starling Reid, and Darin Beachy - talk with Mr. Fischer about their experience teaching history through the lens of the Great Books, how they inspire teenagers to wrestle with these difficult texts, and why the study of history alongside theology and philosophy is so vital to their development as citizens of our culture and disciples of Christ. What does that look like at Veritas? Well, instead of reading about the Peloponnesian War of the 4th century B.C., students read Thucydides' actual account and Aristophanes' plays. Rather than learn facts about Church history, they read Eusebius, Athanasius, and Dante's Divine Comedy. To grasp our country's founding principles, they read Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbes. Great works of 19th century literature is enjoyed and discussed in conjunction with understanding modern movements. Think teenagers couldn't possibly be ready to digest this type of weighty material? Think again. A classical Christian education calls them to higher things, and year after year, our students rise to the occasion and thrive because of it! Find out how in this episode. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers [https://www.hersheyfinancialadvisers.com/], a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

Cultivating Virtue: A Call to Our Youth for Christ-Centered Lives

Is virtue something that is innate? Or can it be learned, practiced, and grown in our lives? It's an important question, especially for students and young adults who are discovering God's calling and purpose for their lives. Last year, we were privileged to host Dr. Grant Horner, Director of the Classical Liberal Arts Program at The Master's University, to speak with our 11th and 12th grade students on the topic of virtue: what is it, why we should aim for it, and what a virtuous life looks like for a disciple of Christ. And, he does it with plenty of humor as well as soul searching scriptural truths. Parents - you will not only be inspired and exhorted yourselves to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received" - but for those of you who have students at a classical Christian school, you will also be grateful that this is what your students' teachers are guiding them towards. Listen to it all at once, or take some time to come back to this longer episode if you have to; it's a worthwhile listen all the way to the end, including some very thought-provoking questions from our students. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, [https://www.hersheyfinancialadvisers.com/] a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster, leading people to make better financial decisions, and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.