9th Grade & 10th-12th Grade

This class will study modern US History from the Civil War to the present day. We aim to help history come alive for each student by reading classic stories, exploring events, people, and places in the context of those stories, and looking for patterns in history to help us understand today’s challenges and better prepare for what will likely be coming next. To help study time become more rewarding and satisfying, we’ll gain advanced learning skills. The goal is to learn to love history, become better learners, and gain a love for our country and Constitution.

Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine…campus protests…the rising cost of living…the erosion of the family…mental health challenges on the rise…the myriad confusing voices on social media and daily news outlets…a country divided between red states and blue…federal and family debt continuing to rise…traditional standards of morality under attack and routinely mocked… artificial intelligence—friend or foe?…The list of modern-day challenges could seemingly fill pages and pages. Is there near-term hope for the future? What does the future hold for us and the generations to come?

One way to answer these questions is by better understanding history. If we know how we got here, we can better anticipate where we’re headed. If we know how we got here and we understand true principles and natural laws, we can not only better anticipate where we’re headed, we can also influence the future in the right direction. There’s a phrase for that…fulfilling personal life mission.

This year we’ll study modern US history from the Civil War era to the present day. We’ll avoid, at all possible, rote memorization of dry facts—events, dates, people—opting instead to help history come alive through classic stories and ideas, looking for patterns in history and where we are in those patterns, and following individual student interests. We’ll spend some time learning and practicing advanced study skills to become better learners, skills that will help in not only the study of history, but in all areas of learning.

Studying modern history, though, comes with its own challenges. One of the ideas we will study has influenced a movement among modern historians who believe stories from our past need to be revisited and viewed through a different lens. This revisionist history has sewn seeds of confusion about the founding of our country and called into question what it means to be an American. In our study of modern history, we’ll need to learn to discern what is reliable history and what is not.

My goal for each student in this class is four-fold:

1. To learn to love the study of history and to learn to find lessons in history that matter and apply today.

2. To gain advanced learning skills to make the effort put into studying more rewarding and enjoyable.

3. To learn to better discern truth from falsehood.

4. To gain a love for our country and the US Constitution and a zeal to defend it.

11th-12th Grades

Get a World-Class Leadership Education During the College Years

This course is designed to help you gain the skills, knowledge ad understanding to not just survive, but get a world class education during the college years! Come to know if college is the right path for you and how to crush it; and if not what some of the best alternatives are. Learn skills such as strategies of how to read a textbook efficiently and effectively, how to read quicker with better comprehension, how to leverage the college years for future financial stability and explore worldviews that will allow you to discern truth and not be swept away with the popular, but untrue, trending thoughts. Come to learn why getting a world-class education during the college years matters. Your life mission depends up on it! This course will be tailored to the interests and needs of the students who are accepted.

Read the most recent top 50 books on higher education today and you will notice that the top thinkers in education are voicing what more and more people who go to college are experiencing. Most go to college in order to get a better job or career; a few go because they really just want to get a great education; Booklist Interesting and mind-expanding readings, both in class and out Mini Lectures To teach a concept Personal Math Study Plan Dive deeper into a subject or area the student has interest in or needs to revisit Class Tutorials Initially mentor led, students will learn how to lead class discussions Student Presentations An opportunity for each student to report on his or her personal study plan, what he or she is learning, why it matters, etc. Students learn more when they teach Tests One of the great learning environments, when done right Primarily essays and quizzes and some go mainly to experience the college life—like it’s a rite of passage into adulthood or maybe something they are just expected to do. Unfortunately, all too many are leaving college without seeing these promises fulfilled. Job and career options are fewer and paying less, the quality of education feels mediocre at best and the student loan debt many accrue will require years and even decades to pay off. At the end, far too often they look back with regret, wondering if it really was worth it. This course is designed to help you gain the skills, knowledge and understanding to not just survive, but get a world class education during the college years! This course will be tailored to the interest and needs of the students who are accepted. Some of the potential topics to be covered include: 1. This isn’t your parents’, much less your grandparents’ college. Learn how the college experience has changed in the last 20-50 years and what to do about it. 2. The secrets of college prep. What to do before, and even after you enroll to get the most out of your college experience. 3. Is college the right path for you? If so, how to crush it; and if not, what are some of the best alternatives. 4. Why getting a world-class leadership education in college matters. Your life mission depends on it. 5. Wondering about money? What future millionaires do in their 20’s that you can do too. How to leverage the college years for finance, career, and making a living. 6. Which critical skills to master to make you indispensable at work and in your community. 7. Which essential personal and character qualities should you focus on to maximize career success? 8. Master these college-level learning skills: a. How to read a a textbook to get the most our of it in the least amount of time b. How to read more effectively with better comprehension c. How to quickly memorize anything with amazing recall weeks and months later d. How to research and write high quality research papers e. How to effectively take notes in class and in your studies f. How to leverage the college library to enhance your learning g. How to become an independent learning h. And more…. 9. In college you’ll be introduced to a whole new world of ideas, some helpful, some not. How do you tell the difference between what’s true, right, and good, and what’s not? Two important keys: world views and epistemologies. We’ll learn what that means. Seating is limited. The format of this class and the material we will cover will benefit only the most committed student who are serious about getting a world class leadership education during the college years. Acceptance is by approval of both the Ascend board and the mentor. If interested, an enrollment packet will be made available via email. Complete the enrollment application and email it to the mentor.

11h-12th Graders

10th-12th Graders who have completed Algebra 2

“I hate math.”
“When am I ever going to use this?” “I’m terrible at math. My brain just doesn’t work that way.”

Do any of these voices sound familiar? They won’t after this class! At least that’s the goal. The objective of this class is to learn to be math thinkers, rather than train math followers. Thinking mathematically helps train the brain to see patterns, explore relationships, analyze, avoid jumping to conclusions, solve problems, and think logically. It can help us discern truth from falsehoods.

How will we approach the study of math? By seeing the beauty in numbers, learning the history of math and applying it to real life. Some applications we will explore include learning principles of personal and business finance, learning to use Excel spreadsheets, and learning how math is applied in real-world trades and careers. There are bound to be some concepts that are fuzzy or which didn’t make sense the first time around. We’ll use the ALEKS online math program to help identify and target those specific concepts and put together a personal study plan to revisit them. You’ll find them making more sense after tackling them again a second time.

My goal for each student in this class is four-fold:

1. To learn to love the study of math Tests One of the great learning environments, when done right Primarily essays and quizzes, and don’t forget oral exams at the end.

2. To gain advanced learning skills that can be specifically applied to improve math retention.

3. To learn to think mathematically.

4. To learn to become an independent math learner.

Learn strategies, insights, and tools to help you make the most of your child’s educational experience with us. Our school’s approach differs from mainstream educational settings, and we want to share with you why an education with Ascend matters.

Please make every effort to be here–it is well worth the effort! You will learn, be inspired, and have YOUR questions answered! This class is foundational to our approach at Ascend, and parents benefit from this information just as much as our students. It can transform your educational experience as a family.