New Faculty Take Their First Steps into Great Hearts Facebook Twitter Email This Post Great Hearts Academies July 8, 2025 While Great Hearts scholars across Arizona still have the rest of July to enjoy the summer break, more than 220 new faculty and staff members have already begun their school year with our classical network. On their second official day of training, known as New Faculty Orientation (NFO), this eager group gathered at the Marley Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Maryvale Preparatory Academy, taking their first steps collectively into the culture and mission that define Great Hearts academies. For these new hires, training began the day before, when they met at their home campuses and academy leadership teams for introductions and foundational information. Then, on day two, they came together as a network, representing dozens of academies throughout the Valley. Great Hearts Arizona Superintendent Brandon Crowe opened the morning session by naming what many in the room were feeling, a mix of excitement and nerves. For many, it felt a lot like the first day of school, with all the familiar jitters. Just as scholars walk into classrooms each year with anticipation and uncertainty, our new faculty are also stepping into a new chapter, filled with both questions and a deep sense of purpose. Crowe also introduced what the next few days would look like for them and what they would be learning. “It’s important to know why we do things differently here at Great Hearts before we go into the how we do things,” explained Crowe. These first days of training are intentionally designed to ground faculty in the mission and distinctives of classical education before moving on to the practical rhythms and routines of daily life in the classroom. It is a long running joke that the first few days of NFO are like “drinking from a fire hose.” One of the day’s highlights was the keynote presentation delivered by Co-founder and Academies Officer Dr. Dan Scoggin, The Six Loves of Great Hearts, which include: Virtue, The Western Tradition, Human Dignity and Freedom, Philosophical Realism, Conversation and Community, and Humility. A beloved tradition at NFO, the talk outlines the philosophical pillars of the network and helps faculty understand what makes a Great Hearts education so unique and transformative. This year’s new cohort is as wide-ranging as it is inspiring. Some are experienced educators, while others come from entirely different industries. Over a dozen are alumni returning to teach at the very academies where they once sat as students. And several have come from across the globe, including Venezuela, Germany, Italy, the Philippines, China, Canada, South Korea, and Australia, all with a dream to join a community dedicated to the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. The next few weeks continue with further orientation and department-specific training, but today marked an unforgettable start. These new educators already carry the promise of something extraordinary. When students arrive this year, they’ll be greeted by faculty who are fully prepared and deeply committed to the noble calling of classical education. So, when you see those bright eyes and hopeful smiles on the first day of school, know they’re not just your children’s teachers, they are new partners committed to cultivating the minds and hearts of our students. Do you have a story or know of one that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org. Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/.