About CiRCE

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About the Team

Our Story

The CiRCE Institute is the leading provider of inspiration, information, and insight to classical educators throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia through in-house teacher training, Lost Tools of Writing™ Workshops and materials, consulting on board development, school leadership, and starting a classical school, and an annual conference.

The CiRCE Institute began in 1996 as Circe Ministries, a research and tutoring service formed by Andrew Kern for the purpose of writing Classical Education, Towards the Revival of American Schooling and teaching high school aged home school students in a university style great books class.

Over the years a rapidly growing number of schools and organizations asked Mr. Kern to speak at their conferences, to help them develop curriculum, and to train their teachers. To facilitate this work, CiRCE began it's annual conference in the summer of 2002.

That year, CiRCE Ministries became the non-profit 501(C)3 corporation, The CiRCE Institute. Continued growth has led to the addition of four consultants (Dr. James Taylor, Martin Cothran, Debbie Harris, and Bryan Smith), Business Manager Nancy Aubitz, Marketing Director Brian Phillips, Research Director Alexandra Houck, a product line that includes conference recordings, The Lost Tools of Writing™, Next Step Teacher Training™, and other valuable resources for classical schools and homes.

Our Purpose

The CiRCE Institute exists to promote and support classical education in the school and in the home. Our clients consider the CiRCE Institute the cutting-edge organization in the classical Christian world because of our unique ability to identify the ancient principles of learning, to communicate them enthusiastically, and to apply them vigorously.

Our Ministries

Based in Concord, North Carolina (just outside Charlotte), CiRCE ministers to schools and home educators from coast to coast and across the Atlantic. Our ministries include:

• Next Step Teacher Training™

• The Lost Tools of Writing™

• The annual CiRCE Institute national conference

• Public Presentations

• Consultations on institutional and leadership development, including
     Starting a School
     Vision and Mission retreats
     The 11 Dynamics of Institutional Development

• Conference Speaking

• CD's and Cassettes

• Books

We provide practical wisdom for the school and home.

Our Creed

CiRCE Institute is committed to the Christianity expressed in the historical creeds of the church, especially the Nicene Creed. CS Lewis’s phrase “Mere Christian” describes our aspiration.

Our business philosophy

By the excellence of his work the workman is a neighbor.
By selling only what he would not despise to own the salesman is a neighbor.
By selling what is good his character survives his market.

Wendell Berry
Farming: A Handbook