Sponsored by Parnassus Preparatory School
Since 2011, Parnassus Preparatory School has been providing topflight education to northwest metro students—completely free of charge.
This Maple Grove charter school focuses on the classical Trivium: the liberal arts of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. This three-stage cycle cultivates their intellectual curiosity through a content-rich curriculum.
In the School of Grammar, students gain foundational knowledge of math, science, history, and more. They begin studying Latin and Spanish daily in Prima (kindergarten).
“At this age, students are eager to learn interesting and useful facts. We want them to grow into avid lifelong learners,” says Parnassus Director of Academics, Katherine Good.
In the School of Logic, students learn to analyze information and structure their thinking. They begin studying formal logic and are introduced to the Socratic Method.
“Adolescents are naturally curious,” Good says. “They want to know the ‘why’ of everything.”
Finally, in the School of Rhetoric, scholars hone their writing and public speaking skills. Through the Harkness Method of discussion-based learning, students engage with college-level texts and learn the art of respectful debate.
It may sound different from the traditional American school, but classical education has been around for millennia.
“For 2,000 years, classical education was just called ‘education,’” says Good. “But historically, it was only available to the elite. We want to take an exclusive model of education and provide it to the public for free.”
A diverse K-12 school with around 1,200 students, Parnassus graduated its first class in 2018. They accept transfers up until the First Level of Rhetoric (ninth grade). If you think Parnassus may be a fit for your child, contact the school for more information.
“We want our graduates to not only be successful, but be good pillars of their communities,” Good says. “No matter which career they choose, everyone can be a good neighbor and citizen.”
Parnassus Preparatory School
11201 96th Avenue North • Maple Grove, MN, 55369
763.496.1416
admissions@parnassusprep.com
