About this episode

Caylan Ford discusses her founding of Alberta Classical Academy and the principles of classical education.

“People have lost sight of what education is supposed to be,” said Caylan Ford. In 2022, she founded Canada’s first tuition-free classical charter school, the Calgary Classical Academy, with just a dozen faculty members. Since then, it has grown to 1,500 students across three campuses in Calgary and Edmonton, with thousands more on the waitlist, and has changed its name to Alberta Classical Academy. For Ford, classical education is all about, as she put it, “turning around the soul so that it’s oriented toward things that are actually eternally true and good and enduring.” Canadian parents crave the classical education Alberta Classical Academy provides. “A lot of the parents who come to us are absolutely desperate. … The existence of this school is like an answered prayer,” Ford said. Surprisingly, Alberta is the only province in Canada that allows charter schools. Just as in America, Alberta’s charter schools are public schools that do not charge tuition. They are statutorily barred from having a religious affiliation. Students study Latin beginning in Grade 5, with additional language options like French in high school. Much emphasis is given to the coherent study of history…

More episodes of American Thought Leaders

• What the End of the Orban Era Means for Hungary and Its Constitution | Marton Sulyok · June 4, 2026 · 58 min
• One Key Fact About America’s Founding That Isn’t Taught Anymore | Eric Metaxas · May 30, 2026 · 50 min
• Is Canada Becoming the CCP’s Backdoor into America? | Former Canadian Intel Analyst Scott McGregor · May 28, 2026 · 29 min
• Gordon Chang Breaks Down Trump-Xi Summit and What’s Next · May 23, 2026 · 52 min
• How Cartels Force Children Into Prostitution, Drug Dealing and Even Killing | Rosi Orozco · May 21, 2026 · 1h 0m
• The CCP’s Greatest Insecurity—and America’s Greatest Weapon | Sam Brownback · May 12, 2026 · 45 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the American Thought Leaders podcast page.