Leadership Education

Light the Way Academy is built on the foundation of the Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd) philosophy. Originally created by Oliver and Rachel DeMille, this philosophy is based on patterns of effective learning that our founding fathers and other great leaders through history followed.

The goal of this education is to produce leaders among the rising generation, those who will lead our families, communities, businesses, and governments in years and decades to come. We use classic, living books as the basis of our education.

Leadership Education is NOT a defined curriculum, but rather a philosophy that can empower families in educating their children. While it is optimal for homeschooling, the TJEd Philosophy can be valuable for families who also use public education.

Leadership Education is built on seven keys of learning, which we use to define the way we approach educating our children:

Classics, not textbooks
Mentors, not professors
Inspire, not require
Structure time, not content
Quality, not conformity
Simplicity, not complexity
YOU, not them

Intro to Leadership Education

Watch this short video for an introduction to Leadership Education (TJEd). For more information, visit http://TJEd.org

We embrace the different phases of learning that a child goes through in their life, each correlated with different developmental milestones, abilities, and interests. These phases, outlined in Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning, by Oliver and Rachel DeMille, are:

Phases of Learning

The Core Phase is foundational for a child's life and education. The "curriculum" simply includes the main ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, relationships, family values, family identy, family routines and responsibilities, accountability, and the value and love of work and play. (Leadership Education, p. 48-49).

At Light the Way Academy, the Core Phase is embraced by the idea of a Spark. We strive to help young children capture the foundational knowledge needed to fuel their education and life's mission for years to come.

For the purposes of school organization, our Core Phase is broken up into a Nursery (ages 0-4), Core 1 (ages 5-6), and Core 2 (ages 7-8).

Core Phase - SPARK (ages 0-8)

Love of Learning Phase - FLAME (ages 8-11)

It is in the Love of Learning phase when a child truly falls in love with the process of learning, studying, knowing, and understanding. It is a time when parents and mentors provide guidance and resources and allow children to explore the world around them as fully and deeply as possible. This includes allowing them to start taking responsibility for their learning. (Leadership Education, p. 49-50).

At Light the Way Academy, the Love of Learning Phase is embraced by the idea of a Flame. Building upon the Spark, we add fuel and opportunities to learn so that a child's curiosity and passion for learning burns deep and bright.

Scholar Phase - TORCH (ages 12-18)

The Scholar phase is when youth dive deeply into the "book learning" part of their education, more so than in previous phases. Central to the Scholar phase a foundation of the great classics of literature, helping a youth become well versed in the subjects of history, science, mathematics, literature. It also allows youth experiential learning opportunities in subjects they are most passionate about. By the end of the Scholar phase, youth become comfortable in writing, public speaking, project management, and more. (Leadership Education, p. 57-58).

At Light the Way Academy, the Scholar Phase is embraced by the idea of a Torch. The Scholar takes the Flame that they grew in the Love of Learning phase and then positions it in a way (on a torch) where they can then carry it out into the world, for the rest of their lives.