Education that shapes both - mind and heart
Studying great works of Western civilization, students seek answers to life's most important questions, learn to understand themselves and the world around them, while building bonds of trust and friendship with their peers. In short, they are inspired to become heroes of their own story.
Why the Academy Was Created
In an era of informational, political, and environmental challenges, it is not enough for a young person to navigate life based on learned information alone—they need to build skills that will help them in their life decisions, relationships, approach to work, and their future.
Great works, such as Chekhov's short stories, Rembrandt's paintings, or Hitchcock's films, contain narratives that reflect the human experience and explore fundamental life themes universal to every person.
Through them, we reflect on our own experiences and internal attitudes.
Discussion with others then helps us to articulate and refine these reflections. In this way, we shape our mind and character.
VISION
Virtuous young people longing for wisdom and beauty.
MISION
By searching for answers to the important questions in life, studying the great works and stories of our western civilization, and by creating relationships based on trust, enable students to better understand themselves and the world and motivate them to become the heroes of their own amazing stories.
This program helps to:
Develop Character
By exploring powerful narratives and works of art, participants learn to comprehend values, contemplate them in new contexts, and progressively forge their own steadfast worldview.
Think Critically
In a secure, discussion-based setting, participants learn not only to formulate their own arguments but also to analyze the ideas of others, defend their own perspective, and engage in constructive dialogue.
Improve
Focus
Both the preparation for and the in-depth discussions during the seminars demand and cultivate concentration. Participants learn to consciously immerse themselves in a single subject and resist being distracted by the world around them.
Read with Comprehension
Rather than passively accepting interpretations, participants learn to actively seek meaning in texts, films, and images. They become capable of understanding art with profound depth, based on their own critical judgment.
Benefits for participants
With its content and form, Great Works Academy mitigates the impact of unregulated Internet culture - it helps young people to study and think independently, evaluate arguments and situations and better express their own viewpoints.
Through the great works, students explore the great ideas, they exercise critical and analytical thinking, empathy, as well as consistent work with text, music, film and artwork.
The great works help them to discover beauty and give value to the cultural heritage of western civilization.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
74% of students report an improved ability to see and understand different perspectives,
66% perceive an improvement in empathy.
CRITICAL
THINKING
Students improved their critical thinking, evidenced in an 11.8 times higher score on a required assessment.
ABILITY
TO FOCUS
74% of students
listen better,
49% improved their concentration,
51% of students become more actively engaged in class.
READING COMPREHENSION
Students improved their reading comprehension score by 5.4 points.
Teacher as a guide
We work with outstanding teachers at schools, who care about complex development of their students and the improvement of educational system.
During the school year, the guide (teacher) organises seminars (90 minutes each) to which students come prepared to talk about the great work they studied and reflected upon.
The role of the guide is to help students navigate during their discussions on the big questions and topics within and beyond the great work.
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95% of students say that the TEACHER
is one of the most influential parts of the program
We support teachers with
Initial
Training
Lesson plans
in Online library
Materials
in Online library
Mentoring
and Community
1.
Reading, watching, or listening to the work in the online library.
2.
Independent reflection on the work and the questions it raises.
3.
Discussion with other participants at the seminar.
We are a team of enthusiasts
for good quality education
Our combined professional backgrounds and academic qualifications from Slovak and foreign universities inspire us to approach young people with respect and share with them the best of what we have been given.
In line with the mission and vision of Great Works Academy, we're consistently educating ourselves and seek to work and live with integrity.
"It was a truly unique experience for me. What you shared was incredibly enriching—I have never taken part in anything quite like this before. I take my hat off to you for the way you lead such an in-depth analysis of a work of art. It was an entirely new kind of experience for me. What I had the chance to hear here was profound, beautiful, and wise, coming from your own experience. Thank you."
Zuzana Čaputová, former President of Slovakia
Organizes:
Partners:
We are a member of:
Teaching Character: A Practical Guide
Great Artworks Can Help Students (and Teachers) to Flourish and Become Heroes of Their Own Life Story.
The Great Works Academy is part of the independent educational institution, the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth, which was founded in 2009.
Our projects and works:
The Campus
of CAN
Build a roof for education and classical learning with us.
University
Collegium
We form future leaders in an open community and dialogue.
Elementary
and Middle School
We build solid foundations of character from childhood.
Collegium
High School
We combine classical education with preparation for the challenges of the future.
Great Works Academy
Discover yourself and the world in the stories of the greatest thinkers.
