Weekly Classes

We are excited to have a class for each of the Phases of Learning. Classes are taught by two parent "mentors." The classes that are taught this first year of LTWA will depend on the parents that are teaching. While we will be providing ideas and curricula, parents that are leading classes can “make it their own.” Our preliminary plans for classes include:

Core (ages 5-8): "Fall in Love with Numbers", a class written by Celeste Smith. This follows the book, A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science, by Michael S. Schneider. Each week will focus on a different number (0-10) and how that number, and the symbology related to it, is found throughout our everyday world.

Love of Learning (ages 8-11): "Fall in Love with Science," a class written by Celeste and Dr. Michael Smith. This class helps students to think like scientists and both learn about and engage with the scientific method. Skills taught in this class will help support the student in preparing a project for the LTWA Science Fair in the Spring.

Scholar (ages 12-18): "Letters from Aslan," a course written by Celeste Smith. In this class, we will dive deeply into the works of C.S. Lewis, principally the Chronicles of Narnia series and other select essays that C.S. Lewis wrote.

Nursery (ages 0-4): A nursery will be provided for younger children, allowing children of all ages to participate in Light the Way Academy.

Schedule

Light the Way Academy meets weekly on Thursdays from 9:30 am - 1:00 pm from September to April. See the Calendar for exact dates for the 2025-2026 school year. The weekly schedule is as follows:

• 9:30 am - 10:00 am - Devotional, Song, Pledge of Allegiance, Announcements

• 10:00 am - 12:00 pm - Classes

• 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Lunch (everyone brings their own lunch and we eat together)

• 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Clean up

Classes

Future Scholar Classes

As Light the Way Academy grows, including in year 2 (the 2026-2027 school year), we aim to build a school built on Scholar classes and mentoring from Leadership Education Mentoring Institute (LEMI). LEMI provides training and certification for parent mentors to teach many exciting classes, including:

• Shakespeare Conquest - studying one of Shakespeare's plays in depth and then performing the stage version of the play for the community

• Key of Liberty - a deep dive into the foundations of the United States of America, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and participating in a Constitution Bowl.

• Georgics Project - a course focused on the 7 Georgic Principles, including Providence, Mission, Self-Validation, Ownership, Community Stewardship, Local Interdependence, and Entrepreneurialism.

• Sword of Freedom & Hero Project - an endeavor that explores the complexities of the Civil War and World War II, including the philosophical principles of war, leadership during war, the historical background of the Civil War, and connecting with the Hero Generation of World War II.

• Pyramid Project - a course that inspires students to approach math and science in the context of history and discovery. This helps scholars foster curiosity and both understand and apply the principles of logic and reasoning, truth, habits of a scientist, and Newtonian Math.

• Quest - This multi-semester series of classes is a civics-type course that transforms Scholars through mastering Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, studying inspiring leaders, develop strong writing skills, understand core documents (speeches, text, Supreme Court decisions), and engage in Supreme Court simulations.

We hope that LEMI courses will begin in 2026-2027 after some of our Scholar mentors have received training in them.

Future Electives

In future school years, we hope to hold afternoon extracurricular "elective" classes in the afternoon from 1:00-3:00 pm. These may include LEMI classes and other classes that parent mentors are passionate about, including deep dives into specific subjects, languages, arts and crafts, music, and more.