Thousands of years ago, Classical Greek Paideia evolved as a school of thought that coincided with the rise of antiquity. Paideia focused on raising ideal members of society with a well-rounded education that included social, physical, intellectual,  and moral development. It embodied the universal ideals of Hellenism—fostering the individual pursuit of truth and knowledge, an appreciation of culture and beauty, and a devotion to democratic civic culture. The approach spread over time, serving as a model of higher learning for Christian institutions. Spanning the test of millennia, the echoes of ancient paideia are still felt with more contemporary approaches to education.

While we have not changed since Classical Antiquity, modern technology, research and education models have. This has afforded valuable insight into how children and adults learn best at cognitive, social and physical levels. Technology offers unprecedented access to the collection and analysis of streams of data, as well as an unparalleled ability to captivate children’s interest and personalize their learning. Research continues to support the benefits of physical exercise and appreciation for the arts on overall well-being, as well as enhancing intellectual growth. Best practices in the world’s premier educational systems incorporate these ideas to provide better results for their students.

From preschool through middle school, Fantis seeks to build on the philosophy of Classical Paideia while capitalizing on the recent advances and adapting for modern society. The epitome of achievement in Classical Antiquity, paideia was “the process of educating man into his true form, the real and genuine human nature.” Citizens were empowered through mind, body and spirit to achieve lifelong learning, good citizenship, families and careers. Our mission and vision for Fantis graduates seeks to continue that tradition.