About this episode

This episode features a discussion with two Classical Conversations students who excelled in a national civics competition, highlighting the impact of classical education on their success.

What does it look like when a classical Christian education meets a national civics competition? In this episode of Refining Rhetoric , host Robert Bortins sits down with two Classical Conversations students — Owen Burrill and Elisha Hoey — who were selected as national finalists in the U.S. Presidential 1776 Award, a civics competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education celebrating America's 250th anniversary. Out of hundreds of thousands of eligible students, only 20 made it this far — and these two CC students are among them. Owen and Elisha share how they tackled a study library spanning John Locke's Two Treatises of Government to Madison's notes from the Constitutional Convention, what surprised them most about the Founding (hint: virtue shows up everywhere), and how Classical Conversations' emphasis on memory work, primary documents, and impromptu speaking gave them a real edge. They also dish on their private tour of the National Archives and what it was like to see the Declaration of Independence without the crowds. Whether you're a homeschool parent wondering if the hard work is paying off, or a student looking for a reason to dig deeper into American history…

People in this episode

Host: Robert Bortins

Guests: Owen Burrill, Elisha Hoey

Topics covered

• classical education
• civics competition
• American history
• homeschooling
• student achievement

Keywords

• classical education
• civics competition
• U.S. Presidential 1776 Award
• homeschooling
• American history
• student success
• Classical Conversations

Sponsors

Classical Conversations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Department of Education

Books & works: John Locke's Two Treatises of Government, Madison's notes from the Constitutional Convention, Declaration of Independence

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