Are there any openings for 2024-2025 school year?

We are so excited to share Leadership Education and Well Educated Heart with everyone! The process for becoming a member of LTI includes meeting current members and guests at a Mothers and Fathers of Influence Meeting typically held on the first Thursday of every month to start learning about this approach to education. Then, we invite you to visit us for a day of commonwealth classes. Applicants need to read A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille and meet with two governing board members to make sure this commonwealth is a good fit for your family. Email info@ltinevada.org to get started.

What is leadership education or Thomas Jefferson Education (TJED)?

Leadership Education is an educational philosophy based on the principles outlined in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille.  All members read this book as an introduction to these principles and as a condition of membership.

What is the difference between a co-op and a commonwealth?

Like a co-op, we meet once a week. Unlike a typical co-op, we share a common educational philosophy: we follow Leadership Education and Well-Educated Heart approaches to our classes.

We support mothers and fathers as we teach how to apply leadership education principles and the lost tools of educating hearts at home. 

As children mature into youth and prepare for their future endeavors, they need an opportunity to challenge their thinking in a wholesome community of peers.  

The continuum for our learners culminates in our scholar classes. Scholar classes, including the LEMI scholar projects, for youth 12 to 18 are high quality, curated experiences that empower parents to continue homeschooling through the high school years.

A commonwealth is transformational, not transactional. All of the governing board and every member is a volunteer; there are no paid positions. Each participant works together to build a community of like-minded families who serve and support each other as we implement principles of leadership education in our homes.

Parents participate in a mentor-led course as part of our weekly community day and teach, as mentors, classes for children and youth every week as well. We enjoy a variety of whole-family activities outside of our community day to fellowship each other and share in a culture of beauty, excellence, and goodness. 

What is a mentor? Isn’t that another word for teacher?

We use the words teacher and mentor interchangeably but we prefer the term “mentor” because leadership education is focused on how to think, not what to think. Mentors are interested in helping each individual reach her or his individual potential. A teacher or professor may lecture on what he or she knows and tries to impart knowledge to the student, but a mentor goes beyond factual instruction to help a student to discover and grow on their personal educational journey.

What is the time commitment?

We meet every Wednesday from 9:30am to 1:00pm for up to 32 weeks in a school year. 

Each mom attends the whole day of our commonwealth, mentors at least one of the three instructional hours, co-mentors another hour, and attends the Family Foundations class for one hour during the community day. As a parent in our commonwealth, we encourage you to attend as many of our monthly Mothers and Fathers of Influence evenings as you can (a minimum of four is required to maintain membership).

We invite your family to participate in our events such as the Constitution Bowl, Shakespeare Faire, Entrepreneur Fair, Family Campout, Evening of the Arts, and annual Mother’s retreat. Though not required for membership, these events strengthen the bond between members and provide opportunities for leadership, joyful celebration of learning, and fun.

What does it mean to be “freedom-minded?”

One of the principles of Leadership Education is “Inspire, not require.” Our commonwealth is committed to inspiring children, youth, and parents to grow and learn because they want to—using their personal agency.

We’re not interested in compulsion, force, threats, or bribery to encourage a person to get a quality education. Instead, we use the power of personal example and genuine love for both the subjects taught and the students themselves to inspire an intrinsic motivation to study, learn, and work hard.

We don’t delineate a learner’s abilities based on their age or “grade-level.” Instead, we provide phase-appropriate learning environments to inspire the hearts of every participant in our community to fulfill their potential. We encourage each person to progress according to their own ability and in their own time.

Do you teach a specific curriculum?

Parent members of LTI collaborate with board members to create the courses and projects they will teach each school year.

We use the poems, songs, artwork, and stories of the Well-Educated Heart materials for all our Core Phase Classes and as a guide and inspiration for every phase of learning. With this rich foundation of beauty, children grow into Love of Learning classes which are project-based and help kids expand their skills, ability and knowledge.  Equipped with the confidence that they can learn anything, scholars challenge themselves in theme specific year long projects. For Scholar phase we utilize LEMI Scholar projects for which mentors receive special training to be ready to help the youth take on the challenge of getting their own education.