Our Model of Education

the three pillars

Inspired by Saint Pope John Paul II, we take as our motto Cultura Vitae, the culture of life. We make it our mission to prepare our students to triumph over the materialism and despair that pervade our culture and to accept our Lord's offer to have life and have it abundantly. Our classical curriculum combines a broad, liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the development of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty. Through our Three Pillars Model, we form our students in:

Intellect

We teach the classics of Western thought from physics to philosophy, and the interrelationship of the great ideas; teaching students not merely what to think but how to think.

Character

We encourage students to grow in the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice, which we believe are the true foundation of leadership.

Spirituality

Our students come to understand and embrace the truth of why they exist: to know God, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and be happy with Him forever in the next.

The Chesterton Schools Network

Chesterton Academy of Milwaukee is part of the Chesterton Schools Network based in Minneapolis. A collaborative venture of the American Chesterton Society and Chesterton Academy, the Chesterton Schools Network aims to inspire and encourage parent-led Catholic schools across the nation. The Network offers consulting services; templates for evaluating interest and operating a school; and the Chesterton Academy curriculum framework.

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Hallmarks of a Chesterton Education

An Incarnational Environment

From history and theology to math and science, the Incarnation is the central mystery we explore across the entire curriculum. It is our desire that each student would personally experience the Incarnation.

Rediscovering the Lost Tools of Learning

Our curriculum is centered on skills seemingly forgotten in our modern society - reading, writing, oral presentations, and the development of critical reasoning skills through logic and philosophy.

A Focus on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

Our classical curriculum combines a broad, liberal arts education with a strong emphasis on the development of Christian virtues and an appreciation of beauty.

The Socratic Seminar

The Socratic seminar is perhaps the oldest educational tool. Through this method, a teacher imparts knowledge through directed questions and guided dialogue, bringing ideas and knowledge to life.

A Joyful Learning Environment

We create environments where students experience the joy of community and the discovery process, providing them with an opportunity to live out their spiritual life in an atmosphere of joy and fun.

The Wit and Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton

Chesterton exemplified the Catholic faith through through his wit, his clarity, his kindness, and his ability to love people with whom he disagreed, while sharing the faith in Christian charity.

Our Mission: Supporting Parents as Primary Educator

The mission of Chesterton Academy is to help parents raise up a new generation of joyful leaders and saints, educated in the classical, liberal arts tradition and the truths of the Catholic faith, in order to serve the common good.

Our Patron: G.K. Chesterton

Chesterton Academy is named for the great English writer and Catholic convert, G.K. Chesterton (1874- 1936). Chesterton is a model for our school because he exemplified the Catholic faith through a life filled with joy, wonder, and gratitude.

Chesterton was considered one of the world’s most outstanding men of letters in the early 20th century. An accomplished essayist, novelist, and poet, he wrote a hundred books on all different subjects. In 1922, he shocked the literary establishment by converting to Catholicism. He was later eulogized by Pope Pius XI as “a gifted defender of the faith,” and there is presently a popular movement to have him canonized. The school has chosen him for its patron because he not only represents the fullness of faith and reason, but also Catholic joy and common sense.