The Heart of Apologia

Someone recently asked me to describe the “Heart of Apologia.” It took me a moment to contemplate what they were really asking me to do. There were so many ways I could have taken my response. The people I work with at Apologia are some of my good friends. And I know that we all believe in the mission of Apologia.

And there’s true beauty in being a light in the world, but I decided that the mission wasn’t the heart; it’s quite honestly, as you know, the mission – our important assignment that we accept each day.

And, at Apologia, we all work together to achieve Apologia’s vision.

And when I pondered that, I saw its beauty too, especially since my husband and I homeschooled our children and were active in our homeschool community for our entire journey as a homeschooling family. But I also realized that this vision wasn’t the heart.

The heart of Apologia- I had to contemplate and pray over that. I believe that the love everyone at Apologia pours into our curriculum at all of its different stages, and the love that pours forth from it comes from the heart of Apologia. But that still has us question, “Where is the heart?”

The heart of Apologia beats within each of its Creation-based titles. And I could end my response to the initial question here, but where’s the fun in that? I’d like to take the concept a little bit further and invite you to journey with me.

The heart of Apologia beats with the love of Christ because Apologia believes that there is no better foundation for a curriculum than the one true architect and builder of Creation. At Apologia, we know that the divine and rational realms are part of the same whole; and as a publishing company, we can be both academically honest and authentically faithful.

At Apologia, we don’t teach to some arbitrary set standard. We build within our curriculum God’s firm foundation of “In the beginning, God!” and we assemble the scaffolding of each title to teach our children how to grow in their understanding of not only their world but also their unique place within the entire universe.

I love Isaiah 54:13, which says,

The heart of Apologia immerses children in the PEACE of our Creator and not the p-i-e-c-e-by-piece unconnected curriculum of the secular world. Isaiah 45:18 is a good summary,

For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the LORD,” he says, “and there is no other.”

When our children are taught by the Lord, they recognize that our world is not a place of empty chaos, and with that knowledge, great will be their peace!

The Heart of Apologia introduces children to the Biblical, scientific, and mathematical concepts that help define the Heavens and the Earth in a way that brings children closer to God. Do I really believe that? You bet I do!

Here’s a fun fact: I have hugged every new title that I have helped bring into existence for more than a decade because I know of all of the love that went into creating that title. When it arrives on my doorstep, it’s like seeing a friend face-to-face. I love science, but I cannot recall ever hugging a science or math book in my lifetime before Apologia. There’s something truly special about the materials we all work to bring to the world. I believe it’s because they help bring children closer to God.

Richard Rohr once said,

The Heart of Apologia’s curriculum gives children the opportunity to contemplate the beauty of creation and our Creator. I can’t think of anything more beautiful to desire for every child. Creation is locked together in a rhythmic cycle established by our Creator – from which we derive the rhythm of our own lives.

And the Creation-based materials that Apologia produces help children understand that life is more than just a story about themselves. Knowing who they are and how and why our world works prepares students to find both independence and community. And it helps them become stewards of our Earth and Christian leaders of the next generation. Once a light has been lit within a child’s mind, it can shine into destinies yet to be experienced.

Proverbs 2:1-5 states,

The heart of Apologia helps students see what God sees – a landscape of endless possibilities abundantly pouring forth into every child’s future.