National Symposium for Classical Education – Day Three

The 2026 Great Hearts National Symposium for Classical Education has come to an end with the close of the third and final day of this “big tent” event hosted by the Great Hearts Institute. Attendance exceeded 900 educators and leaders in the field, making this a record-breaking year.

The day began with keynote speaker, Susan McWilliams Barndt, Professor of Politics at Pomona College and the William F. Podlich Distnguished Fellow in Government at Claremont McKenna College. She serves as the elected president of the American Political Thought section of the American Political Science Association.

Her keynote address noted that the most cited piece of literature in the political speeches, sermons, and publications of the American founding is not a work of Enlightenment scholarship. It’s not a work of modern political philosophy. In fact, it’s about as far from a modern piece of writing as a piece of writing can be. According to Barndt, the most cited piece of literature in the American founding is the biblical story of the Exodus – and it’s not a close competition.

In her inciteful talk, she revealed the important and often surprising role that the ancient story of the Exodus played in the American founding, particularly during the first week of July in 1776. She also talked about what we can learn about American politics and history if we come to appreciate the place of the ancient Exodus, not just in the American founding but in American political thought (and particularly African-American political thought) more generally.

The rest of the day continued with even more breakout sessions that included world renowned speakers covering a wide array of topics surrounding this year’s theme, “Classical Education and the American Experiment: the Declaration of Independence at 250.”

Read more about Day One at: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/national-symposium-for-classical-education-day-one/

Read more about Day Two at: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/national-symposium-for-classical-education-day-two/

Great Hearts institute, the organizers of the Symposium, strived to approach the semi quincentennial in the same spirit. The goal was to pursue together an understanding of the American mind, by examining how classical learning across the curriculum – from science and math to the fine arts, languages, history, philosophy, and literature – shapes the American experiment in republican government and prepares citizens and leaders for the future.

For those who could not attend or wish to revisit key moments, livestreamed keynote sessions can be accessed immediately here, with all recorded sessions coming soon.

Register before March 9th for the 2027 Classical Education Symposium, held February 24-26 at the Tempe Mission Palms, to lock in the lowest price of the year at $397 per person. Next year, we’ll explore “Recovering Reading and Reason in a Distracted Age.”

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Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/.